Skip to main content

What Is Bike Rim Tape?

"rolls of velox rim tape"

Why Use It? What is it?

Bike rim tape is a cloth, pvc or nylon tape that runs around your bike rim to protect your inner tube from being punctured by your spokes and or spoke holes.

Rim Strips: Most entry level bikes and many older bikes come with rubber rim strips that stretch around your rim like a big rubber band. These rubber strips can tear or dry out and break, leaving you unprotected from below.

By replacing your rubber rim strips with either cloth rim tape or nylon rim strips you will be much better protected against punctures from your spokes and or spoke holes.

Are you getting multiple flats?

Chances are if you've changed tubes & tires but are still getting flats on a regular basis then your rim strip or tape may be to blame!


Matt Donovan,	3rd generation Owner and General Manager of Dedham Bike

By: Matt Donovan,
3rd generation Owner and General Manager of Dedham Bike
Last updated: 8/10/23

Thanks to Stan's No Tubes For This Video!

Tubeless Rim Tape

When setting your tubeless ready rims up to go tube free you need to first line your rim bed with some tubeless rim tape. Our go to tape is by Stan's .

The tape will cover your spoke holes and any gaps in the rim that would allow air to escape over time, allowing for your tubeless set up to go flat in a short period of time.

In conjunction with tubeless rim tape you will need some sealant and tubeless ready valves to complete the setup.

An air compressor or large canister of compressed air helps in a big way during inflation, a hand pump can be very frustrating to use here.

Velox Rim Tape

Made in France, Velox is widely considered to be the best cloth rim tape you can buy. It is lightweight and very durable. It is our go-to rim tape and is used every day here at the store. 

What size does Velox come in?

Velox comes in three primary sizes, 16mm, 19mm and 22mm.

The 16mm width is most often used for road and hybrid wheels while the 22mm is used for wider mountain bike rims. 

What size rim tape do i need?

Ultimately you'll want to measure your rim's inner width or take your wheel to your local shop for help finding what size you need.

"Velox Rim Tape box"

How do you install Velox rim tape? 

It's quite easy to install once you've removed your old tape or rim strip. It has a slightly sticky backing that will make contact with your rim to help keep it in place. Having a clean surface definitely helps with the application process.(rubbing alcohol works well to clean your rim's surface) You want your tape to be taught around the rim so it doesn't move around on you. Also be sure to keep the valve hole lined up during the install process, inserting a valve or small screw driver through the valve hole in the tape and your rim's valve hole helps keep things lined up. Allow your tape to overlap but be sure not to tape over your valve hole by snipping the excess tape with a pair of scissors ect.


"rim tape mounted on wheel"Velox properly installed on a mountain bike wheel. To determine the correct width rim tape you'll need to measure the inside width of your rim from side to side.

 More Things About Bike Rim Tape

  •  It comes in multiple widths
  •  Make sure you have the right width
  •  Proper installation is very important
  •  Improperly installed tape can lead to more flats as well as increased difficulty installing your tire on the rim
  •  Cloth rim tape generally sells for around $5
  •  If you're unsure on the right width or how to go about installation, your local bike shop should be able to help you