WHAT DOES A RIM TAPE DO?
The rim tape protects the inner tube from mechanical damage caused by spoke heads, metal burrs and holes in the rim.
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WHICH RIM TAPE SHOULD I USE?
All spoke holes must be completely and securely covered by a suitable rim tape.
Special rim tapes (e.g. Schwalbe Super HP or Schwalbe fabric rim tape) are required for hollow rims. Rubber rim tapes are not suitable for hollow rims because they are pressed into the holes by the inflated inner tube.
The rim tape must cover the entire rim base. If the rim tape is narrower than the rim base, it can slip and expose spoke holes.
Alternatively, you can also use our self-adhesive fabric or tubeless rim tape for all rims. The adhesive prevents slippage. For road bike rims (13C, 14C), you should always use a width of 18 mm.
We only recommend the 15 mm wide fabric rim tape for rims with a relatively wide drop centre that still offers sufficient contact surface for the tape in addition to the spoke hole.
WHY DOESN‘T SCHWALBE OFFER A 12 MM HIGH PRESSURE RIM TAPE?
Some rims have a drop centre width of approx. 12 mm. We deliberately do not offer rim tape with a width of 12 mm or narrower for these rims. Covering the rim holes with such a narrow tape is very tight and does not provide reliable protection.
Instead, we recommend using a very wide tape that extends from rim wall to rim wall. This is the best way to achieve secure coverage of the rim holes.
