Bicycle Mechanics - Valves worldwide?

Probably an old question but what type of valve is used and where?
In her majesties seat we have an abundance of Presta and Schrader but what about in the colonnies or in Europe?:D

We are real men in the colonies we use solid stone tubes and tires :) Just sounds funny being called the colonies.

I believe all we have here is schraeder and presta.

Poth presta and schrader here in Canada... where are the Colonies?

As a proud descendent of several brave men who took part in Americas fight for freedom, truth, justice and the American way of life, I defiantly wave my fist and say, ". . . er, uhh. . . What was it you wanted to know again? I lost my train of thought while in the midst of my stirring speech. . .

I'm sticking with the same kind of valves that I started with as a post-war baby back in 1953; Schrader!

what are you driving at, , I like my hamburger with mustard and pickle please.......

Here in Australia it's a little different .... hey hang on .... no it's not.

We use presta and schrader valves.

Anybody still use Dunlop valves?

So, what's a Dunlop valve look like?

Sheldon Brown, the font of all bikey knowledge, has a picture of a Dunlop (aka Woods) valve on his website. Click here. (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/gloss_w.html#woods)

Originally posted by D*Alex
Anybody still use Dunlop valves?

I've seen them here in Finland, but new bikes seem to come with Schrader or Presta valves. Don't know if spare tubes with Dunlop valves are still easily available here.

I seem to remember from my childhood that a Dunlop valve is a completely separate design from the tube, held on place with one lockring. In fact I used to carry spare valves with me as a kid, as it was a fairly common prank among us to "borrow" valves from a friend's bike, rendering the tyre impossible to inflate.

--J

I use Schrader.


For XC, Continental's tube with a schrader valve which the entire stem is metal, and has a nut like the presta valves are.

Freeride/DH/DS, Maxxis DH tubes, traditional Schrader. I've punctured the continentals before, but I still haven't flatted the Maxxis Tubes yet.

The bike I learnt to ride on had dunlop valves. The bike was a Hercules made in the 1930s.

These days, Presta valves are becoming most popular worldwide on new bikes and especially newer road bikes.

In the USA, Schrader valves are still common on 26" wheels. Presta valves dominate the 700 mm road wheels.

Presta valves, of course, are very common in Europe and Japan.

Woods valves can be found commonly in China - especially on the old workhorse 28" wheeled single speeds which are still the most prominant machine, although it is loosing ground to more modern designs such as mountain bikes.

i remember the old valves with the thin rubber tubing stretched over them( like a rats condom) not that iv,e ever seen a rats condom!. i havnt seen those valves in many years, but some of the pucture repair- kits you can buy still contain the rubbers, odd!!:D

Originally posted by greywolf
i remember the old valves with the thin rubber tubing stretched over them( like a rats condom) not that iv,e ever seen a rats condom!. i havnt seen those valves in many years, but some of the pucture repair- kits you can buy still contain the rubbers, odd!!:D

Yup, those are probably Woods valves you are thinking of. You could unscrew the top and have access to the thin rubber pipette (rat condom). It would deteriorate over time so you could trim the fray from the ends, flip it around, spit on it, and eventually change it.

The Woods valve was a tremendously simple and maintainable design - certainly suitable for the generations and uses it served.

Dunlop/Woods valves are pretty common here in Germany, but almost exclusively on commuter bikes. By commuter bike, I mean the thing that every university student and little old lady has for running errands--with baskets and a very upright position. Many of them are the so-called "Hollandrad," i.e. a 50-year-old steel wonder, made in the Netherlands, absolutely indestructible, a bit rusty, but no worse for wear, 1 speed (often a 3 speed that has defaulted to 1).

I bought a junker at the end of the summer. It's a 10 year-old Raleigh MTB-hybrid thing. It looks like the valve holes are drilled for Schraeder, but out of them poke Dunlop valves (ever so slightly smaller). On newer commuter bikes, I believe I have seen more Schraeder valves.

On road-racing bikes, it's definitely Presta. But, given that 90% of bikes here are of the commuter type (or used for that), I have to disagree with Mike that Presta dominates--you only see them on racing or serious touring bikes.

By the way, a pump fit for Presta works on them.

Cheers,
Jamie

I use Prestas exclusively, but son #1 likes the Schraeders on his mountain bike. In the U.S., only road bikes and high-end mountain bikes tend to come with Prestas.

India was a colony and to this day Indian single speedsuse the woods valve, as do the Chinese single speeds.

These Indian and Chinese bikes are still the most widely used bikes in Asia and Africa (lots of old colonies there also).

Erik

Originally posted by Mzungu
India was a colony and to this day Indian single speedsuse the woods valve, as do the Chinese single speeds.

These Indian and Chinese bikes are still the most widely used bikes in Asia and Africa (lots of old colonies there also).

Erik

AND I am willing to bet that the numbers would show that they are the most used valves in the world.

They were not good, they were complete rubbish ; good riddance.

Before about 1987ish in Australia most bikes had locked on valves - woods type valves (from Germany - diificult to find and expensive), and 'hard' valves from Taiwan.

These had a tapered rubber plug that fitted the valve tube. They were dead hard to inflate and would stick open if you tried to use Honda Flatproof ('slime') in them.

-----------------
| |-------------Valve body
| |
~ ~
| _________ | |
|
|
|
| |<--------------- Rubber plug
| |
| |
-----------------