I would caution on the "permanent" part. At one time, I'd been storing a Presta adapter on the valve stem between uses. These are nicer in that you don't have to unscrew them to open the valve, but they may have the same problem I found. After a year, maybe two, the rubber seal on bottom disintegrated. I don't know if it was from being somewhat exposed to the elements, vibrations and forces while riding the bike, or other factors but one day suddenly there was no seal.

I'd be concerned that these in OP haven't been around long enough to know if that's going to be a problem.

The key is right there in the description

Leave the presta valve open. The valve won't open unless there is greater pressure on the valve than what is in the tire. A presta valve is a check valve that closes when the pressure in the tube is greater than the pressure on pump side of the valve. If you leave it open, it won't spontaneously leak air unless the stem is pressed.

That, by the way, is the beauty of presta valves. You only have to put enough pressure on them to open the valve to let air into the tire. When the pressure on the pump side decrease the valve closes. Any air you hear leaking from the system is only air leaking from the pump but not from the tire.

Schrader, on the other hand, has to be held open. If you hear leaking of any kind that means you are losing pressure from the Schrader valve. All the work you've done to fill the tube is leaking out and you have to pump more to air into to make up for that leakage.

I simply don't understand why people think that presta is delicate or finicky. You can bend the poppet stem but that's usually not going to cause any problems as long as you don't try to bend it back. The only reason the poppet stem can get bent in the first place is improper installation and removal of the pump head.

The pumps you have have chucks that shouldn't bend the poppet stem as long as you take them off correctly. I suspect that you are trying to wiggle the chuck onto or off of the stem. You shouldn't need to. Just push the chuck straight down, flip up the lock lever and pump. Repeat to take it off.

Are you sure about that? What you're saying sounds like the presta valve is closed when the floor pump handle is not being pressed down. So does that mean the gauge on the pump is only reading the pressure in the hose itself, and not in the tire? Then how do you know what the actual pressure in the tire is?

That’s a good thing to watch out for. They should arrive in the next few days, so I’ll run them as an experiment to see how it goes. I’ll report back here if I find anything worth reporting.

First, it sounds like you have trouble with Schrader valves that I don’t have. If I were feeling snide, I might say that if you remove the pump head correctly, you shouldn’t get the problem you are describing. Oh, guess I am feeling snide ;-)

Second, I’m pretty confident I know how to use a pump. I do my own bike maintanence, including total overhauls, and using a pump is pretty basic. I’m not wiggling the chuck on or off, but the little poppet stem (thanks for that term, by the way, I didn’t know what it was called) bends and becomes uncooperative over time. Maybe it wears down with each use. This bike gets nearly 4000 miles a year, so I’m screwing and unscrewing the valves a lot. I don’t want to have to baby my commuter bike.

That's odd, I've never heard of Presta valves wearing out. I've seen a bent poppet stem maybe once or twice in my life. How often are you opening the valves? I pump my road bike commuter's 25c tires once per week, at the start of the week the night before the first commute of the week. My e-bike's 2.15" Big Apple tires only get pumped once a month, or even less (high-volume low pressure tires FTW!). And I've already surpassed 4,000 miles for 2017, between both bikes. ;)

I’m probably pumping the tires up twice a week. I’ve talked to several people at the co-op who seem to have similar issues with bent stems on prestas. These are also everyday transportation riders, though there are also people who have never had a bit of trouble with them. This is one of those issues where if I can find a simple solution, liking adding an adapter, it seems like a no-brainer. It’s just a preference.

Edit: Should have mentioned that the other bike is Schrader, and I haven’t had any trouble at all with it.

Sounds like drilling the rims for Schrader valves (it's easy) would be the real no-brainer for you and some of the other folks at the co-op.

I personally love Presta valves, but Schraders do require a lot less finesse.

If you drill the rims does it take much buffing to smooth the edges so the tubes don't tear?

ps-> I love the topeak smarthead so I don't have to pay attention, in our home garage at least, to what valve is on a tube that needs inflating

Positive.

Exactly. The pressure reading on the gauge is good enough to know what the pressure in the tire is. There could be a slight differential but it's not enough to worry about.

I don't have any problem with Schrader, I just don't consider it to be a better valve. I see lots and lots and lots of people whooshing air into Schrader valves from a compressor at my local co-op without actually putting air in the tire and, in a lot of cases, letting air out. It's the nature and function of the Schrader valve. The valve has to be held open to put air in and if there is any air leakage, it's losing air.

You may not think you are wiggling the poppet but if you are bending it on a regular basis, you are doing something wrong. Using a pump is pretty basic but it's still easy to mess up. I've been using Prestas for roughly 35 years on all my bikes and seldom bend a presta poppet. It happens but it's rare.

I'm using a Silca chuck, by the way, which is a bit more difficult to use without damaging the Presta valve. It is just pushed on without the lever lock and fit much closer.

On the other hand, with the adapter you are using, just leave the poppet open under the adapter. It won't spontaneously open since there its a lot of pressure keeping the valve closed and it should fill just like a Schrader but work like a Presta.

They leaked for a friend of mine.

Nope. Just a couple seconds with a round file if any sharp edges are left behind from the drilling.

+1 Buy a Pedro's Prestige floor pump for $40 and be done with it. If you park and ride, then leave the pump in the car.

So then, when I connect my floor pump to any Presta valve and flip up the lever, why do I get a reading on the pump gauge immediately, before I start pumping?

Possibly the design of the pump head? Could it be pressing down on the valve? There are so many pump designs out there...

I've a Topeak pump with a pressure-release button on it. That button actually never works on Presta valve tubes. Once the air in the hose is exhausted, I can press the button all I want and nothing happens. And it's common for me to have to push the pump handle down through one cycle before I can get a pressure reading.

Maybe my pump is special. :P It's just a plain Bontrager Charger low-end floor pump from the LBS. But even though it's their low end model it still seems to be nice quality. It does have the "auto select" head that allows me to use the single pump head (with single hole) for both Presta and Schrader valve types.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/e...Code=white_red

Pump designs are all over the map. I have three name-brand models in my office right now, but my favorite design is probably still the plain old model I bought from a Specialized dealer years ago.

It shouldn't. The Presta head doesn't have a depressor built into the head like the Schrader side does. It's more likely that the head isn't square on the valve and when you flip the lever, the poppet gets pushed to the side and opened. That probably the cause of damage to the poppet that many people experience.

I have noticed on may of the clamping heads on pumps that the chuck does sit at an angle to the valve stem on the Presta valves. They aren't the best design. The Silca head I use goes on straight and stays straight because the rubber grommet in the head make the seal. I'm not squeezing it with a locking lever so I have to put it on deeper to hold it in place on the stem of the valve.

Edit: I should have read further

That pump uses a head that does have a depressor for both types of stems. Kind of defeats the purpose of the check valve nature of the Presta. It holds the valve open no matter what kind of valve you are using.

Oh well, I like that it gives me the actual pressure in the tire, not just the hose. Only problem is the head (or the seal inside) is worn and leaks a bit of air while pumping. It's a minor annoyance. I'll probably run to the LBS this weekend and see if they have a replacement hose set.

If you buy a replacement hose set, consider using it to make your current hose longer. I've done that on a couple of pumps now using Topeak's replacement hoses and heads. The added hose length is wonderful. My Topeak hose came with a simple barb and band-clamp, and I just added the new hose onto the end of the old one.

I have been using presta valves in rims drilled for Schrader forever. In theory, it can cause problems, but in practice, it doesn't for me.

I only use presta. That what comes with the tubeless tire setups. Plus the valve core is removable to add sealant. I do however keep one of those screw on adapters on my bikepacking rigs for plan B tire inflation. The $ 30 or so for my silca pumphead was one of my best bike buys, ever.

The hose on the Bontrager pump is already very long, 47 inches according to the link I posted above. And I agree it's great. I have a cheap backup floor pump at my office with a short hose, and I hate using it.