My c1908 BSA had rope rim strips which sat neatly in the well of the Kundtz wood rims. To make a loop, the ends of the rope were neatly sewn to the ends of a short leather strip in the middle of which was a hole for the valve. I believe them to have been original: unfortunately they were not in very good condition and not suitable for re-use. The rope consisted of a woven tubular outer cover with some twisted strands running down the inside - a method of construction that is still commonly used. The rope was a bit "squashier" than you would normally expect of a rope so that it conformed to the shape of the rim well to some extent, but I don't know if this was intentional or the result of age.
Hugh Thornton
Cheshire, England
From: Thomas Adams <thomasthomasa@yahoo.com> Subject: [CR] Rope rim strips? To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Date: Thursday, 21 May, 2009, 3:36 PM
Here's an item I've never seen before: Rope rim strips, apparently for rims with deep channels over the spoke heads, like a Super Champ 58. When were these things used? Did they work? I guess with a box rim, there's no room (although wouldn't the tube drape around the rope?), but I suspect these would have been great because they would be less likely to twist, squirm or otherwise move and uncover the spoke heads. Might be a nice field expedient if your miles from a bike shop but next to a hardware store and need a new rim strip. Comments? Stories? Opinions?
or ebay item # 190307911599
Tom Adams
Manhattan, KS