What's so great about presta valves?

[mjr]

In Germany Woods valves are very common, almost standard on bicycles, although they're known as "German" or "Rocket" valves here. I personally dislike them: they're ugly and awkward to fit a pump properly. They seem to get bunged up easily so they frequently don't work when I'm trying to pump them, need completely to be dismantled when changing a tube, in which case you can bet the core sticks so you have to yank it out, often with pliers. When taking the cap off the core sometimes comes with it, and they're easy to vandalise because you can just unscrew the collar leaving the bike not only with a flat tyre but no means of pumping it back up. I try to avoid them when customers don't express a preference.

What the heck are you doing with them? I've only ever had one bung up when there's sealant involved, most good pumps grab them easily and small adapters are available for the rest. Dismantling is no more difficult than removing a lock nut, the core physically can't come off with the cap because the collar holds it down and it's about as easy to bend the core pin on a Presta to the point it won't work any more. And in the UK, Woods are unusual enough that few vandals know what to do with them... but no matter what valves, slashing the tyres or buckling the wheel still works

 

[Andy in Germany]

What the heck are you doing with them? I've only ever had one bung up when there's sealant involved, most good pumps grab them easily and small adapters are available for the rest. Dismantling is no more difficult than removing a lock nut, the core physically can't come off with the cap because the collar holds it down and it's about as easy to bend the core pin on a Presta to the point it won't work any more. And in the UK, Woods are unusual enough that few vandals know what to do with them... but no matter what valves, slashing the tyres or buckling the wheel still works

I'm not doing anything with them; these are customers bikes. I've no idea what is bunging them up, I suspect age, road dirt, and in some cases, snot. I've had valves jam so solid that I've had to remove the collar completely and yank them out with pliers.

Woods, or as we know them, "Blitz" or "German" valves are very common so most kids know how to release air from them, and there are many who wouldn't kick a wheel out of shape or slash tyres but think it's "fun" to remove the valve.

And as for bending a Presta core pin, I've often wondered how that is done. I've seen it happen once or twice on a customers bike but in 20 years I've yet to manage that on my own.

 

[mjr]

I'm not doing anything with them; these are customers bikes. I've no idea what is bunging them up, I suspect age, road dirt, and in some cases, snot. I've had valves jam so solid that I've had to remove the collar completely and yank them out with pliers.

At least that's an option. Good luck unscrewing a similarly gummed presta core.

 

[Dogtrousers]

I've lived a charmed life, compared with you people whose lives are bedeviled by valves of all kinds that clog up, bend, explode and generally conspire against you.

I can remember one occasion when I unscrewed a presta valve core with a screw on pump hose. And you know what I did? I screwed it back in.

Apart from that, my valves, presta and Schrader (I don't have any Woods) just carry on quietly doing their thing - letting air in and not letting it out.

 

[tyred]

I've never had an issue with Woods valves and have them on a number of my vintage bikes.

In many ways they'd be my preferred choice but unless you order tubes online you won't find them in bike shops.

The short answer is that Woods, Presta and Schrader valves have been around for many decades and all do what they're supposed to do. If they didn't, then the design would never have endured. But it's more fun to spends pages arguing about which is best

 

[Ajax Bay]

Hey: we're doing well: 8 pages. Chapeau @Dadam

 

[youngoldbloke]

When are we going to start arguing about the need for dustcaps?

 

[Dogtrousers]

When are we going to start arguing about the need for dustcaps?

Get out!

 

[Andy in Germany]

Okay that's weird: for the first time ever I had a Presta core come off with the dust cap on a customer's bike today.

I think @mjr is putting an eldritch fluence on me.

 

[Dadam]

Hey: we're doing well: 8 pages. Chapeau @Dadam

I never imagined 8 pages! I just needed to vent (no pun intended) because I couldn't work out how my mini pump would work with them and didn't want to find out on the road, or alternatively run them down trying to practice at home and risk not being able to get them inflated again. I've now worked it out, after several tries to get the right amount to undo the locking nut! But it seems I can now cope with presta. I've also now treated myself to a better mini pump than the Aldi special, even has a flexible hose like the pump I had in the 70s. Next to try the track pump on them, but that's out in the freezing cold garage and it'll wait!

No doubt folks that have used them for decades will now be chuckling and saying what's the problem. I still maintain they're unnecessarily delicate and fiddly, and that schraders are more robust and (almost) idiot proof. Don't know about Woods. I'd never heard of them and if I never come across them I doubt it will adversely affect my life.

 

[figbat]

One thing I always do with a Presta is, once I have loosened the knurled locknut to the end of the pin, quickly tap the valve to open it briefly. Then I connect the pump and start pumping. That's assuming there is still some pressure in the tyre being inflate.

 

[DCBassman]

Until I got my Scott roadie in 2017 (blimey, 5 years already!), I'd never touched a Presta valve. Even on the basic bike mechanic course, it was only given a passing mention. I don't find them to be more or less of a problem. It's slightly easier to empty and fold a presta tube. Otherwise, who cares?

 

[mjr]

I've never had an issue with Woods valves and have them on a number of my vintage bikes.

In many ways they'd be my preferred choice but unless you order tubes online you won't find them in bike shops.

Definitely Anglia on Tower Street King's Lynn stock them. Possibly other non-chain shops here do, but I think Motor World was the last chain to and they've been gone a few years.

The short answer is that Woods, Presta and Schrader valves have been around for many decades and all do what they're supposed to do. If they didn't, then the design would never have endured. But it's more fun to spends pages arguing about which is best

So Prestas are designed to be farking fragile and Schraders are designed to leak in use at typical-for-bikes low pressures and need pumping up too often? It's almost like they were inflicted on cycling by motorists. The only reason to use Presta is if your rims are too narrow for anything better. The only reasons to use Schrader are if you run out of Woods tubes, or you're some sort of masochist, or you've lost the adapter from your puncture kit and only have a car tyre pump available.

 

[figbat]

Out of interest, does anybody run tubeless with Schrader valves? I mean on a bicycle rather than automotive use?

 

[Ian H]

Now we're talking!

Suntour is still manufacturing, and SunXCD, a sort of off-shoot company, made some good components.