General Cycling Discussion - Presta? Shrader?

Hello,
I recently purchased 2005 fatboy slicks :) and with that i ordered tubes from nashbar.com .. Later after viewing different online stores such as the specialized estore i noticed they have different kinds of tubes like shrader or presta? Do these make a difference? Are they just small things that i shouldnt worry about ? Or did i just buy the wrong type of tube for my tire?



Thanks :)

Yes, there's a difference. You can use a presta tube in a shrader-drilled rim but not vice-versa. As usual, Sheldon Brown's site has some informative, er, info.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/presta-schrader.html

The presta valves are the smaller ones, the shraeders are the larger ones, same size as a car valve. You need the right size tube for your tire, and the right valve to fit your rims. Most mountain bikes use shraeder valves, and road bikes use presta valves.

The presta valves are the smaller ones, the shraeders are the larger ones, same size as a car valve. You need the right size tube for your tire, and the right valve to fit your rims. Most mountain bikes use shraeder valves, and road bikes use presta valves.


I'm sorry, I may be wrong, as I haven't bought a new mtn bike or mtn bike wheel in a while, but in my experience,some less expensive mtn bikes use Schrader- Mid to higher end mtn bikes use Presta.

I wish all my bikes were one or the other- having both is a pain.

You may very well be right on that. High end mountain bikes have never been my thing, so I may have been totally mistaken. I figured since the Mountain Morph pump I bought for my wife's 'bent was fit for Shrader, that most mountain bikes ran them.

Presta :)
Shrader:(

I seriously hate Presta valves with a passion. They are a super pain in the butt to put air in.

I seriously hate Presta valves with a passion. They are a super pain in the butt to put air in.

Are you opening the valve first?

I just heard the same complaint from this lady down the street... she understood you had to unscrew the screw on top. But then she did not tap it like the finger in this pic shows... to open the seal.


http://www.parktool.com/images/repair_help/tube9.jpg

I am a big fan of presta valves. THey are easier to pump anyways. But i drilled my rear rim out for a schrader anyways because i had a flat and didnt have any presta tubes left. Most mid ot high end rims i have laced are for presta. Most can be drilled out for schrader except for a few like the Deep V which cannot

Presta is easier in my experience.

I have no preference though being able to stop at a gas station and fill up has it's advanatages...and YES I know they make freaking adapters

I am a big fan of presta valves. THey are easier to pump anyways.

That's an argument that I've frequently heard, but it doesn't make any sense to me at all. I usually get a serious case of the giggles when people start extolling why Presta valves are supposed to be superior to Schrader. Anybody got any theories that I haven't heard yet?

That's an argument that I've frequently heard, but it doesn't make any sense to me at all. I usually get a serious case of the giggles when people start extolling why Presta valves are supposed to be superior to Schrader. Anybody got any theories that I haven't heard yet?

I don't have a strong preference, and think that they are about the same, however, I seem to have a slightly easier time getting the pump head seated on a presta valve. Using Schrader valves is not a major hardship or anything. My only theory, which could be completely off, is that the narrower width of the presta valves requires a smaller holed drilled, which affects the strength of the rim less, which is beneficial to lightweight racing rims.

I've always found presta to be much easier to pump. But I do carry an adapter just in case my frame pump malfunctions and I have to make an emergency fill at a gas station.

I have no preference though being able to stop at a gas station and fill up has it's advanatages...and YES I know they make freaking adapters

You don't have this problem withi adapters... :D

Presta valves use the air pressure on the inside of the tube to "close" the valve. Shraders have a built in spring to assist. When you pump Shrader's up you have to overcome the spring plus the air pressure. That's why it's "easier" to pump up a Presta valve.

I think presta is a more elegant design, since it uses air pressure to keep the valve closed, instead of a spring mechanism. It also looks better :)

I use presta valves but keep a $4 adaptor in my seat bag just in case. Actually, i _used_ to carry an adaptor, but i think my cat swallowed it or something as i haven't' seen it in a while.

Presta valves use the air pressure on the inside of the tube to "close" the valve. Shraders have a built in spring to assist. When you pump Shrader's up you have to overcome the spring plus the air pressure. That's why it's "easier" to pump up a Presta valve.

I'll bet that you're easy to sell stuff to. Two things.

First of all, have you ever felt how little tension that spring has? It's not enough to fuss about.

Secondly, when you put your Schrader chuck onto the valve, a finger depresses the spring so you still don't have to overcome what little resistance there might be when you pump.

You say that it's easier to pump a Presta tube. I'm betting that you've never measured if it's easier or not. I know I haven't but then my thesis is that there's no noticeable difference so I don't care.

I think presta is a more elegant design, since it uses air pressure to keep the valve closed, instead of a spring mechanism. It also looks better :)

Agreed. I like the slimmer look of Presta stems too.

On the other hand, there's this. When you inflate a Schrader valve tube it's not always necessary to actually clamp onto the valve stem. If you have an air compressor, you can simply push the chuck against the valve stem. How many Presta valve tubes do you suppose have been ruined by side forces on the valve stem tearing the rubber at the base?

well i have a cannondale hand pump that will take both.. problem solved :D

You don't have this problem withi adapters... :D
you're going to be dialing 911 here in a few :D

Well, I use White Lightning.



Wait, disregard. Sorry.

i like presta, haven't had any probs with it yet

well i have a cannondale hand pump that will take both.. problem solved :D
WooHoo go pumps which can pump both!

my bike has presta
im scared of them

my bike has presta
im scared of them
why

HA! Got y'all beat! I'm running both a schrader and a presta valve on the same bike! It's like that because of a little mix-up at the bike co-op... and when I blew a hole in my tube on tour, my replacement tube was that presta!

Uh, yeah, I'm using an adaptor. What's it to you? :D

HA! Got y'all beat! I'm running both a schrader and a presta valve on the same bike! It's like that because of a little mix-up at the bike co-op... and when I blew a hole in my tube on tour, my replacement tube was that presta!

Uh, yeah, I'm using an adaptor. What's it to you? :D
Amusingly...my front mountain wheel is schrader, and rear is Presta. My road wheelset is both presta

I think back when serious cyclists used tubular tyres (that dark, savage era), Prestas were used because only they could handle the pressure (150 psi) back then.
But there is no real difference nowadays, except Presta are more 'well hard'.

I think back when serious cyclists used tubular tyres (that dark, savage era), Prestas were used because only they could handle the pressure (150 psi) back then.

I doubt that's it. The air conditioner on my house has a Schrader valve and it's expected to hold 200psi, with no leaking at all, for years at a time.

As a retro-grouch-in-training, I am of the opinion that the switch over to Presta was for the same reason as the switch over to 700c from 27"-planned obsolescence to get people to buy more junk. I usually drill my rims out to accept Schraeder, since Schraeder is a lot easier to find in a pinch, and it's a MAJOR hassle to put Slime through a Presta valve.

You say that it's easier to pump a Presta tube. I'm betting that you've never measured if it's easier or not. I know I haven't but then my thesis is that there's no noticeable difference so I don't care.

Well, having always used schrader before, I was impressed by how much quicker and easier it was the first time I pumped up with presta. If you want documented evidence there was a noticeable difference, I can't give you that. But I know what I experienced firsthand and that's good enough for me.

Well, I use White Lightning.

Wait, disregard. Sorry.

:roflmao:

The tube valve type debate hasn't reached the wild intensity of the holy wars. (you know what they are)

Yet.

:roflmao:

The tube valve type debate hasn't reached the wild intensity of the holy wars. (you know what they are)

Yet.


YET !! :D

why


Short presta valves lead to a feeling of inadequacy.

Short presta valves lead to a feeling of inadequacy.

:roflmao:

I wish all my bikes were one or the other- having both is a pain.

You can buy adapters for the rim that fill in the extra space between a Presta valve and the Shraeder hole.