Do you use dust caps?

[Kuota M]

Do you use dust caps on your valves? If not, why not?

I went into a specialist road bike shop and they said that they never use them. I am wondering if/why I should adopt the same practice.

 

[John the Monkey]

I use them.

Firstly, because I like the conti yellow ones that come with my tubes.

Secondly, because having seen how much crap my rims get covered in, I figure that cannot be good for the valve.

 

[numbnuts]

I use then and the little nut thing,
if they were not needed they wouldn't supply them

 

[Kuota M]

A lot of my local bike shops never use the nut as they say it can get stuck if theere is a p*ncture but as for the reason why no dust cap? well...

 

[ASC1951]

I use both, but the collar nut is more important than the dust cap - it saves you putting a load on the valve/tube connection when you pump it up.

 

[Kuota M]

why should one never use them on presta?

 

[Kuota M]

I think a light just switched on in my head. Thanks Uncle Mort and God Bless Sheldon and his enduring wisdom.

 

[Jonathan M]

I don't think it's a should thing, it's just they're not needed; according to Sheldon:

Separate valve caps are not needed with Presta valves. The caps that come with Presta tubes and tubulars are there so that the pointy end of the valve won't puncture your spare tube or tubular while it is rolled up. There's no reason to use them in actual riding

Sheldon obviosuly never rode on the shitty crappy road salted roads that are the Uk for 6 months of the year.

If you can survive a couple of months without a p**c**e and ride without caps, there is a chance that the little nut on the end of a presta valve might have corroded stuck. Last time a little bastrad did that to me I had to resort to the adjustable spanner I carry to free the bugger. Has happened to me a couple of times on my winter bike when I've lost/someone has removed the caps, and on my MTB.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

I like the conti yellow ones that come with my tubes.

That's the reason I use them too - what better reason than they look nice!

 

[swee'pea99]

Never seen a reason not to. They keep the crap out, and it's not like putting them on/taking them off is like a major hassle dood.

 

[John the Monkey]

That's the reason I use them too - what better reason than they look nice!

Schwalbe tubes come with clear caps - that way you can use them and not have people who don't use them mock you mercilessly.

 

[Dan B]

If you can survive a couple of months without a p**c**e and ride without caps, there is a chance that the little nut on the end of a presta valve might have corroded stuck.

Perhaps my tyres are thinner than yours or my tubes more gas-permeable, but I can't usually survive more than a couple of weeks without needing to put some air in them. Never yet had a problem with stuck nuts, or at least not in that context

 

[CopperBrompton]

[quote name='swee'pea99']Never seen a reason not to.[/quote]
But think of all that unnecessary weight you're carrying! Removing the caps would reduce your typical journey time by 0.0000000000000000003 of a second.

 

[gavintc]

Perhaps my tyres are thinner than yours or my tubes more gas-permeable, but I can't usually survive more than a couple of weeks without needing to put some air in them. Never yet had a problem with stuck nuts, or at least not in that context

+1, perhaps I have OCD but I pump my tyres up every couple of days. I note that they will have lost about 5 psi in that time. After a week, they will typically be down to 100psi from 115psi.

 

[palinurus]

I never use them, except on my red/orange bike. That's because I have some orange caps, they look so nice.