Why use presta valves

Then, remove the pump, screw the brass cap back into place and replace the black dust cap. You're good to go! Learn Center:. How to Use a Presta valve. The standard type of valve on most modern bike tires is called a "Presta valve" sometimes called a 'French Valve'. Expert Advice. Toggle navigation. New to Town? Advertise Become a Sponsor Donate Sponsors. Admin Join. Presta vs Schrader valves. Posted Mar 26, 52, Ever been at the bike shop asking for tubes and been caught off-guard when the cool bike shop dude or dudette asks "what type of valves stems do you use?

Your palms get sweaty, your face turns red, you swallow hard and say "I don't know Know your valve stems. Be smarter than the training wheel kid down the block.

Be a better cyclist with a mini-Bicycling course. Valve History Many valve types have come along since the invention of the pneumatic tire but for bicycles mainly Presta and Schrader remain in use. The Presta valve is the more slender of the two and is slightly more cumbersome to use, having a lock nut instead of a spring to ensure closure.

However, these two features have kept the Presta valve in use on many bicycles. In the past, sports and racing bicycles used Presta valves because they are slender and enabled racers to inflate tires with a simple pump with attached chuck pump head and no hose.

Presta valves are easier to pump than Schrader, because they have no valve spring to overcome. Although a valve depressor for Schrader valves could alleviate this, it would require a check valve, impractical to house in lightweight pump heads. The Schrader pump head has a pin in the center to press the valve open. Do not use a Schrader pump on a Presta valve. If you force the pump pin onto the valve pin you might damage it.

The Presta pump head opening is narrower and has an empty center. You can find pumps that have two separate heads or exchangeable heads. Ask your bike shop guru how to make the swap. This is a tiny nut at the base of the valve next to the rim. The lock nut also serves to stabilize the valve while pumping air.

Legend has it that the Presta valve was invented in the s by a Frenchman named Sclaverand. In some places, the valve is called the Sclaverand valve or French valve. Presta valves are definitely more fragile. Back when it was invented, the thinner diameter Presta might have been important. Some mountain bike rear shocks are outfitted with Schrader valves that hold very high pressures. As far as variety goes, yes, the advantage goes to Presta — until the industry starts making more Schrader models.

It might just be an image thing at this point. Presta valves were invented sometime in the s by a French man named Sclaverand.

Presta valves are also called French valves. Initially, Schrader valves were more common on bicycles. As road wheels and tires became skinnier over time, bicycles required a more narrow valve. At this point, the Presta valve gained popularity in cycling. These days, Presta valves are used almost exclusively on bicycles. Dunlop or Woods valves look like Presta valves but have a base that is the same diameter as Schrader valves. They also use the same size valve hole in the rim as Schrader valves.

You can inflate Dunlop valves with a Presta compatible pump. One nice thing about these valves is that you can remove and replace the valve cores without any special tools. These are the least common type of valves used on bicycle tires. If a valve catastrophically fails and you need to replace it, you just need to buy and install a new tube.

You can replace the valve core of Schrader valves and some Presta valves. To determine whether or not your Presta valve has replaceable cores, look for flat sections on the sides near the top.

These allow you to unscrew the core. You may need to replace a valve core if your valves got gummed up with some type of sealant or debris or if it begins leaking air. All you need to make this repair is a new valve core and a special tool for removing the core.

Tubeless valves attach with a nut at the base of the rim. A gasket helps to seal the rim so that it is airtight. For more info, check out my tube vs tubeless pros and cons list.

When buying a new bicycle pump, look for one that is compatible with both Presta and Schrader valves. The three most common bicycle pump types include:. Three different pump designs are available including:. A note about suspension: Many bicycle suspension components have Schrader valves. These are common on mountain bikes with air shocks.