Presta and Schraeder

miket-62

Hiya
Are Presta and Schraeder valve type compatable with all rims?
My bike has Presta, can I fit Schraeder to them?
If so what are the advantages / dis-advantages?
Ta
MikeT

Anonymous

If the stem hole in the wheel is snug around the presta valve stem, presta is all you can use. If the presta STEM has a screw on collar that restricts the side ways movement (any direction) of the stem in the stem hole, you can use both. The little restricting collar comes off. I have used two adaptors at times to tighten one to a safe snugness, then the second to tighten against the first one to keep them both from becoming loose. You don't need to, but it's just a personal choice. I use the strictly presta design. I have Cross Max (MAVIC) rims/wheels and they are designed to accomodate tubed and tubeless. I went with tubed.

IMHO, presta is better, mainly because you don't really need a cap to prevent soil from entering the valve. The little nut closes the airway on the inside and out. You can mount presta tubes to a presta rim and obtain screw on adapters that convert the outer access to schraeder and will accept a schraeder valve cap and preasure pump. In case of a flat, this will also keep the stem from retreating back into the wheel for the most part.

The real advantage to presta is that you can manually close the valve, avoiding dirt entering the valve, unlike an uncapped schraeder, as well as cancelling any accidental leaks. In my long ago past, I have owned schraeder valve equiped tubes that have had valve cores somehow come loose. It has also happened on a car I owned. Just a tiny bit will lead you to look for puntures when there are none. It will drive you batty, been there, done that.

Bikedevil

Presta valves do get bent quite easily though.

supersonic

You can drill (some) rims to accept schrader too if needs be.

The reasons why racers use presta are is that they are more aerodynamic (!) and apparently inflate quicker as the force of you pumping doesnt have to overcome the spring (as in schrader). However you can adapt some schrader valves.

Anonymous

supersonic wrote:

The reason why racers use schrader

Substitute presta for schraeder in the quoted sentence.

supersonic

Oops, good point, silly typo!

Anonymous

Bikedevil wrote:

Presta valves do get bent quite easily though.

I'm certain you are right, but it hasn't happened to me in 25 years.

Anonymous

supersonic wrote:

Oops, good point, silly typo!

I figured the OP may get befuddled.

miket-62

Cool ,Cheers for the advice chaps
Informative as always

Ta

Anonymous

Miket,
I'm more than confident that the majority, and I mean major majority (hmm...major major?) will recommend presta always. They are a better product. A manually sealable valve is better, the industry recognizes them as a major preference among "upper end" bicyclists, and basically, they're better than schraeder, hands down.

Go for presta. They also make little valve caps for them, although it's good to keep a schraeder adaptor and schraeder cap on it. Here in the US, you'll never see a presta air feed available at any petrol/gas stations for filling air. They are ALL schraeder, everywhere. Don't know about your side of the pond.

supersonic

I use the little brass adaptor widgets on Presta

Anonymous

supersonic wrote:

I use the little brass adaptor widgets on Presta

So do I, I also use the stainless hexagonal schraeder caps with rubber seats in them.