Drilling rims to fit schrader valve?

Roadercyle

Hey,

I have a road bike (Jamis Ventura Sport), whichs, as per normal with road bikes, has presta valves, which I HATE, they're annoying and fragile and snap with a slight touch.

Is it a good idea to drill out the rims for shrader valves, and find a road bike inner tube with schrader?
Does it affect the wheels at all? Some people have said it will affect how true the wheels run, but I'm not sure :?

rolf_f

Presta valves are not delicate - you just have to not be very ham fisted with them. In over 25000 miles of riding over the last 3 years or so I've never snapped a presta valve and that's not down to treating them with kid gloves.

Schraders are harder to pump up and the bigger valve hole may weaken the narrow road wheel. Just learn how to treat your bike properly

snoopsmydogg

are 700c inner tubes available with schrader valves?

like rolf i've never had and issue with presta either.

adm1

Roadercyle wrote:

Is it a good idea to drill out the rims for shrader valves?

No.

Well......I'm not sure really - although I did ask at my LBS about doing this for a mountain bike a few years ago and they all pretty much recoiled in disgust and made the sign of the cross at me. The explanation was that it might seriously weaken the rim, which had been designed for Presta valves. Whether it would or not is a moot point, and would depend on how well you drilled it I guess.

On a thinner, road bike rim, I wouldn't want to chance it. I'd have visions of the rim breaking on a fast descent, which wouldn't be good at all.

desweller

Get yourself a MTB or learn how to use the valve properly.

NewTTer

Roadercyle wrote:

Hey,
Is it a good idea to drill out the rims for shrader valves, and find a road bike inner tube with schrader?
Does it affect the wheels at all? Some people have said it will affect how true the wheels run, but I'm not sure :?

If you are not competent enough to operate a Presta valve without snapping it, I would stay a million miles away from from trying to do any work on your bike, let alone anything as foolhardy as drilling the rims to take a schrader valve!

cougie

No no no. Millions of people manage just fine with Presta valves.

gtd.

I've only done this before to one rim, but that was a mountain bike rim that was usually available in schrader drilling but was drilled for presta as it was made for Specialized. (Sun SOS 32/Specialized Enduro Sun SOS 32)

MichaelW

I drilled out my DT EX5.1 rim (28mm wide) . I used a hand drill and smoothed out any sharp edges.
You have to be careful with narrow road rims, part of the reason for using Presta is that they use thinner holes.

k-dog

I did it to one of my kids bikes - the wheels were so small that it was nigh on impossible to get the head of my pump in. I have a round file that just fits in the hole and with a few minutes gentle rotation it opened up enough so that I could get angled schrader valves in.

Don't think I would do it to narrow road rims though.

cycleclinic

Don't bother drilling rims just be more delicate with your valves.

banshee555

Problem with presta valves is when people pump up there tyres they don't realize that the valve tip gets hot and they screw the valve tight and this causes the tip to brake.Make sure you spit on the end of the pump and leave for a few minutes after inflating the tyre.