Presta to Schrader valve hole conversion
- Thread starter Cheule
- Start date
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2Loose
Guru
- Location
- Loughborough, Leicestershire.
No idea why you would want to. Presta is a far superior solution imho. No loose valves invisibly leaking air. My mtb and road bike both have presta and I like it that way.
Apart from garage air line compatibility (which you can get adjusters for), schrader has nothing going for it at all (imho).
Interesting how CRC has a front and a rear, but not a pair
Gerry Attrick
Lincolnshire Mountain Rescue Consultant
Providing your rims are wide enough to accept the bigger hole without weakening, just drill it out. However, I don't understand the advantage you think you will gain. Why do it?
Just because Schrader valves are more prevalent really. Plus I have a stack of Schrader inner tubes ill have to ditch.
And finally I remember back in the 80's when I had a racer, the prestas were more fiddly. Just trying to avoid that if possible
Oh, and the wheels themselves, its over 60 quid for one but only 79 the pair. Odd.
And finally I remember back in the 80's when I had a racer, the prestas were more fiddly. Just trying to avoid that if possible
Oh, and the wheels themselves, its over 60 quid for one but only 79 the pair. Odd.
zoxed
Über Member
- Location
- Darmstadt,Germany
I have not done it, but one of the reasons for Presta is that the rim hole is smaller to avoid weakening narrow rims.
Maybe the rim is strong enough to take the additional weakening, but should you risk it (imagine a downhill front wheel rim split failure :-(
Tim Bennet.
Entirely Average Member
- Location
- S of Kendal
Schraeders are a marketing tool for low end bikes "Yes, sir you can use a car pump or air-line to blow up the tyres. Just like a real car".
Use prestas and enjoy all their advantages. Don't downgrade your wheel because you're too cheap to buy a new inner tube or two.
Use prestas and enjoy all their advantages. Don't downgrade your wheel because you're too cheap to buy a new inner tube or two.
Panter
Just call me Chris...
- Location
- Sittingbourne, Kent
I drilled the rims on my Bontrager select rims. It was for a "ghetto tubeless conversion" and as long as your rims are wide enough (most will be) and you use a sharp, new bit, it's very straightforward.
Just be sure to clean the hole up afterwards.
Here's a photo guide I did of the conversion if it's of interest.
Just be sure to clean the hole up afterwards.
Here's a photo guide I did of the conversion if it's of interest.
byegad
Legendary Member
- Location
- NE England
Yes, measure the valve on a Schrader tube, add a little for slack and drill away. I hate Prestas with a vengeance. I seemed to snap the twiddly bit when inflating often enough to make them a no go for me too. I've drilled out the rims on a good few bikes.
As to Prestas being better at holding pressure, not true. My Dahon Speed-Pro with narrow Stevlios runs at 120psi and the Schraders hold the pressure perfectly well.
As to Prestas being better at holding pressure, not true. My Dahon Speed-Pro with narrow Stevlios runs at 120psi and the Schraders hold the pressure perfectly well.
zoxed
Über Member
- Location
- Darmstadt,Germany
[1/2 joking] [Fixing that for you] Prestas are a marketing tool for high end bikes "Yes, sir you have to buy a special pump just for your bike, and yes sir, it is French, just like real cyclists".
fossyant
Ride It Like You Stole It!
- Location
- South Manchester
I've drilled a set of rims.........no problems.
2Loose
Guru
- Location
- Loughborough, Leicestershire.
Special pump? Unlike the other schraeder type you have lying around specifically for pumping up....bike tyres?
Also known as American Valve (not that it makes it better in any way, shape or form!
It must be purely subjective, personally I have had more unexplained problems with shrader than presta. I know others with the opposite view.
Marmite anyone?
Attachments
rustychisel
Well-Known Member
- Location
- Adelaide, Australia
you can also buy Presta to Schraeder screw on converters for a few quid if its what you need to do. No need to alter the rims.
Gareth
Guru
- Location
- Norwich, Norfolk, UK
An 8.2 mm diameter drill bit is perfect for drilling out from Presta to Schraeder; don't forget to deburr the holes to ensure that you have removed all the sharp edges.
I have done several bikes now, including the current 700 X 28c alloy rims on both Lois' and my Hybrids ..... ..... ..... ..... as for weakening the rims ..... it's negligible. My Hybrid has done over 17,000 miles in the last 4 years including several hundred miles of forest tracks, riverside footpaths, and a lot of other terrain that the bike was not designed for, including racing kids around the local BMX tracks. It is also often heavily loaded with 4 panniers (10kgs each), front & rear racks(5-10kgs each) and towing a trailer up to about 75kg gross weight, and I have never had a problem.
Over the many years I have been a cyclist, I have never experienced a problem with schreader valves on any of my bicycles, bike trailers, Cargo Cycles, or the three Pedi-vans that I currently own.
In fact the only tyre and tube troubles and woes that I have had over the last 3 years, have been caused by broken glass, loose nails from the local timber yard, and one potentially dangerous experience whilst the bike was parked in the shed this summer. The suns rays were magnified by a jam jar in the shed's window, and they scorched a burn mark across the wooden floor, melted a hole in my rear tyre, and blew the tube out .... ... we were lucky not to have a fire that day.
I have done several bikes now, including the current 700 X 28c alloy rims on both Lois' and my Hybrids ..... ..... ..... ..... as for weakening the rims ..... it's negligible. My Hybrid has done over 17,000 miles in the last 4 years including several hundred miles of forest tracks, riverside footpaths, and a lot of other terrain that the bike was not designed for, including racing kids around the local BMX tracks. It is also often heavily loaded with 4 panniers (10kgs each), front & rear racks(5-10kgs each) and towing a trailer up to about 75kg gross weight, and I have never had a problem.
Over the many years I have been a cyclist, I have never experienced a problem with schreader valves on any of my bicycles, bike trailers, Cargo Cycles, or the three Pedi-vans that I currently own.
In fact the only tyre and tube troubles and woes that I have had over the last 3 years, have been caused by broken glass, loose nails from the local timber yard, and one potentially dangerous experience whilst the bike was parked in the shed this summer. The suns rays were magnified by a jam jar in the shed's window, and they scorched a burn mark across the wooden floor, melted a hole in my rear tyre, and blew the tube out .... ... we were lucky not to have a fire that day.
02GF74
Über Member
the increase in hole size is not significant so you will not waken the rim. a lot of rims come rilled for shraeder and have a plastic clip for use with presta vavles.
I seem to remember 7 mm drill but ^^^^ says 8.2 mm so that well may be it. If you have no drill but a round file, then you could use that but would take a little bit more time.
I'm in the presta camp so have no sympathy for you if it goes wrong
re: CR price - a pair is a baragain - wonder why they cannot make up a pair when they have fronts and rears showing?
give them a call or e-mail - and plead .... or just order them and wait for them to arrive.
I seem to remember 7 mm drill but ^^^^ says 8.2 mm so that well may be it. If you have no drill but a round file, then you could use that but would take a little bit more time.
I'm in the presta camp so have no sympathy for you if it goes wrong
re: CR price - a pair is a baragain - wonder why they cannot make up a pair when they have fronts and rears showing?
give them a call or e-mail - and plead .... or just order them and wait for them to arrive.
Thanks everyone for the responses so far, it's been illuminating 
I guess at the heart of things, as 2Loose said, it's a Marmite thing. I already have a decent track pump that will inflate quickly to the recommended PSI, a stack of Continental inner tubes with Schrader valves that would otherwise be made useless, plus my early bad experiences with Prestas.
As for the wheels, I do want these as I like the design and colour, things have to look good as well as perform in my book - and I have seen some hideous wheels for far more money than I can spend! As there's no option to buy with Schrader holes, I'll just have to use the tips offered here and get my drill out
One last thing - and I suppose I'm going to hate asking - the wheels claim to be 'center lock', what does this mean?
I guess at the heart of things, as 2Loose said, it's a Marmite thing. I already have a decent track pump that will inflate quickly to the recommended PSI, a stack of Continental inner tubes with Schrader valves that would otherwise be made useless, plus my early bad experiences with Prestas.
As for the wheels, I do want these as I like the design and colour, things have to look good as well as perform in my book - and I have seen some hideous wheels for far more money than I can spend! As there's no option to buy with Schrader holes, I'll just have to use the tips offered here and get my drill out
One last thing - and I suppose I'm going to hate asking - the wheels claim to be 'center lock', what does this mean?
