Originally Posted by
kickstart
I prefer the the modern rendition of the original Dunlop valve. It's robust and reliable like the Schrader, plus it's easy to use and compatible with presta pumps.
I also like the Dunlop valve which is very similar to a Woods valve. It was marketed for years as the EZ pump valve, and like a Presta valve, lacks an internal spring. That means that it functions as a simple check valve allowing air flow in but not out. These are still popular in the UK, but not so much here.
The drawback of a Shrader valve is that it uses an internal spring and will not open by air pressure alone. Instead it wants a depressor to hold the valve open during pumping, meaning you need a pump with valves, and risk losing some air when the pump is disconnected. Years ago, the valve cores had springs that extended deeper into the stem, and we'd often cut them off converting them to springless like the Woods or Presta, so we could pump them by hand with less effort.