Folding Bikes - Giant halfway: special order presta tubes or drill to fit Schraeders?

I've had a Giant Halfway 2007 model since last year. Love it. No problems thus far. Commuting this season 14 miles a day in all and it's holding up nicely. Though I live with a cloud over my head somewhat in dread of the inevitable flat, as some of the urban terrain gets rocky, sandy, and glassy.

My tires are 20 inchers, and they're made to hold Presta valve tubes, but, ironically enough, the store I bought the machine from doesn't stock the Presta 20 inchers. I didn't intend on using it for commuting when I bought it, so I was ok with purchasing the bike then in spite of this little quirk.

But now I'm wondering which would be the easier solution: go ahead and special order a few presta-valvers to keep stocked and on hand, or drill the rim to accomodate a schraeder valve so my choices are a bit more diverse and easier to get?

Do other folding bike models have this same concern?

For now, I'm ok with carrying a simple patch kit, but wondering if any veterans had advice about whether the drilling suggestion is the way to go....

Thanks in advance!

Get the Presta tubes...
For my own bike I use the Schwalbe SV6 and SV6A tubes (the latter is 30g lighter).

You'll just have to consider your pump, many work with both with the flip of a valve.
I'm using a Topeak Road Morph (w/ Gauge) which is awesome.

You can also check out a presta valve adapter (http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=7714), which allows a schraeder pump to fill it
(e.g. may be useful at the gas station air compressor in a pinch? It's so cheap and light, why not...)

I'm running a Giant Halfway with a Schraeder on the front and a Presta on the back. I didn't need to drill anything. I carry a hand pump that fits either style and at home my foot pump connects to the Presta using an adaptor. I'm sure you'll be OK using either.

Thanks for the suggestions. I already have an adaptor for the foot pump, and that works fine. I'm just thinking ahead to the day when I come across road debris that bites back. I think I'll go ahead and get a Schraeder tube to carry with me and try that first, a tube isn't too expensive to trash if it doesn't work. I was just under the impression that a Schraeder valve would be too wide to fit through the hole in the rim since Giant fits the Halfway with Prestas.

It's really an issue of what rims you have. If your Halfway has skinny aero rims that would be compromised by drilling for a Schrader valve, then don't do it. If they are a bit wider and don't look like they would suffer from that hole being widened an eighth of an inch, then go ahead. I have done that on a few bikes with no ill effects.

Aside from the greater availability of tubes, Schrader valves let you fill up effortlessly at any gas station. I know that can be done with an adapter too, but I'm always loosing them. I buy them by the half-dozen once a year or so, and they always manage to find their way into the ether.

I have a Halfway and both tubes have Schraeder valves. No need to do anything special to make them fit as far as I can tell.

--sam

I think you should drill them. From memory it's an 8mm hole but check first. Make sure you file the hole a bit to get rid of any sharp edges.

By doing this you open yourself to the wider choice of 20" Schrader inner tubes, some of which have 'puncture protection' (special self-sealing goo).

I've been using these for a year and I haven't had a single puncture, even after riding over all the bloody broken glass in London outside the pubs.

Good luck with it