[Kerry Irons]

Are you riding?

I bought a set of 08 Equipe wheels from an individual without factory instructions. Do they require rim strips? I installed a set of Ritchey Speedmax 32c tires w/o the rim strips and hate to pull them off since it was almost impossible to put them on.

Did you pump them up? If so, it's hard to believe that you didn't get an immediate flat tire with no rim strip in place. Any wheel that has either exposed spoke nipples (not box section) or holes in the rim bed where you can look down and see the spoke nipples must have a rim strip or VeloPlugs.

 

[Kerry Irons]

Only at the valve

The inside rim is smooth (no holes) just like the upper end Mavics (that don't require rim strip), that is why I did not use it. I happened to see in a catalog that they came with rim strip and that is when I asked the question.

Obviously, we all thought that you had Equipes with holes in the rim! Without the holes, all you need to do is put a 3-4 inches of cloth rim tape right at the valve hole. This will protect the tube from the sharp edges around the valve hole. Otherwise, no need for a rim strip.

BTW, I think you might not have Equipe rims - they may have substituted something else when they ran out of the specified rim. How much do your wheels weigh?