Close to foolproof for installing road tubulars without a gluey mess. Always the proper amount and even allows for minor adjustment as you go. Not for use with all tires, but with the Tufos it works well for me.
I use this tape with Tufo S3 Lite tubular tires. The tape is easy to apply and does hold the tire very securely. When removing the old tape there will be slight remnants stuck to the rim gluing bed which I dont remove, too difficult. Advise that when applying the tape use a wheel truing stand and make sure you have centered the tape. If not the tape is so sticky that your tire will follow the tape and be slightly off center, overall love this tape.
Great product - clean and easy to apply.
So easy to put on. One step instead of 3 or 4 with glue. I was a little worried about getting tire off but, being a little careful you can get between tape and rim and pull tire off. You can even remount tire (I just did after putting in a little sealant to stop slow leak) with same glue tape. I'll never use straight glue again!
I cannot recommend Tufo tape more enthusiastically. I have used them to tape Tufo Flexus Primus to my Shimano Dura Ace C50's which had previously had some Vittoria Evo Corsa CX glued with standard tubular glue. I HATED the amount of work to scrape the old glue off to have a reasonably flat and consistent surface on each of the wheels. But once I finished scraping (quite gingerly, I might add, because these are all carbon), I taped the tires and they are were amazingly tacky and secure. Even at extremely low psi (which makes the shear forces on tubular tires even more) these tires never showed any signs of rolling.
At the end of cross season, I removed the cross tires with surprising ease and alot less labor prepping them for retyping. I had a nice tacky surface (good residual sticky residue from the previous tape) to use for some Tufo Elite 25 road tubulars and true to form, these lasted throughout this past road season. Here in Seattle, neeedless to say, half of our road season is wet and rainy. I have used my taped DA C50's in road races and criteriums with extremely tight corners and never felt vulnerable. Mind you I am 180 lbs.
I recently bought some 88 mm profile track carbon tubulars and have taped some non-Tufo tubulars, the Continental Steher, and was a little nervous bc Tufo recommended that you only use their tires with their tape...probably makes sense for a variety of reasons (monopoly and being able to stand behind the casings of the tubes vs. other company's tubulars), and I raced my track wheels this track season with NO problems.
The biggest barrier to using and trusting this product is knowing someone who actually uses these over glue. If you ask mechanics (even some whom I really trust) and ex-pros, I was told Don't use these! But if you actually ask people, Do you know anyone who ever rolled their taped tubulars, most of these people, will probably say No The taping tubular community is still very small compared to the gluing world. Fighting tradition is hard and lonely!!
I searched and searched blogs and cycling websites to find an negative reviews or horror stories about using Tufo tape to glue tubulars and I could not find ANY except some people in Florida and Arizona who did not recommend using them in hot climates. So few questions that I had that have been answered by other bloggers
1) Can they be used on non-Tufo tires? I have read several people, including some reviews on this site, that have attested to their adherence to other tubulars than just Tufo...Vittorias, in my case, Continental Stehers
2) Are they reliable? I have not met, heard or read about someone who rolled their Tufo taped tubular...I have seen a guy roll their glued Zipp 808's at a local crit
Like most people I've met, they always looked surprised when I say I use gluing tape to secure my tires and not the messy glue process. I admit I was skeptical during my first ride but Ive been using Tufo tape for 4 years now without incident. Fats speeds, hard cornering, nothing seperates the tires from the rims. And I save a ton of installation time !
This stuff really works!!! No muss no fuss and I've never rolled a tire even ripping it around the hairpins of some of the wildest descents the Alps, Pyrenees, and Dolomites have to offer. You'll need strong fingers to peel your tires off if you use Tufo tape!!
If you ride tubulars and are still gluing, why? This tape works. It is just a little expensive. But, it is quick and the mess is eliminated.
Awesome product, no mess what so ever. This should be used with Tufo tubulars, that is what I used it on. Not like the old days with all that mess and waiting. Holds up great, rode today 97 degrees HOT rode 20 plus miles held up great. With this product and Tufo tires, I am back to riding tubulars forever!
This is my first time using this product,was a little leary about it at first,as I have always used glue to mount my tires. I got tired of the mess that gluing presents. Had to get all the old glue of my carbon rims,the tape went down very easy,followed the instruction,even viewed a few online videos of this process. Also you have all the time in the world to get the tires aligned on the rims. NICE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A little on the expensive side, but couldn't be easier to use. No problems so far.
Switched to Tufo tape and it's made tire replacement much easier, especially keeping my carbon rims clean. Replacement now takes hour(s)instead of days. Make sure to stretch the tire before you tape and install it.
Short of a team of personal mechanics, which I don't have, this tape is the fastest way to install a tubular tire. Zero mess. Rock solid adhesion. I usually handle my flats with Stan's Tire Sealant (I like it better than Tufo Tire Sealant) but if you have to change out the tire on the road this product makes it quick and easy. When really pressed for time, I've even replaced the tire on the road over the old tape (NOT recommended by manufacturer) and had no issues with security. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
My previous bout with installing tubulars was with the tube of glue. Which will get the job done and some may say provide a better stick but I am unsure if I will be doing the type of riding that will put that to the test. This was my second time installing tubulars and I must say it went a lot better than the first. No glue stuck, well, to everything, belly, hands, various parts in the garage. This product is extremely easy to use and effective once installed. I highly recommend this product.
So long as you take your time removing the protective top strip once the tire is first attached this stuff is great - takes the mystery, guess work, mess and smell out of attaching a tub. The recommendation is to use this with Tufo tubs as they don't have a middle seam on the underside of the tire - I've also used it with Vittoria's which do have the seam - so far no problems - pressure is so high and there is enough 'give' in the tape that it works - anyway that's my risk. One other thing to note is that the tire can slip around a bit when you try to first attach it i.e. when the protective tape is still on, especially if the tub is a tight fit - i ended wrapping sticky tape around tire and rim as I progressed around to keep tire in place and then used some tire levers to pop the last section on. Overall I've used this tape several times now and would recommend it.
Glue did not take hold. I was told by lbs that it is not recommended in hot climates and I live in Florida.
Never go back to glue.
I used to use glue and didn't enjoy the mess. The glue would always seem to get where I didn't want it and was unforgiving.
With the Tufo tape it is extremely simple to mount the tubular and get exact positioning before activating the glue surface by removing the plastic covering.
Well, if you're using tubulars this is the way to go. Forget about the mess of replacing a tire, cleaning the rim etc... Just pull of the tape, and you're ready to put on a new one. My Tip- when putting the tire over the tape, keep a small piece of tape cover between the tape and the tire- make sure it's right across from the valve so you can find it- it makes pulling a punctured tire that much easier, especially when you're in thee middle of a race and your heart rate is through the roof.
Very easy to use and is holding quite well. A little spendy though. Will never go back to clinchers.
