Tubeless rim seal for a laced wheel

A rim seal comprising:

• a major segment having two circumferentially spaced apart ends, a cross-sectional thickness of the major segment being substantially constant in the circumferential direction;
• a minor segment coupling the ends of the major segment to form a continuous circumferential loop;
• a valve stem-accommodating portion in the minor segment, the valve stem-accommodating portion having a thickness greater than the thickness of the major segment;
• and
• a valve stem molded into the minor segment.

A method of manufacturing a continuous circumferential rim seal having a contoured cross-sectional profile, the method comprising:

• providing a rim seal segment having two free ends and being constructed of a sealing material having the contoured cross-sectional profile, the rim seal segment having a length shorter than a circumference of the rim seal;
• inserting the two free ends into a mold in spaced relationship with each other to define a void therebetween;
• and
• injecting liquid into the mold to fill the void between the two free ends, thereby molding a connector between the two free ends to connect the free ends and transform the rim seal segment into a continuous circumferential rim seal, the connector being molded to have a cross-sectional thickness at any given portion that is greater than a cross-sectional thickness of the rim seal segment.