diff --git a/tape/decode.go b/tape/decode.go
index 9a2ad58..4dcfbd4 100644
--- a/tape/decode.go
+++ b/tape/decode.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package tape
 
 import "io"
 import "math"
+import "bufio"
 
 // Decodable is any type that can decode itself from a decoder.
 type Decodable interface {
@@ -11,9 +12,16 @@ type Decodable interface {
 	Decode(decoder *Decoder) (n int, err error)
 }
 
-// Decoder wraps an [io.Reader] and decodes data from it.
+// Decoder decodes data from an [io.Reader].
 type Decoder struct {
-	io.Reader
+	bufio.Reader
+}
+
+// NewDecoder creates a new decoder that reads from reader.
+func NewDecoder(reader io.Reader) *Decoder {
+	decoder := &Decoder { }
+	decoder.Reader.Reset(reader)
+	return decoder
 }
 
 // ReadFull calls [io.ReadFull] on the reader.
@@ -21,12 +29,6 @@ func (this *Decoder) ReadFull(buffer []byte) (n int, err error) {
 	return io.ReadFull(this, buffer)
 }
 
-// ReadByte decodes a single byte from the input reader.
-func (this *Decoder) ReadByte() (value byte, n int, err error) {
-	uncasted, n, err := this.ReadUint8()
-	return byte(uncasted), n, err
-}
-
 // ReadInt8 decodes an 8-bit signed integer from the input reader.
 func (this *Decoder) ReadInt8() (value int8, n int, err error) {
 	uncasted, n, err := this.ReadUint8()