I have a DT Swiss EX 511 Disc Rim, where I assembled the hub myself.
Its documentation says I can use it tubless/ with a tube set up. I want to use it with a tube.
Do I need to get a rim tape and run it around the wheel, or can I just put the tube and tire directly?
Basically, all of the nipples-screws do not pop out at all, from the holes, as you can see in the photo:
Thank you very much!
You need rim tape. This is the simplest possible answer.
Recall that pre-tubeless, you would need rim tape as well. The tube would expand into the spoke holes and pretty quickly burst. Same story. There are a few rims made without spoke holes, where you could dispense with rim tape. I think the Mavic Ksyriums may have been an old example? Modern Campy wheels also omit the holes. This makes the rim very hard to build without specialized equipment, fyi.
You might as well use tubeless tape, even though you want to run a tube. Tubeless tape serves the same function. Additionally, modern bike stores are very likely to stock it, and I don’t know if they even have older style rim tape. Also, I don’t know how wide that rim is, but non-tubeless tape for MTB width rims may not even exist. That said, non-tubeless tape, e.g. Velox cloth tape, would also work. Whatever the case, you will need tape wide enough to cover the holes plus a bit more.
After typing this, I wondered if Velox cloth tape was still around. It is, and sources often describe it as an old reliable industry staple, but I see 16mm, 19mm, and 22mm sizes. The OP's rim appears to have an internal width of a full 30mm. You need tape that's the same width or a couple mm wider than the rim. Of course, Velox shouldn't be expected to make 30mm cloth tape, because MTB rims have almost all moved over to tubeless.
Yes, you need rim tape, same as with any tube-only rim. The tube will deform at the spoke holes, any of which can create a puncture. The fact that this is a tubeless-ready rim does not confer any special properties when using tubes.
As others said, you need to cover the holes to prevent extra stress on the tube.
I just chime in for an alternative to either rubber bands, tape or plastic bands:
Veloplugs - these are plastic inserts, which you put in each hole. Only usable for tube setups (they are not airtight). They claim to reduce weight - which I don't really care about, but I find them very useful because they stay in place.
Some bands tended to wander all over the place over their lifetime, some even so far that the holes aren't covered anymore. That can't happen with Veloplugs. Just make sure there is no burr around the holes, which could damage the plastic - but that should be done anyways.
I'm not affiliated with Veloplugs, just a happy user.
