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I want to equip my Koga Miyata Gents Racer with new (tubeless) tyres. The rims are Mavic Monthlery Route Tubular Rims for which I have found the outer width to be 22mm (although I have found some sites claiming it is 21.5mm). I figured that I could put 22mm tyres on it but am now struggling to find the correct tape for it. The inner width was nowhere to be found and I am unsure on how to measure it, as the rims don't have an inner edge but just curve.

So my question is which tape width I need here. Here's a picture of the rim:

enter image description here

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    Aside - That tubular rim needs a lot of cleanup before you can fit a new tubular tyre. An electric heat gun and many clean wooden popsicle sticks. I suggest a heat-resistant glove like an old pot mitt and mount the wheel in an old fork in a vise for ease of access. An IR temperature sensor can help you avoid overheating things too. The embedded dirt may smoulder or burn which can stink too, so consider doing it outside. Source - been there done that.
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Jun 28 at 0:01
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    In fact I have the heat gun, I will try my luck. I might even get the sensor, what do you reckon is the max. temperature I can heat it to safely?
    – Julian
    Commented Jun 28 at 1:07
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    Just hot enough to soften the glue so it can be scraped off. Estimate about 60-70 degrees C. You'll find a temperature where the glue just comes off easily, so that-hot but no more. You can save yourself some effort later by using tubular tape not tubular glue, tufo.com/en/accessories/detail/…
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Jun 28 at 8:33

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Tubular tires and tubeless tires are different.

You don't need tubeless tape, you need different rims. No tubeless tape ever made will help you. Tubulars and tubeless systems are different - very, very different.

Tubular rims don't have any of the features that would retain a clincher tire. Tubeless rims inflate against the rim sidewalls. Their beads lock against the sidewall. The inner width is the distance between the two sidewalls (usually between the two hooks on top of the sidewall, but not all rims have them). This is why you couldn't measure an inner width. The only thing you can mount to those rims is tubular tires, which are very much a dying breed.

Now, tubular glue tapes are a thing, which I guess you could Google if you want to mount tubulars. I strongly recommend you do not do this unless you know exactly what you are getting into. The skills required to mount tubulars are learnable, but they're also dying out. Thus, there are fewer people to learn from. Additionally, for consumers, there's no use case where they're dominant over other options. OK, maybe cyclocross racing, but I don't know that their advantages are worth it there. And who races cyclocross these days?

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  • Thanks for clearing that up. I found some tubular tires I might try to glue. If that doesn't work I will get some other rims for now. Thanks again!
    – Julian
    Commented Jun 28 at 1:08

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