Sticky Presta valves

Apart from replacing the valve core periodically, what are your tips for preventing Presta valves getting gummed up?

Quick blast of wax or teflon based spray, let it dry. Then screw it in. Furniture polish/WD40/GT85 rather than wax based lube. Have also used lock lube before in a pinch.

Gives me a year between replacement rather than 6 months.

Tip given to us a few years a go by a team mechanic is a squirt of silicone spray from both ends with the valve out.

Never had a problem with one since.

Can’t have a stuck one when racing. Need to be able to plug and co2 back up as quick as possible. Daughter use to practice in the garage to get the time down for when she was racing

The expensive option is Reserve valves, or silicone spray.

Tracey / mert

Do you mean a squirt from both ends through the removable bit?

I’ve got the same issue as the OP and I don’t like chucking stuff away even things like valve cores 😁

Store your bike with the valves below quarter to three so sealant drains out of the valves rather than fills them

Once you’ve removed it from the valve stem it’s easy to get into both ends of it with the silicone spray. Only ever use silicone spray.

Over seemingly uncountable years, on uncountable bikes I’ve only replaced cores if I’ve bent them.

I use Stans, always have done, are other solutions causing problems I’m just not aware of? Not trying to sound like a dick, but never ever thought about maintenance on a valve core (or storage) and genuinely surprised by the replies so far.

Caffe latex seems to get in the valves. They do at least sell a cleaner for it.

I never. Had a problem until I used inserts (Cushcore). Now the valves seem to get gummed up quite often. Will try silicon – cheers.

Thanks for the suggestions. 6 valves removed, de-gummed and sprayed with silicon spray…let’s see how long they stay easily inflatable. 👍

I use Stans, always have done, are other solutions causing problems I’m just not aware of?

Definitely not a dick question. Stan’s user here and I’m having the same issues as the OP. What’s odd is I don’t remember having these issues regularly in the past but seem to be now but it’s not consistently across all my bikes/wheels. I am finding it worse with Amazon/eBay bought cores than the original ones that come with the valves.

Some bikes stand for a few weeks between uses, some are used more often, maybe it’s a core quality issue. There’s a few variables I can think of.

I find cheap valves and / or their cores are troublesome, far more so than they used to be. Cushcore or mucoff’s own valves are superb though with no issues at all. I do think something has changed in stans as it feels stickier should you get it on your hands. In fact my right thumb is engrained with the stuff having done six tyres in the last few days.

Funny you say that, I just swapped out a muc off core after it clogged 😬

Tracey

Full Member

Tip given to us a few years a go by a team mechanic is a squirt of silicone spray from both ends with the valve out

Great tip, thanks!

Silicone spray tip sounds good. I’d got to the point where theres a few cores in my riding pack now.

It’s still early days (a month or so) but the Reserve Valves do seem to solve the issue. I picked up a second set from eBay china for about £14 as well (but the seller bizarrely would only let you buy one item every 10 days – I’ve never seen that policy before – and I only got one set before they went out of stock).