QuantumLeek

I recently bought new tubes for my road bike; I've been using presta valves for a year or so with no problems. One of the tubes I bought fills up fine and without incident. The other one seems to have a problem with the pin. I unscrewed the valve, but it refuses to release (and, thus, is not possible to fill). Even after unscrewing the valve I cannot push down on the pin--there's no give whatsoever.

Has anyone ever had this problem? Any help would be appreciated.

Mr. Jim

I work for a Specialized shop, before this I was a steady customer of a shop affiliated with said brand. You did not mention the brand of tube so I have to infer. Realize I may be wrong and am working off my own experience.

With Specialized presta tubes, I have had issues with the valve being overly tight and requiring a bit of "love" before usage. Being a shy sort of fellow I always have performed this "love" in private. But customers who have questioned the leanings of said valves have asked me and I have admitted to said love. So here before Sheldon Brown and God I will admit the details of my affair with said tubes.

In my shameful experience, Specialized presta tubes require a bit of work in before customer use. When I install one I routinely partially inflate the tube, then work the valve 6 or 7 time to make sure it is loose. Only after this "foreplay" do I install this tube and inform the customer that his "needs" have been met.


I hope this is helpful/humorous

FBinNY 

Something seems to have been lost in translation when production of the historically simple and reliable Presta Valve moved from France and Italy to the Orient. These days valves commonly get stuck closed and need to be [I]burped[/I], or manually opened to unstick them so they work normally. They'll then work fine for a while, but it isn't at all rare to have to burp them every time you go to top off the tire.

My best guess (just a guess) is that the sealing material is changed to something softer which binds, but regardless of the cause, I consider it a shame that makers can forget how to make so simple a thing.

IMO this is a minor (though annoying) issue compared to the other change, which is how they're affixed to the tube. Valve/tube failure was just about unheard of until 5 years ago (I've been riding PV tires since 1965). Now the single most common cause of flats for me is an unrepairable leak where the tube is bonded to the base of the valve. I can almost count on this kind of failure within a week of any ride in the rain.

mprelaw

I "burp" mine as a matter of course every time that I add air.

QuantumLeek

Got it to work, thanks everyone!

FBinNY 

Don't forget, you'll probably need to burp it every time you top off.

Jeff Wills

Yeah, most of mine are just fine when I pump them up. One, though, needs burping every time. Annoying.

FBinNY 

Jeff, what brand tubes do you use. Other than my tubulars, I haven't found tubes with burpless valves for a few years.

Jeff Wills

Usually the QBP brand. Most of the better shops around here carry them- I get mine at Universal Cycles.

When I top them off, I see the gauge go to about 50 psi on the first stroke, then the valve opens and it goes to where it "should" be. Except for the one- it'll go to 150psi without budging.

bici_mania

Every bike shop in town sells Bontrager or Kendra tubes and nothing else. I have to burp the Kendra every single time. I rarely had such an issue with the Bontrager tubes, of corse they were a $1.25 more as well. For personal reasons I don't do business with Trek or buy Trek products so its Krappy Kendra's for me.

FBinNY 

Gee, I thought I was among the last who didn't deal with the Borg.

Sixty Fiver

The best tubes I have ever used are Schwalbes... and if you use Shraeder ales on any bike theirs are like the old fashioned ones with a fully threaded stem and lock nuts.

Grand Bois

Kenda?

FBinNY 

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately I'm 100% PV, except for my car and a few pneumatic devices. If their PVs were made the same way, I'd buy 50 tomorrow.

Sixty Fiver

Their Presta valves are equally great.