schrader verus presta?

leedakar

Ive recently bought my first road bike, a specialized allez 16 and found I just couldn't get to grips with the presta valves fitted to it. My mountain bike has schrader and they work fine so Ive switched to schrader by using a tapered hand reamer to increase the size of the hole in the rim. I have since read that this can weaked the rim. Has anyone had any problems doing this? there is only a 2mm difference so I cant see it being a problem and the valve is so much easier to use.

Garz

You can get an adaptor to the valve to save modding the rim hole.

Berk Bonebonce

A lot of narrow 700c inner tubes may well not be avaialble in Schrader version.

danowat

A Presta valve is not actually hard to use, plus its better at high(er) pressure than a schrader

Lillywhite

leedakar wrote:

..... I've switched to schrader by using a tapered hand reamer to increase the size of the hole in the rim. ....

That's a severe remedy and I guess that if you try to pump the tyre to 95-100 psi you run the risk having punctures. :oops:

keef66

I'm sure that if you haven't overdone the reaming, you've removed any burrs, and the valve stem is a snug fit in the hole you'll be fine. As you say, a couple of mm is bugger all in the context of the bog standard rims an Allez comes with.

nicklouse

danowat wrote:

A Presta valve is not actually hard to use, plus its better at high(er) pressure than a schrader

i wounder why all real high pressure applications dont use Presta?

Monkeypump

Since you've already enlarged the hole, it's a little late to ask!

As mentioned above, you'll probably be fine if you've made sure there are no sharp edges or burrs left and you've kept the hole central in the rim. However, tubes might be hard to come by.

Presta valves really aren't that difficult to use once you get used to them. I'd have stuck with it rather than start drilling. If the wheel does collapse, you might regret attacking it with the reamer!

If you ever intend to upgrade your wheels, consider sticking with the intended valves.

kingrollo

Your going to look a bit of a noob with schraders on a road bike.

TuckerUK

Oh no, don't look like a noob!

I use a spoke protector, and the other day when a twig caught my mech and stuck the chain off the cog onto the hub, all the cool guys laughed at me because I was such a noob with no damage to the spokes. I wanna be real cool like those ruined back wheel guys, and the presta crew.

Remember, it's not how something functions, nothing to do with engineering, common sense, or plain choice...no, it's important not to look like a noob.

Funny, a lot of the people I look like a noob to have been cycling like 40 years less than me. How's that work?

/sarcasm

kingrollo

TuckerUK wrote:

Oh no, don't look like a noob!

I use a spoke protector, and the other day when a twig caught my mech and stuck the chain off the cog onto the hub, all the cool guys laughed at me because I was such a noob with no damage to the spokes. I wanna be real cool like those ruined back wheel guys, and the presta crew.

Remember, it's not how something functions, nothing to do with engineering, common sense, or plain choice...no, it's important not to look like a noob.

Funny, a lot of the people I look like a noob to have been cycling like 40 years less than me. How's that work?

/sarcasm

Agreed mate .......but you can't have schraders on a road bike ......you might as well wear trainers and a football top !

keef66

I'll have you know I've done quite a lot of cycling in trainers and an Aston Villa (away strip) goalkeeper's top. And schraeder valves since I was on my slicked up mtb. I never came to any harm.

bompington

Drilled out hole in rim? Expect:

leedakar

Tyres inflated to 100 psi no bother and holding that pressure for two weeks now. Probably old and set in my ways but have never had any bother with schraders on past bikes including old road bikes when I was a kid. Found presta valves on my girlfriends mtb lost pressure over a short period of time and just not user friendly. I bow to the superior knowledge of those who have posted but being called a 'knob' because I chose a different valve really sums up the person who made the comment.

mattshrops

i believe he actually called you a noob or newb or newbie or new person or new person who doesnt know what theyre doing/doesnt look right.
i also believe the proverbial tongue was in the proverbial cheek :roll:
but you never know.......

avoidingmyphd

leedakar wrote:

I just couldn't get to grips with the presta valves fitted to it.

how hard did you try? all they do is let air in and out of the tube. it would have made more sense to swallow your pride and ask for a 5 second lesson in the local bike shop or from a mate than moving straight to dubious structural modifications, surely?

squigs

Who called him a knob? I thought you said noob? and if it was "knob", wouldnt it be Nob? Im confused :shock: