What do you all use to cover the valve hole on your disc wheel? Yes, the wheel is expensive…and yes I care that a zipp sticker is $1…that seems absurd. Also, I have noticed that installing the sticker on race morning…when there is dew or humidity in the air doesn’t work very well…so looking for something with more adhesion.
I use a piece of “Angry Birds” duct tape. Just cuz it’s funny 
3M heavy duty clear packing tape.
I’ve found I can reapply it for several races, and since I leave it on, the disc surface is dew-free.
The tape is also good for securing race numbers to the frame with no gap, no flap.
Our team is sponsored by the Great Divide brewery, so I use their yeti beer stickers.
Clear plastic tape is also one of the best options
Unusued morning clothes bag (or special needs, whatever) number tag sticker for the IM races or clear 3M scotch tape. I used duct tape on my older disc but it definitely leaves a bunch of sticky gunk around, so definitely don’t recommend that.
I have a neat little cover that fastens with a hex bolt and contains a magnet.
Here: http://www.racewaredirect.co/shop/zipp-900-and-super-9-disc-valve-hole-covers/
Not the quickest thing to open, admittedly.
Gorilla tape. It leaves a slight residue, but comes off with a quick wipe of simple green. It comes off fairly easy but can restick a bunch of times. It definitely won’t flap around in the wind and is a good thing to have handy.
Although, I like the angry birds tape. That is hilarious.
+1. Black Gorilla tape; I’ve changed it maybe three times all year and I leave my disc on my main bike pretty much all the time.
I used to use electrical tape. Have a roll the is 3" wide.
Now I use vinyl tape that is in a carbon pattern. It doesn’t leave a sitcky residue and matches my disc look. Cost less than $5 for a 1’x5’ sheet (but it took forever to get it as it shipped using the cheapest economy service from China).
Black duct tape from Dollar General.
Caution tape.
What the cost of leaving it uncovered? It is more psychological or is it like shaving the arms impact?
What the cost of leaving it uncovered? It is more psychological or is it like shaving the arms impact?
For years I always covered the hole. This past year I didn’t bother and posted several top amateur bike splits - not really sure it has any sort of aero penalty to not cover it. Maybe something for the folks at Specialized to test in their ‘Win Tunnel’ ??
Another…black gorilla tape…minimal residue if you take it off right away.
What do you all use to cover the valve hole on your disc wheel? Yes, the wheel is expensive…and yes I care that a zipp sticker is $1…that seems absurd. Also, I have noticed that installing the sticker on race morning…when there is dew or humidity in the air doesn’t work very well…so looking for something with more adhesion.
Have we talked about 3m aluminum foil tape? Before that I used 3m extreme strapping tape. Both have VERY GOOD adhesion even on moist mornings, but the benefit of:
foil backed tape: is that you cut a season worth of strips and keep them ready to go for race day.
**extreme strapping: **It is extremely strong with a carbon fiber like mesh. I feel this is more likely to hold its shape as the wind presses against it, where as other tapes will bend into the rim. Obviously hard to measure but eyeball test would say the flush tape is more aero if you are that much of a geek to care, which I know you are 
What the cost of leaving it uncovered? It is more psychological or is it like shaving the arms impact?
For years I always covered the hole. This past year I didn’t bother and posted several top amateur bike splits - not really sure it has any sort of aero penalty to not cover it. Maybe something for the folks at Specialized to test in their ‘Win Tunnel’ ??
Thanks. Interesting to know how important it is to cover it.
http://flocycling.blogspot.ca/2016/03/flo-cycling-does-covering-valve-cutout.html?m=1
8 seconds over an IM distance? Ok, that is a lot less that I thought!
+1
.
Another vote for black duct tape.