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Use Flashing Tape for Fat Bike tubeless setup.

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Gambit21

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
...just do it.
I'm tired of pointing noobs in the right direction every few pages in several different threads because they're too lazy to read the previous pages.

Zip System
Forti-Flash
Tyvek
or similar

Might as well be marketed as Fat Bike tubeless tape.
Sooner or later some smart person will strike a deal and do exactly this. Don't bother with the expensive Sun Ringle tape.

Wipe the inside of the rim with alcohol, then
scuff the inside of the rim with steel wool or find sandpaper.
Make sure it's stretched tight - one pass will do it.

Anything else is a needless waste of time or money for TLR rims.
You're welcome.

Just wanted another possible hit for those bothering to do a search.
 
#2 ·
links? pics?

i did a couple of searches and there are a thousand types of this stuff with a wide range of prices. what specific product are you referring to? thanks
 
#4 ·
i just attempted this and couldn't seat my Dillenger 5's to my stock Framed Alaskan alloy 80mm rims, so i gave up. i did exactly what you stated using zip flashing tape and Stan's sealant but struggled to seat the tire. It almost looks like there is too much of a gap between the tire and rims running tubeless. maybe some foam tape to force the tire to the bead would help? good news is, i used red "duck tape" for the holes to accent the bike.
 
#5 ·
machine4321 said:
I cant get 3" in canada. Kinda bummed. Hows the clean up? The "tuck tape" as its called in canada is stupid sticky.
Click to expand...
you can use 2" tape and make 2-3 passes, one on each side and one down the middle. Even with 3 layers, it's still lighter than Duct Tape. Cleanup, at least with Tyvek tape, is another story. It doesn't leave much residue, but the adhesion is very strong. As a result, if you ever need to remove it, you'll need heat and a lot of scraping to get it off and a bit of solvent to remove what little residue remains. That said, I used it on a set of Marge Lites 2 years ago and it is still sealed and holding air; i haven't put a pump on the tire in over a year (or used it).
 
Discussion starter · #7 ·
The Forti-Flash is also extremely sticky, more so than the Zip.
I think this much "stick" is not necessary however, and I think the Zip will be easier to remove than either the Tyvek or Forti-Flash.

Key is STRETCHING the tape around the rim, either with a helper holding the wheel and rotating a few degrees each time while you pull and apply, or using the brake levers to apply the same tension.
 
#8 ·
In my case I went with the Mulefut tape simply because I am a "newb" when it comes to tubeless and if the rim manufacturer goes to the trouble to make a tape specifically for their rim I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. My 4.8 Minions sealed flawlessly the first time and simply don't leak air at all with out a drop of sealant visible.

I just spent $1500 on a new bike that uses tires that cost $80-$150, spending $23 on a roll of tape that works great is a no brainer for me. If you want save a few bucks on Gorilla/duct/flashing tape then more power to you.
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
robc in wi said:
In my case I went with the Mulefut tape simply because I am a "newb" when it comes to tubeless and if the rim manufacturer goes to the trouble to make a tape specifically for their rim I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt. My 4.8 Minions sealed flawlessly the first time and simply don't leak air at all with out a drop of sealant visible.

I just spent $1500 on a new bike that uses tires that cost $80-$150, spending $23 on a roll of tape that works great is a no brainer for me. If you want save a few bucks on Gorilla/duct/flashing tape then more power to you.
Click to expand...
It's not just about saving money, it's the high quality proven utility of the tape itself. Wide, stretchy, sticky, much more on a roll than the Sun tape.
The Sun tape is just another type of tape that's re-branded.
But hey, stick to your aptly named "no brainer" scheme and the over-priced tape that costs more per foot simply because it's marketed for bikes. Great plan. :)
 
#10 · (Edited)
Not denying that it's overpriced. But it's also the exact width for my rims so no trimming, one time around with a 6" overlap. If I can find flashing tape in the right width I will give it a shot. Thanks for the doing the homework for the rest of us.
 
#11 ·
Gambit21 said:
It's not just about saving money, it's the high quality proven utility of the tape itself. Wide, stretchy, sticky, much more on a roll than the Sun tape.
The Sun tape is just another type of tape that's re-branded.
But hey, stick to your aptly named "no brainer" scheme and the over-priced tape that costs more per foot simply because it's marketed for bikes. Great plan. :)
Click to expand...
It's a good thing you're smarter than the rest of us dupes. Glad you're here to set us all straight.
 
Discussion starter · #14 ·
...and you can do whatever you want - period.
What doesn't change is the quality and cost per foot of the flashing tape - that's non-debatable. I used to suggest the Sun tape as well, but that was before it became widely apparent that the flashing tape was a better option all around.
 
Discussion starter · #17 ·
I haven't removed Zip tape, but it's less sticky than the Forti-Flash for instance.
Plenty sticky enough though after I used alchohol and steel wool on the inside of the Mulefuts - they were virgin rims though, so the inside was like Teflon.
 
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