Inner tube with removable valve core - Why!!!

paulbnix

I recently bought some Specialized inner tubes at a good price.

I did not realise they had removable valve cores and this caused me a major issue when I had a puncture, changed to one of these tubes and tried to pump it up with my Leyzene bike pump.

This pump is attached to the valve by a short hose that screws into the pump and onto the valve.
Everytime I tried to remove the hose from the valve it unscrewed the valve core and let all the air out.
Luckily I had a CO2 cylinder with a push on adapter with me.

So my question - who can possibly make use of a removable valve core on an inner tube???

I'm going to locktite all mine in place.

wobblebob

You can put sealant in the tube ala a homemade 'slime' tube

I would flip the question round and ask why manufacturers make screw on pump heads when press on/lever heads are quicker to use and don't have the downside of unscrewing the valve core

super_davo

And you can put valve extenders on them.

But I would agree, PITA and if you have deep wheels, buy longer valves, if you want tubes with sealant buy slime.

And with respect to the pump issue mini pumps generally either have push on heads or flexible hoses, not both, so you have the choice of the risk of snapping your valve or unscrewing it..

joeyhalloran

Quite common, I always liked having them and using valve extenders rather than long valved inner tubes. You might well have used some before but they were done up tighter.

sungod

as above, removable cores allow use of extenders, which also gives more choice of tubes

always tighten cores on new tubes, they're rarely tight enough, conti are especially bad

aside from tending to loosen valve cores, lezyne screw-on chucks wear out with use, push-on ones are far better long-term

aberdeen_lune

I think the issue here is the Lezyne pump. I had one years ago and it did the same thing. Replaced it with a Silca Tattica which has a hose that screws into the valve but does not remove the valve core when disconnecting.

paulbnix

I would think that the percentage of buyers adding extenders or dumping slime in their tubes is small when you can already buy products with those features.

davebradswmb

I had the same issue with a Lezyne pump and Continental tubes, and I was on a ride when another Lezyne pump caused a major PITA trying to put air into a Continental inner tube that was being used to repair a tubeless tyre where the sealant had failed to seal the hole. I put it down to a combination of the tight thread on the hose and loose cores on the tubes and started to nip up the cores on the tubes before fitting them. My new Topeak Race Rocket pump also has a screw on hose but doesn't try to pull the core out, and it even comes with a cap with a slot in it that can be used to tighted the valve core if it does. I recommend it if you are in the market for a new pump.