Again and again, you come up with tips on safety. One of it was in one of your "Workshop" articles. You advised to use rim tapes even on rims without holes, as otherwise the tube could burst due to the braking heat during long downhill rides. I bought Campa Monza rims without holes. In the Campagnolo operating instructions of the tubular tyres it is stated: "Never use a rim tape." What do you advise in this case? I use the wheels with tubes and also intend to use them for long downhill rides.
Reply by Dirk Zedler, TOUR technology expert and bicycle expert
I don't know anything like a rim type called "Campagnolo Monza". I assume you mean the Campagnolo wheelset "Zonda". These wheels are 2-Way Fit technology, i.e. you can mount tubeless tyres as well as typical clincher and folding tyres on the rim together with a tube. The special thing with such kind of rims is that the rim well is closed. Your write that it is stated in the Campagnolo instructions for the tubular tyres that one should use a rim tape. Tubular tyres are a third type of tyre which cannot be mounted on these rims. If you use a tubeless tyre, you don’t need a rim tape. But if you want to use a standard clincher tyre system, I recommend glueing a thin rim tape made of plastic fabric on the rim well. According to the experiences of TOUR, this insulation has proven valuable for insulating the tube and the aluminium rim. There were for example two TOUR Transalp races with very hot weather, when many tubes burst, and this always on rims without rim tape.
