why is it that the car type of tyre valve is most common on cars,cheap bikes, petrol station forecourt pumps etc and yet more expensive bikes use the thinner type of valve (is it presta?) whats so good about this type?

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/presta-schrader.html

Woods

As basspine points out there are 3.

I tried Presta’s – once! After four punctures in one ride, I reverted to Shraders. All the punctures were identical – little cuts at the base of the valve

I think the larger hole in the rim allowed the tyre to ‘creep’, so that the valve poked out at an angle (not 90!), allowing the rim to cut into the rubber

Are there ANY advantages to Presta valves???

if you have Presta size hole rims, the smaller hole will mean the rim is stronger, shorter presta valves will be lighter than shraeder. In addition Presta are specifically designed and used in High Pressure tubes such as the road where tyres are at 110psi + something not so relevant for mountain bikes. Usually I prefer Presta and in years of use running at all sorts of low pressures never encountered the problems Esme reports with punctures but there again i always use two lock rings done tightly to make sure they cant move. Schraeders can be better if you want to add no flat fluids to your tubes. As for Woods my dad used to have them on his old time trialer in the 50’s I suspect these days they are de rigeur in the faux fixie courier world since as another mark of non confformity to normal standards

Esme, you needed to use the lockrings and your valve holes could do with a little ‘smoothing’.

if you have Presta size hole rims, the smaller hole will mean the rim is stronger,

In all my years of busting rims I have never seen a rim go at the valve hole. Has anyone ever had this happen or seen it happen or is it just one of those theoretical things that wouldnt happen often enough to make any difference.

By the way I use schraeder but carry a presta spare tube in my rucsack because you can use them in both types of rim and you never know who will need a spare.

In all my years of busting rims I have never seen a rim go at the valve hole

I have, several, but I would admit it’s was back in the days of canti / v brakes and well worn rims maybe its the big rocks around here?

presta are specifically designed and used in High Pressure tubes

they may well be but think you’ll find shraeders on air shocks and they’re much higher pressure.

I use presta for all my bikes, road and mountain. Theyre easier to use, and pump up.

Also, if you have a slow puncture and want to let the air out so you can get the tyre off, presta valves are a wonder. I dont see any advantage in schraders. Theyre difficult to spell as well.

Aye – all Presta here too. I can’t believe none of the ham-fisted gorillas have been on yet telling us how “fragile” Presta valves are and how they’re always breaking them….

Presta on all my bikes, road and MTB. They’re easier to use. Also if you carry Presta tubes, they’ll fit both Presta and Schrader rims. As an aside, most decent rims these days come drilled for Presta, if you want to run Schrader you have to drill them out further.

Presta for me. My bike came with them, my wheels have plastic inserts, which I CBA to take out and I can leave my mini pump with the presta insert when on the road bike.

In real world terms. I think it’s 6 and 2 3s. Its what you get used to, I mean it’s not exactly hard to pump a tyre up whether its Presta or Shraeders is it ?? as for the wheel strength advantages with presta there maybe some truth in it…. if your using skinny rims but I don’t think it makes any difference on normal mtb rims.

its so shops get to carry double the SKU’s thus ensuring more ‘hilarity’ at stock count stage and allowing us to have longer on line sessions on the Madison website.

wooooop!

I’ve used presta equipped tubes, and now tubless, for around twenty years on my mountain bikes, and never, ever had the problem esme had. The rim obviously needs to be de-burred around the valve hole, and lock rings used on the valve.

It’s much simpler than all the above:
Presta = gay
Schraeder = butch

nuff said :o)

I would almost go as far as to say I couldn’t ride a bike with Schrader valves. It’s just *wrong* 🙂

I had a bad experience once where the schrader valve got muck in it, and wouldn’t seal, and slow-leaked. Presta’s don’t do that. As the air pressure seals the valve, rather than a spring closure.

I never thought I’d say this but I agree with SFB

Presta = gay and poofy
Schraeder = butch and manly

ps carry a spare valve in your tools bag 🙂

I run presta valves everywhere, but I don’t think there are particular advantages to one or the other.

I used to think that presta was better for wheel builders til I discovered Mavic make all their rims in schraeder size and just supply a plastic converter.

Schraeder has some practical advantages, though. It’ll work with whatever random car pumps you have- old foot pumps, little electic ones, jumpstart boxes, petrol station airlines, etc- should you get caught out, and if you want a gauge you can use the £1 one from halfords instead of spending £20 for a bike-specific one which is twice the size and works less well.

Prestas are MUCH easier to get all the air out of to roll up nice and tight to put in your bag/pocket after a small puncture.

Schrader tubes are for hamfisted buffoons.

I just use whatever fits the rim. Does anyone actually choose one rim over another on the basis of what type of valves it takes?

Presta ftw

druidh – Member
Aye – all Presta here too. I can’t believe none of the ham-fisted gorillas have been on yet telling us how “fragile” Presta valves are and how they’re always breaking them….

Wales a couple of weekends ago and mate (hello Gav) decided he needed more air, didn’t put hand behind pump head and snapped presta valve off at the locknut! TBH he is a mechanical ape and would have torn the valve off a truck tyre the way he was going.
And yes, we pissed ourselves 🙂