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review

KranX Tubeless Rim Tape

9
£9.50

VERDICT:

9
10
High-performing rim tape at a great price
Good price
Applies easily
Works as well as expensive stuff
Weight: 
43g
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This product has been selected to feature in road.cc recommends. That means it's not just scored well, but we think it stands out as special. Go to road.cc recommends

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The KranX Tubeless Rim Tape is a really nice product, feeling both sturdy yet pliable and fitting well to the rim, creating a good seal – and all at a very good price. It compares really well with more expensive options from the big brands, and will be at home even on the best road bike wheels and best gravel bike wheels you can get.

After replacing my old tape with a layer of KranX Tubeless Rim Tape, I was able to inflate my tubeless tyres effortlessly without even adding any sealant. Even after a week of being left inflated this way, there had still been no leaking through the rim tape.

I never thought I would be able to say I had an enjoyable time while applying new tubeless rim tape, but I did. It's stickier than a lot of cheap tapes for a start, while still being pliable enough to fit well to the contours of a rim.

2022 KranX Tubeless Rim Tape fitted.jpg

It's also tough, so pulling it tight to ensure an air-tight seal caused no undue stress or tearing. Despite this it's easy to put a hole in for the valve (I just used a small hex key to poke one), so that doesn't cause any grief either. Repeatedly changing tyres hasn't shifted it at all, either, and no gaps have appeared during the test. It basically looks as it did when first installed.

2022 KranX Tubeless Rim Tape fitted with valve hole.jpg

The KranX tape comes in lots of widths – 19mm, 21mm, 23mm, 25mm, 27mm, 29mm, 32mm and 35mm – so it's easy to get the perfect size for your specific wheelset. In my case, with an 18mm internal diameter to fill, the 21mm tape fits perfectly and leaves no gaps either side.

I found you only need one layer on each wheel, and with this being a 10m roll there's enough to wrap three wheels. Tell your tricyclist friends…

At £9.50 per roll it's only a few pounds more than some far less user-friendly 'budget' options. It's also cheaper than the both the Muc-Off Tubeless Rim Tape – up a quid to £15.99 since Stu tested it in 2020 – and the Schwalbe Tubeless Rim Tape that Dave tested the year before (still £20.99), despite being comparable on performance.

Overall, I reckon this tape is great, and the price is attractive too. I would happily recommend it to anyone.

Verdict

High-performing rim tape at a great price

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road.cc test report

Make and model: KranX Tubeless Rim Tape

Size tested: 21mm

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

This tape is aimed at anyone needing to tape some rims to be compatible with tubeless tyres.

Kranx says it's 'Designed to guarantee excellent pressure resistance and durability'

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Length: 10m

Widths: 19mm, 21mm, 23mm, 25mm, 27mm, 29mm, 32mm and 35mm (21mm on test)

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Excellently: it's easy to install and performed perfectly.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Installation is a breeze, and it fits very well to the shape of the rim.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

It's cheaper than options from the likes of Muc-Off or Schwalbe, while performing very similarly.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

This performs as well as much more expensive stuff, and far better than many budget options that don't actually cost that much less. It's an excellent choice.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 22  Height: 174  Weight: 72

I usually ride: Canyon Aeroad   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Semi pro

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, touring, club rides, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

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9 comments

Avatar
Joe Totale | 1 year ago
0 likes

It's not bad value compared to other brands but a roll of Tesa 4289 tape is still cheaper as it doesn't have 'cycling tax' added to the price and is the best tubeless tape I've ever used.

Avatar
oceandweller | 1 year ago
0 likes

Sounds like a great product. Alas, can't find a supplier for the narrower widths! So looks like it's Stans again, @ £20 per...

Katche - do you definitely *need* tape that wide? My understanding is it's only necessary to cover the central groove + a bit either side to airproof the spoke holes? Also, for such wide rims, you could try Gorilla tape. I've a huge roll that only cost a few £s. I've not tried to tape any rims with it (I'm all tubeless these days but my widest rim is about 27mm internal) but it's proven possible to tape some complicated shapes. It's flexible too, & super sticky, I've even managed to patch a big hole in a down jacket with it & so far, touch wood, it's working a treat.

Avatar
ktache replied to oceandweller | 1 year ago
0 likes

One of my wheels had been done with multiple layers of electrical tape, and it seemed to work. But I'd be more confident with a single layer of the "correct" stuff.

Having a look online the only other ones available at 45mm are Orange seal and Jobsworth. The Jobsworth blue looks like the stuff that was double wrapped onto the other wheel, but seems difficult to source. The Orange Seal stuff looks good, but pricey. Has anyone used it, at any width? Is the extra expense worth it? I like their endurance seal, it was in the bike when set up for me and I have continued to use it.

Avatar
Miller replied to oceandweller | 1 year ago
1 like
oceandweller wrote:

Katche - do you definitely *need* tape that wide? My understanding is it's only necessary to cover the central groove + a bit either side to airproof the spoke holes? 

Yes you do need tape that wide because high pressure air will go under an exposed edge of tape and find a way out. You want the impermeable surface of the tape to cover the rim bed and go under the bead of the tyre, so that the bead sits on the tape. 

Gorilla tape will work to begin with however it becomes a horrible sticky mess some months down the line. Only use it as a last resort. Electrical tape I would say do not use at all because it lacks mechanical strength and will give way under air pressure. It might be ok on Ktache's fat bike rim because the required air pressure is so low but for higher pressures, do not use.

 

Avatar
ktache replied to Miller | 1 year ago
2 likes

Please. Less Fat, more Plus...

But you are right on the less pressure, 10 to 11 on the front, 14 or 15 on the rear, max.

Avatar
ktache | 1 year ago
0 likes

That is a lovely bit of taping there. The way it forms into the well of the rim.

I'm using WTB, and it really is not fun, there is no pliability so getting it to form to the bottom of the well without creasing is a nightmare.  I need 45mm to fit my 50mm rims so not much choice.

Any suggestions?

Avatar
Creakingcrank replied to ktache | 1 year ago
1 like

Tesa 4289, a tape made for packaging, is "very similar" to the branded yellow tubeless tape. It comes in long rolls (66m?) and is quite cheap.

Quick googling hasn't turned up any in 45mm , only 50mm, but when I bought a roll from a tape supplier (Viking maybe, I can't remember) they told me that it was made to order by cutting a slice off a much wider "log" of material. 

So it might be worth calling a supplier and asking if they can cut a 45mm slice specially for you. I imagine one roll would be more or less a lifetime's supply...

Avatar
Miller replied to Creakingcrank | 1 year ago
1 like

It's not too difficult to cut your own slice if, eg, trimming 50mm tape (seriously?!) to 45mm. Put tape roll on a nice flat surface. Support a sharp craft knife such that the blade is 5mm off the surface. Hold the knife firmly in that position and with the other hand, carefully turn the roll against the knife. You'll soon be trimming into the roll and will be able to peel off a 45mm width to seal your fat bike (I assume) rim.

Avatar
thax1 replied to ktache | 1 year ago
1 like

Would 42mm suffice do you think?

I really like the black DTSwiss stuff for road wheels. I've only used the twenty-something mm stuff, but it does come in up to 42mm apparently.

Like all things tubeless, it benefits from being warmed up before application. I tend to pop it in a low oven, whilst blasting the rim bed with the wife's hairdryer.

Then the tape is super tacky and complies with the rim bed beautifully.

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