Presta vs Schrader

eSoCal

New Member
Apr 25, 2018
13
0
California
Other than being European elitist bullshit... what’s the advantage of Presta valves? On more than one occasion the core unscrews with the dust cap and all the air blows out
 

Dax

E*POWAH Elite World Champion
May 25, 2018
1,746
2,133
FoD
I far prefer schrader because I can put an airline on them. Presta feel very fragile
 

eSoCal

New Member
Apr 25, 2018
13
0
California
I run tubeless, and next time I will look into schrader stems... then I can use my air compressor without an adapter... but most if all I will never again have a core unscrew when I take off the dust cap
 

papab

Member
Jun 10, 2018
91
45
colorado
I run tubeless, and next time I will look into schrader stems... then I can use my air compressor without an adapter... but most if all I will never again have a core unscrew when I take off the dust cap
Don't use dust caps, they aren't necessary. Tighten up the core a little more, they make a tool for that.
 

All4Fun

Member
Aug 5, 2020
106
46
the Netherlands
Presta is for weight weenies, not for us ;)...

Almost all the bikes here have Schrader, if not standard, i'll drill them, rims are wide and strong enough.
Why? easier and faster to inflate and add sealant (tubeless), firmer, fancy caps:cool:.
 

Doomanic

🛠️Wrecker🛠️
Patreon
Founding Member
Jan 21, 2018
8,770
10,469
UK
You can get fancy caps for Presta too;

1598218942928.png


Usefull too;

1598218982382.png
 

urastus

⚡The Whippet⚡
May 4, 2020
1,548
995
Tasmania
I thought the obvious logical answer is a smaller hole in your rim. A hole in the rim is a weakness. Where the rim joins is also a weakness, and not surprisingly often where there is a buckle.
 

KeithR

Well-known member
Jul 1, 2020
679
611
Blyth, Northumberland
Other than being European elitist bullshit... what’s the advantage of Presta valves?
They're probably just a reaction against American elitist bullshit...
On more than one occasion the core unscrews with the dust cap and all the air blows out
Yeah, we read about that happening a lot.

Oh - hang on...

Seriously, if you can't tell that you're unscrewing the core - which generally takes more turns than is needed to remove a dust cap (assuming the core is properly screwed in in the first place) - you probably shouldn't be allowed near a bike.
 
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cemoz

Member
Jul 12, 2020
34
33
Australia
The bike industry just likes to swap between the two, my 97 Giant has Presta, 2003 Avanti had Schrader, 2019 GT has Presta. My race BMX’s over that time period were also a mix. If I’m the only one working on all our families bikes different eras as well Presta is fine. If they work on them Schrader, as they always bend the damn core.

Stans does Schrader tubeless valves last time I looked at mtbdirect if your up to drilling your rims, Park Tool has a video on doing it.
 

Rosemount

E*POWAH Elite
May 23, 2020
822
1,748
Qld Australia
all 3 of your observations depend on construction.
and not all rims are constructed the same ;)

OK @Gary let`s see a tutorial on how to make a Schrader fit through a presta hole . :sneaky:

And yes I think Presta valves suck . The valve can be bent and or broken if the bike falls over during inflation while the pump is attached .

The small diameter of the Presta valve requires a smaller hole in the rim, whose size is important for narrow rims where cross sectional strength of is significantly reduced by a stem hole. In narrow rims, clincher tires also leave insufficient space between tire beads for larger Schrader valves.

 
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urastus

⚡The Whippet⚡
May 4, 2020
1,548
995
Tasmania
Bikes all seemed to have Woods valves when I was a kid. What's wrong with them ?
I think I remember them. You had to undo a collar to remove the valve? The only gauges those days were at gas stations or those pen like gauges; the rest of us, just thumb pressure :). You could pump them up at gas stations if you held a few layers of handkerchief over the valve - a trick I've surprised others with in different circumstances.
 

STATO

Active member
Feb 18, 2020
195
123
North
I wish I could convert the other way - I prefer the smaller hole in bike rims :oops:

You can get reducers that fit in the rim to accept presta tubes, dont think they work with tubeless valves due to the hole size, although may work with a valve/rimstrip like a stans one.

Never had a problem with Presta, i appreciate they are potentially more fragile but only if you pull and bend with the pump. You see some people fighting the pump as if they are fighting a snake, i dont get it. Schrader (at least cheap tube) will fail just as easilly if you do that as they are rubber valve stems and your bending and pulling them in a sharp hole the rim. Used to get a ton of tube failures at the valve when i worked in a bike shop (yes it was Halfords, perhaps the bike quality might have had something to do with that :ROFLMAO: )
 

urastus

⚡The Whippet⚡
May 4, 2020
1,548
995
Tasmania
You can get reducers that fit in the rim to accept presta tubes, dont think they work with tubeless valves due to the hole size, although may work with a valve/rimstrip like a stans one.

Never had a problem with Presta, i appreciate they are potentially more fragile but only if you pull and bend with the pump. You see some people fighting the pump as if they are fighting a snake, i dont get it. Schrader (at least cheap tube) will fail just as easilly if you do that as they are rubber valve stems and your bending and pulling them in a sharp hole the rim. Used to get a ton of tube failures at the valve when i worked in a bike shop (yes it was Halfords, perhaps the bike quality might have had something to do with that :ROFLMAO: )
Getting a reducer does not lessen the weakness caused by the larger hole - my preference is purely functional strength or minimising the weak spot. No hole would be ideal, but not possible...yet.
 

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