Have you ever looked at or thought about your rim tape?
Quietly residing on the inside of your wheel, along the outer circumference of the rim, sits the rim tape. It is the component that seals the spoke holes of the rim, protecting the inner tube from the edges of those holes, or maintaining airtightness if you are running tubeless-ready tires.
It is a part that you rarely see, usually only coming into view when you remove your tires. Yet, it is an absolutely essential component for a comfortable ride, quietly supporting you from behind the scenes.
Trust the unseen
Unlike parts discussed for their flashy specs or aesthetics, rim tape is a "behind-the-scenes" player. However, many of the troubles encountered during daily rides are caused by small disparities in these unsung components.
With rim tape, uneven thickness, weak adhesive, or slight misalignments during application can eventually manifest as punctures or air leaks.
That is why we believe that you shouldn't just use "anything" because it's out of sight—you need something you can truly trust in those hidden places. It protects your wheels, minimizes the risk of flats, and quietly and reliably performs its duty from the moment you start pedaling until you reach your goal. It is a rim tape you can trust.
Working at Circles and Culture Club for nearly 10 years, I often found myself wishing for such a reliable rim tape. Wait, that’s it—let's do it with RAL, the brand that gives shape to "I wish this existed."
So, the RAL Rim Tape we have created comes in two models to suit different purposes. The long roll size contains enough for about 18–20 wheels, so I think it will be a welcome addition for pro shops and home mechanics alike.
RAL Nylon Rim Tape
Usage: For inner tubes
Length: 45m
Widths: 19mm, 21mm, 24mm, 27mm
Price: 4,730 – 5,390 JPY (incl. tax)
The RAL Nylon Rim Tape for inner tubes offers a great balance of lightness and durability, making it suitable for a wide range of uses, from daily commuting to long-distance touring. We prioritized a thickness that is easy to apply to the rim and reliable for long-term use.
We offer four different widths; the 19mm and 21mm are perfect for narrower rims like Velocity A23, H PLUS SON Archetype, and The Box.
The key here is that we have wider sizes available: 21mm and 27mm. These fit wide rims like the Cliffhanger or Standalone001, which are often used with tubes—and it’s surprisingly difficult to find inner-tube rim tape in these sizes. Yes, it’s exactly the kind of thing you wish existed.
RAL Tubeless Rim Tape
Length: 10m, 50m
Usage: For inner tubes / Tubeless-ready
Widths: 21mm, 24mm, 27mm, 30mm
Price: 2,420 – 11,000 JPY (incl. tax)
The RAL Tubeless Rim Tape, our model for tubeless-ready setups, uses a material that balances just the right amount of stretch with high airtightness. It follows the shape of the rim easily, provides stable air retention, and reduces the stress of tubeless-ready operation. In fact, our own pit mechanics have praised how easy it is to apply to the rim.
Whether it's for your daily commute or a long weekend ride, we want you to be able to keep riding without a second thought. We want to deliver products that support that fundamental sense of security.
Rim tape that supports your ride
RAL Rim Tape is manufactured by a company with over 30 years of experience, a firm that boasts one of the world's largest production scales and quality standards. They are intimately familiar with different riding environments and rim shapes; they are, in a sense, the "craftsmen behind the scenes" who prioritize the necessary performance over superficial decoration.
The ease of application helps prevent errors and trouble during assembly, while its durability reduces the frequency of replacements. These might not be traits that can be expressed with flashy numbers, but they are essential performances that quietly support the comfort of your daily rides.
Rim tape may not be the main act, but we believe it is the player that prepares the stage so the main act can perform at its best.
Take a peek inside your wheel every once in a while
While it varies depending on usage and frequency, the general guideline for replacing rim tape is every 1–2 years. If you notice fading, clear impressions of the spoke holes, or slight tears when you remove your tire, it’s a sign that it’s time for a replacement.
Small damages accumulated from serious riding are best checked now, during the maintenance season before spring arrives. If you feel like your replacement time is coming up, we hope you choose RAL Rim Tape for the job. We want you to head into the next season with peace of mind.
We believe in delivering reliable products for the things that work in the hidden places. It doesn't have to be the star. But we want to be an presence that supports from the shadows, allowing the people who put in the effort to continue moving forward and enjoying themselves without worry. We’ve entrusted that sentiment to the RAL Rim Tape that works so reliably behind the scenes.
