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No question is stupid...on this site.

Yes, every one I've ever seen has 4-5 grooves.

When you first get your engine do you ever take a bike frame tube and tape course #80 grit emery cloth to a chunk of correct size frame tube and sand the mounting lugs on the engine to get rid of any imperfection on the mount as I've done this on all of mine and yet to have a engine fall off or come loose along with the other frame mounting technique I use and employ.
Something to ponder.
Norman

Buy yourself a ski mask, not a mechanical tip but still an excellent thing to have. One of my best 2 buck purchases. Except it does a number on your peripheral vision

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visit my blog for Riding in the hood,... The home brew bike journal....http://frictiondrivebicycles.blogspot.com/ The deacon's fiction

Today I was working on the giant mountain bike and I decided to fit the 24" sissy schwinn wheel the the huge mtb even though the tube was missing. I removed the tire as well since it was in the way. You guessed it the rim stip came apart.

I went looking for one but of course the only one I could find was at the bike store and I have already been out today. I began researching and found that many of the bike shops no longer use rim strips as such. they put down two layers of duct tape instead.

I just happened to have a roll of black duct tape. So I started the strip of tape and found it was too wide. I made the end rip and of course a half wide strip rolled off for me. I made one round the started again with the other half. I have a very nice little pad for the tube when it arrives and it doesn't slide around. Far as what I can tell from what I read it will work just fine. I'll let you know if it doesn't

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visit my blog for Riding in the hood,... The home brew bike journal....http://frictiondrivebicycles.blogspot.com/ The deacon's fiction

I've been useing electrical tape on mine for years and never had a problem...Kelly

I use plastic electrical tape 2 wraps around the wheel and no rubber rim strip on regular tube and tires nothing fancy, one tube on my ratbike is 18 years old and I supect Uncle Sam will be sending a slective service notice to it soon.
Norman

Good to know guys. The one thing that surprised me was that everything I read said use rim tape. That is until I stuck duct tape into the search. Then everything I read said duct tape was better. Really seems to be anything to take the edge of the spokes will do.

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visit my blog for Riding in the hood,... The home brew bike journal....http://frictiondrivebicycles.blogspot.com/ The deacon's fiction

yes and a power wire wheel brushing in the rim where the tape goes will knock down or off rust and fine pointed things that like to poke your tube when your on a 12 mile ride and they do like to want until your way way out there to poke the tube.
check out the lights for your bike on my site
Norms Iron Works

Well put, only thing I can think to add it to check for loose parts after each ride and again before you take off. My forks loosen up often and I even had my crank loosen up. My son ran one till the exhaust almost fell off, he is not very mechanically enclined.

Not sure this is worth much but I just rode my bike. The mirror had to be readjusted twenty times. When I got home, I finally managed to get to the auto store to buy a convex mirror. You know one of those "its closer than it looks things." Well to be honest that isn't a problem, If anyone is behind me no matter how close or far, I'm waiting for him to pass before I do anything. I just want to know someone is back there. Those mirrors are more or less always in adjustment.

The one I got is a peel and stick the same size as my regular mirror, so I just covered it up. I added a turn of tape around the edge just in case.

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visit my blog for Riding in the hood,... The home brew bike journal....http://frictiondrivebicycles.blogspot.com/ The deacon's fiction