I had a pretty sweet bike with presta valves I built myself. GT frame with amazing manitou front shocks, carbon fiber handlebars, aluminum rims, seat post, top tier derailleur, shifters and gears.
Bike was stolen from my university while it was liked on a bike rack with a security camera pointed at it. (It was locked with a kryptonite u-lock too.) Obviously school security and the police didn't give a shit. So I called around all the local bike shops and gave them the description, and the numbers stamped on the bottom of the frame. The shop about 5 blocks from my school called me to come pick it up. The thief brought it into the store to get the tires inflated because he couldn't figure out how the presta valves worked.
I loved them before that, because I found they leaked less than schrader valves. After that incident I am presta 4 life.
1: Fragility. They're skinny and stick out farther. It's easier to damage one. And once damaged, they make the tire difficult or impossible to fill, and they might leak all the air out as well.
2: Lack of Standardization. Everybody has Schrader valves. Cars, motorcycles, wheelbarrows, hand carts, tractors, airplanes, even oddball things like some pressurized air cans and inflatable rafts. Which means, for example, it's easy to stop at a gas station that has free air and refill your bike tires there with no adapters needed. Pretty much every air pump and air compressor you'll ever come across already has the ability to fill Schrader valves. There's no reason bicycles should have a special valve that's not compatible with all of the other things out there.
I drilled my rims and put schraders instead. Only downside is needing a tool to let air out but then again that was the case with presta aswell as it always seemed to get stuck
Well no, and I don't see how that would help. In presta the nut gets stuck and needs pliers to loosen up and with schrader the valve stem is inside the valve body and needs a key or something to reach it.
21 Comments
OwOarchist@pawb.social · 8 pts · 35d
Presta valves truly are the worst valves ever made.
Washedupcynic@lemmy.ca · 15 pts · 34d
I had a pretty sweet bike with presta valves I built myself. GT frame with amazing manitou front shocks, carbon fiber handlebars, aluminum rims, seat post, top tier derailleur, shifters and gears.
Bike was stolen from my university while it was liked on a bike rack with a security camera pointed at it. (It was locked with a kryptonite u-lock too.) Obviously school security and the police didn't give a shit. So I called around all the local bike shops and gave them the description, and the numbers stamped on the bottom of the frame. The shop about 5 blocks from my school called me to come pick it up. The thief brought it into the store to get the tires inflated because he couldn't figure out how the presta valves worked.
I loved them before that, because I found they leaked less than schrader valves. After that incident I am presta 4 life.
muzzle@lemmy.zip · 9 pts · 35d
In Sweden they seem to have standardised around it, to the point that some public pumps only have presta outlets.
OwOarchist@pawb.social · 4 pts · 35d
That's horrifying.
BCsven@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 34d
What's wrong with Presta? I have had good luck with them, and have a screw on adapter if I have to use a schraeder pump out in the wild
OwOarchist@pawb.social · 2 pts · 34d
My main gripes are:
1: Fragility. They're skinny and stick out farther. It's easier to damage one. And once damaged, they make the tire difficult or impossible to fill, and they might leak all the air out as well.
2: Lack of Standardization. Everybody has Schrader valves. Cars, motorcycles, wheelbarrows, hand carts, tractors, airplanes, even oddball things like some pressurized air cans and inflatable rafts. Which means, for example, it's easy to stop at a gas station that has free air and refill your bike tires there with no adapters needed. Pretty much every air pump and air compressor you'll ever come across already has the ability to fill Schrader valves. There's no reason bicycles should have a special valve that's not compatible with all of the other things out there.
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 33d
Presta valves also don't allow airflow need to seat tubeless tires.
BCsven@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 33d
For point 1, I've only had a Presta fail when the rim hole had a burr. Mostly I rode in snow and ice though and not forest trail.
For pointr 2, the tiny adapter can be left on your presta, or carried in your patch kit.
OwOarchist@pawb.social · 2 pts · 33d
That just sounds like Schrader with extra steps...
BCsven@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 33d
Narrow rim with small hole is stronger, really the only reason for presta, other than you can partially fill a presta tube with your mouth
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 0 pts · 33d
To fall off.
BCsven@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 33d
I have never had one fall off. But I do have a spare in my patch kit as a what if scenario
CombatWombat@feddit.online · 7 pts · 35d
I use an adapter in place of a cap for one of my presta valves on each of my bikes for exactly this reason.
Eat_Your_Paisley@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 35d
Just throw an adapter in your seat bag
kivihiili@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 8 pts · 35d
the zipper on our tool bag failed and it fell out some time ago xD
Iconoclast@feddit.uk · 5 pts · 35d
I drilled my rims and put schraders instead. Only downside is needing a tool to let air out but then again that was the case with presta aswell as it always seemed to get stuck
Anivia@feddit.org · 5 pts · 35d
I hope you don't have aluminium or carbon rims 😬
Iconoclast@feddit.uk · 4 pts · 35d
Aluminium and I did this years ago. If they break I buy new ones and drill those as well.
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 33d
I've drilled out both aluminum and carbon rims. Does anyone even make steel rims any more?
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 33d
You don't have finger nails?
Iconoclast@feddit.uk · 1 pts · 33d
Well no, and I don't see how that would help. In presta the nut gets stuck and needs pliers to loosen up and with schrader the valve stem is inside the valve body and needs a key or something to reach it.