Cycling Thread

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by habernac

One in the seat bag, one in the jersey pocket.

One in the seat bag, the other in your wife's seat bag, and sneak a few more into her pack.

[habernac]

If only she rode bikes. I've bought her two the last 20 years. I've ridden more this week than she has both of those bikes combined.

[Fuzz]

/Rant on


Speaking of tubes...I was pumping up my wife's road bike tire last night and the tip on the presta valve went flying off when I took the pump off. I hate those stupid things. The first thing I do on any new rim(other than road) is drill them out so I can put a proper schrader valve in. What a stupid design those things are.


I've had a hatred for them ever since one failed me years ago at one of my races. I noticed my tire was a little low, and pumped some air in, 10 minutes before the race. I was a bit nervous and while pumping was a bit aggressive with the little hand pump and the whole steam sheared right off. Had to put my spare tube in and barely made it to the line. Threw my whole race off! Stupid things!


I don't think I have one road tire that the valve tip isn't a little bent on it. Is that really the best they could do???


https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/...-valves-50341/

[BurningYears]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

/Rant on


Speaking of tubes...I was pumping up my wife's road bike tire last night and the tip on the presta valve went flying off when I took the pump off. I hate those stupid things. The first thing I do on any new rim(other than road) is drill them out so I can put a proper schrader valve in. What a stupid design those things are.


I've had a hatred for them ever since one failed me years ago at one of my races. I noticed my tire was a little low, and pumped some air in, 10 minutes before the race. I was a bit nervous and while pumping was a bit aggressive with the little hand pump and the whole steam sheared right off. Had to put my spare tube in and barely made it to the line. Threw my whole race off! Stupid things!


I don't think I have one road tire that the valve tip isn't a little bent on it. Is that really the best they could do???


https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/...-valves-50341/

Happened to me 2 times this year as well. Doesn't help that to get the stupid presta stem out of the pump you need Thor like strength and then you're worried about slamming your hand into your disc rotor.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

/Rant on


Speaking of tubes...I was pumping up my wife's road bike tire last night and the tip on the presta valve went flying off when I took the pump off. I hate those stupid things. The first thing I do on any new rim(other than road) is drill them out so I can put a proper schrader valve in. What a stupid design those things are.


I've had a hatred for them ever since one failed me years ago at one of my races. I noticed my tire was a little low, and pumped some air in, 10 minutes before the race. I was a bit nervous and while pumping was a bit aggressive with the little hand pump and the whole steam sheared right off. Had to put my spare tube in and barely made it to the line. Threw my whole race off! Stupid things!


I don't think I have one road tire that the valve tip isn't a little bent on it. Is that really the best they could do???


https://www.bikeradar.com/road/gear/...-valves-50341/

Schrader valves are garbage. You are 100% wrong on this.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by Bring_Back_Shantz

Schrader valves are garbage. You are 100% wrong on this.

You are going to have to come up with a better argument than that. Why are they garbage?

The only 3 benefits of presta are the narrower diameter, ease of pumping air, and higher pressure ability. None of which I care about on my mountain bike and commuter.

Durability schrader wins by a mile. I'd hate to have to mess with one of those finicky presta valves in the middle of winter with gloves on. I can pump my schrader no problem that way. No one has ever complained about a schrader valve breaking, yet google that for presta and everyone has had it happen.

[Kybosh]

400 km commuting on my cheap single speed so far. Felt so good when I made it up the biggest hill in one go a couple weeks ago. Go-go gadget tree trunk legs!

[ken0042]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

The only 3 benefits of presta are the narrower diameter, ease of pumping air, and higher pressure ability. None of which I care about on my mountain bike and commuter.

And when I developed the slow leak on my way home a couple of weeks ago, it was nice to be able to pull into any auto shop and pump up my tire.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

You are going to have to come up with a better argument than that. Why are they garbage?

The only 3 benefits of presta are the narrower diameter, ease of pumping air, and higher pressure ability. None of which I care about on my mountain bike and commuter.

Durability schrader wins by a mile. I'd hate to have to mess with one of those finicky presta valves in the middle of winter with gloves on. I can pump my schrader no problem that way. No one has ever complained about a schrader valve breaking, yet google that for presta and everyone has had it happen.

Right other than those 3 important things, you're right, what do prestas have over schraders?

Other benefits:
1) small diameter means smaller holes, means stronger rims
2) less air loss when removing the pump means you can be sure that whatever pressure you put in your tires is the pressure you're riding on
3) with an adapter I can use any pump on my presta valves (if you forget your pump and your buddy only has a presta pump/CO2 inflator, you're boned)
4) Having a retainer nut on the stem makes it way easier to attach a pump to a flat/deflated tire (stem doesn't push into the rim)
5) Easy to find different stem lengths for different rim diameters (good for aero wheels if you've got them)
6) It looks cooler!

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by ken0042

And when I developed the slow leak on my way home a couple of weeks ago, it was nice to be able to pull into any auto shop and pump up my tire.

I can do the same with an adapter that takes up zero space, and if I was inclined to do so, I could just leave on the stem.

[Fuzz]

Other benefits:
1) small diameter means smaller holes, means stronger rims I mentioned that, but I'll also say I've broken many rims, and never had an issue at the valve stem location on MTB rims with schrader.

2) less air loss when removing the pump means you can be sure that whatever pressure you put in your tires is the pressure you're riding on This is so minor as to not be an issue. A real reach there. I also mentioned the high pressure benefit of presta, but now that I think about it, shocks all use schrader and run at over 200psi, so I'm revoking that point!


3) with an adapter I can use any pump on my presta valves (if you forget your pump and your buddy only has a presta pump/CO2 inflator, you're boned) I don't forget my pump becuase it is strapped to my frame. I'm also not boned becuase MY rim can fit either size valve. If you are riding with me, you are boned if you forget a tube becuase you won't have a drill trailside to fix your stupid small rim hole.


4) Having a retainer nut on the stem makes it way easier to attach a pump to a flat/deflated tire (stem doesn't push into the rim) If this is that big an issue for you, latch the pump on the valve.

5) Easy to find different stem lengths for different rim diameters (good for aero wheels if you've got them) not really an issue, unless you have specialty rims designed for stupid long stems. Which is another issue, because if you ride with someone else you have 2 different stem lengths, and end up having to go with stupid long ones or be stuck with one that is to short. This is a problem created by presta, not solved by them!

6) It looks cooler! Disagree!




I think it's fair to say I have won this one.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Other benefits:
1) small diameter means smaller holes, means stronger rims I mentioned that, but I'll also say I've broken many rims, and never had an issue at the valve stem location on MTB rims with schrader.
Your point is "This has never happened to me, so despite all evidence to the contrary, I reject the premise." Okay

2) less air loss when removing the pump means you can be sure that whatever pressure you put in your tires is the pressure you're riding on This is so minor as to not be an issue. A real reach there. I also mentioned the high pressure benefit of presta, but now that I think about it, shocks all use schrader and run at over 200psi, so I'm revoking that point!

The valves in a shock are not the same as the valves in a tube. The fact is when in the same service, prestas hold higher pressure, and they do it better.

3) with an adapter I can use any pump on my presta valves (if you forget your pump and your buddy only has a presta pump/CO2 inflator, you're boned) I don't forget my pump becuase it is strapped to my frame. I'm also not boned becuase MY rim can fit either size valve. If you are riding with me, you are boned if you forget a tube becuase you won't have a drill trailside to fix your stupid small rim hole.

I don't forget tubes. We can both play that game. I'm also a more courteous cyclist, as I can share my tubes with anyone. Selfish schrader users only care about themselves, and cannot share with people who have made an objectively better choice of valve stem.

4) Having a retainer nut on the stem makes it way easier to attach a pump to a flat/deflated tire (stem doesn't push into the rim) If this is that big an issue for you, latch the pump on the valve. That's the point, latching the pump on the valve is a pain in the ass when the stem keeps pushing into the rim. For someone's only cogent argument so far is that presta valves are finicky (which I still disagree with, they really aren't that hard to use), this should be a no brainer.

5) Easy to find different stem lengths for different rim diameters (good for aero wheels if you've got them) not really an issue, unless you have specialty rims designed for stupid long stems. Which is another issue, because if you ride with someone else you have 2 different stem lengths, and end up having to go with stupid long ones or be stuck with one that is to short. This is a problem created by presta, not solved by them!
Rims aren't designed for stupidly long stems, it's the other way around. So I guess you're saying having wheel options is a problem?Presta stems are easily available for deep section rims.

6) It looks cooler! Disagree! Yup, nothing cooler than a chunk of black rubber sticking out of my rims.




I think it's fair to say I have won this one.
Keep pumping your own tires buddy.
No seriously, keep pumping your tires, because you've got crappy valve stems that need constant attention.

[Fuzz]

No matter how many invalid points you try to make, the reality is no one has ever broken a schrader valve, while everyone who has ridden more than 3km has broken a presta one.

[bossy22]

I've never broken a presta valve. I'm working on bikes every day in my shop. At Branch out this year, I probably filled 60 tires with presta valves. It's likely the pump you are using. My floor pump is an air tool pro, and for biking, I usually use co2, but for a backup pump, I carry a lezyne with a hose. This way I don't reef on the valve when pumping it up.

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

No matter how many invalid points you try to make, the reality is no one has ever broken a schrader valve, while everyone who has ridden more than 3km has broken a presta one.

I have never broken a Presta valve.

Users of Presta valves:
1) Every pro cyclist on the planet
2) Every manufacturer who produces anything even remotely considered high end

Users of Schrader valves:
1) Fuzz
2) Canadian Tire bicycles
3) Probably climate change deniers

[Wormius]

Nooo! It's tabs vs. spaces all over again!


.. tabs win though.

[KTrain]

Spaces are for anarchists.

[Northendzone]

i have no real strong feeling either way, other than i see schrader as more durable - but i have never broken a presta

for the record, i do try and carry extra valve tips for the presta - never did that back when schrader was the main valve of choice

[habernac]

In my haste, I've torn off one presta valve end. Other than that, no real issues with them.

[kermitology]

One of my favourite parts of riding my eBike is seeing the look of pure confusion at how fast my 3 speed cruiser is going up a hill.