Just ordered a new wheel from St John Street Cycles for my MTB. I noticed that it is drilled for presta rather than schrader valves. Given the fact that all my other bikes use presta, is there any reason to keep on using schrader valves on this bike? (see pic on left)
Only if (a) you have about a hundred schrader-valve inner tubes waiting to be used up, or ( you don't carry a pump or inflater, instead you walk to the nearest garage when you get a flat (difficult, that, anyway, they tend to shoo cyclists off). So the logical answer is, no. Presta valves are much easier to inflate to sensibly high pressures, and they hold pressure better. Getting a pump with a flexible hose (e.g. Topeak Morph) should help to eliminate breakages.
The only possible reason for using Schraeder valves is its easier to fill tubes with slime or some other p******* sealant
I disagree that Presta valves are superior to Schraeder. The latter are used on road and aircraft tyres which take up to 200psi, and the valves work on the same principle so there should be no difference in performance. Formula 1 teams are quite happy with them and the need to hold pressure to within 1psi is vital to performance. Presta are the universal choice for road bikes because the rims are too narrow for Shraeder valves.
My tourer rims are drilled for schraeder but I use presta with an adapter quite satisfactorily. ..except for once when after I fixed a puncture I was clumsy with the pump and broke the valve somehow. A small brass projectile whizzed past my head with a noise like the bullets in westerns. If it it had hit me in the eye I am more careful now.
As smoking joe has said, schrader for fat MTB/free ride rims and presta for anything else, they both do the job. Both my road and off road wheelsets for my MTB have presta valves.
