Well - not really. I do however, hate **shitty **rim tape - the kind that comes on most production and aftermarket wheels, however. Has anyone out there tried this stuff?
Veloplugs
The folks @ fixedgeargalery seem to dig them - see the review.
Haven’t used them, but I’m not going to let that stop me from commenting…
I think these would be fine for rims that are not grommetted (like the Mavic Open Pro, or whatever name they’re going by now). They would do a good job of covering the sharp edges of the drilled hole, but if you’ve got that reinforcing grommet there, I don’t think it would cover the edges of those.
Velox medium width all the way.
Khai,
Never heard of these, but it does sound like one of thos gee-whiz-why-didn’t-someone-think-of-this-earlier things. Not a huge weight saving, but anything in the rim is BIG. However, I agree - there is nothing worse than lousy rim tape or rim tape that does not fit properly. Are they available in Canada anywhere?
seems to be the ultimate solution to a problem yet to be discovered.
Kinda off the subject. There was a post a few months back people use Veloplugs on the Tubular rims to keep the glue out of the spoke holes. I was thinking of using them on my clinchers and tubular rims.
No personal experience but I’ve heard about two problems. One is that they only fit certain diameter holes so they may not work with some rims. The other problem is minor–when changing a tube, they sometimes stick to the tube and if not replaced you are guaranteed a flat.
That could be a problem if you lost one while out on the road.
I don’t know - the website lists German contact info, and it’s an Aus company (I think). I’d never heard of them until a few days ago, when I was reading reviews on fixedgeargallery. They seem to really like Velocity rims, and the newer rims were coming with the Veloplugs. Now I *have *heard of Velocity rims, although I’ve no experience with them myself.
Personally, I’m not so concerned with saving 16g per wheel - I just hate shitty rim tape. My LBS stocks cloth tape in HUGE rolls, but this seems like a pretty nice alternative.
“Now I *have *heard of Velocity rims”
Khai,
Indeed. I have a set of Velocity 32 spoke Aerohead rims. These are my everyday riding rims and I have pounded the crap out of these things for 6+ years and they are still going strong. One minor wobble has had to be trued. Other than that. Outstanding!
seems to be the ultimate solution to a problem yet to be discovered.
No kidding eh!
I have them but they don’t fit the holes in my race wheels so haven’t gone in. I like cloth rim tape. The plastic michelin stuff that campag and fulcrum use is such a pain - always swap it out.
Hello Khai,
I put them in with latex and butyl tubes and they work great.
Spoke holes were trifle too large (a few thousandths) so I put a dab of Vittoria Mastik tubular glue on them.
As stated if one falls out and gets lost on a roadside change you are screwed.
I put in a couple of extras in my tire change kit - however with them glued should not be a problem.
Do not forget to put a small piece of tape over the rim jig holes where the rim is welded. I forgot on one tire the first time and even though the holes are only about 1/32 inch it gave me an nice blowout.
Cheers,
Neal
i use 'em in my race zipps. they work and fit great on those wheels.
a smart way to lose a few more grams rotating near the tire.
“Never heard of these, but it does sound like one of thos gee-whiz-why-didn’t-someone-think-of-this-earlier things.”
The Veloplugs are just a pre-fab replication of something that has been done since long before clincher rims even existed.
Once upon a time, it was common practice to “cork” the rims of a race wheel, which was pretty much what it sounds like - stuff a piece of cork in the spoke hole.
.
The one thing to look out for with the veloplugs is to double check that the edges don’t have burrs — could cause a flat.
Longboarder,
Save yourself time, money and trouble. Stick with Velux rim tape!
I thinks they are great. I have them on a set of training wheels. However, they only make one size so make sure to know the nipple whole size before you order. I had to return some because of it. Instead I went with Conti rim tape.
http://biketiresdirect.com/productdetail.asp?p=CORIM&gclid=CJrxy_v6qYkCFRgeUAodgirS2w
This stuff is great. Lighter wgt. and doesn’t absorb water like the cloth.
Martin C,
Broke eight spokes and no catastrophic wheel failure? Someone must be watching over you! Unless you weren’t riding the bike.
I just use black electrical tape. Always around (husband an electrician) and I’ve had no problems… infact I don’t think I’ve changed it on this bike in atleast 5 months.
Have a great Christmas all!!!
With some rims it is hard as hell to get some brands of tire on. With the tape off, it is a piece of cake. One of my bikes came with Shimano rims and some tires are a b@#*% to get one. I even have to use levers. And, Velox tape is pretty thick. I’d use those in a second. It might make flat changing in a race much faster.
seems to be the ultimate solution to a problem yet to be discovered.
a smart way to lose a few more grams rotating near the tire.
LOL