Just Switched to Schrader after 57,000 miles with Prestas and so far like them better.

I have a lot of very decent rims that were drilled for Shrader valves and it was not so long ago that more rims were drilled for this.

When mountain bike rims moved to being narrower the valve drilling changed to where Presta became dominant just as it is on road wheels, utilitarian bicycles still tend to use a lot more Shrader valves as this is something that most people are familiar with.

There's an advantage to using a valve that's compatible with your pump.

You'll also be very popular with the ladies :thumb:

Use whatever your rims are drilled for.

Great information and a lot of feedback!

I didn't say anyone who disagrees is a cycle snob.
I said cycle snobs will bash me for saying it.

Why I love the stuff...

I put the stuff in my tubes as an experiment only a couple of years ago. I'd heard a lot about it, heard the snobs bashing it, and had seen some pretty convincing videos suggesting it was great. So, I wanted to try it out.

It is absurdly messy.

I can't tell a difference in speed or ride with it in or out. Different tires make a huge difference, but I can't tell any difference with sealants.

I use the Slime that is specifically for bikes.

So, several weeks after putting it in my tube, I'd largely forgotten about it except when topping off. I learned pretty quickly that you'd better have the tire rotated so the valve is at the top of the tire when filling it. So, I was riding along, hit something (didn't feel it, just heard a pffft sound that sometimes precedes a flat,) and saw a little streak of green go by on my front tire. As the tire rotated... green... green... darker green... even darker green... almost black... gone...

So, I stopped to check it out, forgetting about the goo in the tube momentarily. Then, it hit me... I'd hit some glass or something, popped a tiny hole in my tube, the slime had leaked out & stopped the leak. I was a few psi lighter at the end of the ride, but never lost enough pressure to stop.


Mind you, I generally buy heavier duty tires, carry a spare, CO2 kit and patches. Since using the Slime, though, I haven't patched a tube or used one of my spares on my bike. Ever. That includes riding on roads, MUPs, sidewalks, occasional dumb off-road excursions and a couple of centuries.

If you took offense to my comment about snobs, it's either because you read my comment in a way I didn't intend, or you're sensitive to the terms snob or sealants. Whatev...

At some point, I may switch to a different sealant, but will never go on a ride without any.

You'll get no argument from me about them being messy. I wouldn't be sold on it if I hadn't actually SEEN the stuff ooze out of a hole & the stop it without me even slowing the bike down.

I've heard other sealants aren't as friggin' messy & may try them out at some point. As I just put new tires on the bike a couple of weeks ago, it'll most likely be a LONG time before I change tubes. No joke... from when I bought my tires last til the time I replaced them due to wear, I never replaced or patched a tube. I did put new tubes in the new tires, but I'm not even sure I needed to do that. Just feels weird having new tires & not new tubes... like wearing dirty socks in new shoes. :p

With the road cyclists discovering that super narrow tires aren't actually faster, it'd just tickle me senseless if they also moved away from Prestas. They just seem unnecessary outside of racing.

Used 'em for years on my German made bikes. They seem to have less need for topping up with pressure and I could go weeks before noticing any loss of pressure. Also kept an adapter screwed in the valve to at least one tube per bike so that I could use any pump or compressor fitting. Kept an adapter in my patch kit too. Think I paid about 1DM/pair for the adapters.

From another perspective, Schraeder valves seem unnecessary outside of filling tubes at the gas station.

I'm just looking at it from the perspective of functionality. There are advantages & disadvantages to both.


If there's an advantage to Prestas aside from narrower or deeper rims, I don't know of it & am open to be educated.

If there are disadvantages to Shraders aside from available wheelsets, I'm lost there, too.

That may speak to the quality of the tubes themselves... the Schwalbe tubes I prefer for Shrader have excellent threaded stems and are very well sealed as are Continental tubes.

You can air up the tube prior to install by breathing into it.

You can get threaded stem tubes for $3.00 or so. Gotta pay at least $8.00 or so for threaded Schraeder stems last I checked.

Inflation is a tad easier with Presta, since you don't have to fight a sprung valve each stroke

I just like the way it feels to unscrew the top of a presta valve, burp it and push one of these on to it:

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/s...mMViI&usqp=CAE

Prestas aren't only for road racing bikes with skinny tires...Last time I was at my LBS they had a whole bunch of different fat bikes with 4 inch tires and all of them had Prestas... Even one of my MTB's which I bought many years ago came with Prestas.

IMO, Joe Blow works great for presta. Schrader is another story. Endless fiddling to get the thing to seat well. Usually end up "racing" to inflate the tire ahead of the seeping air escaping. Good workout I guess.

Oh yeah, you see 'em on everything... I just don't know why. They're more complicated to use, so I just don't get why they are everywhere like they are.

Good points... Never thought about being able to put a little air in a Presta w/o a pump. I've never seen Prestas that cheap, but then, I didn't run 'em for very long, & the local bike shop (that just went out of business) was run by a real jerk.

Okay, what's that a picture of?

$2.99 for 5, $2.79 for 10, lump with other goodies and get the free shipping and 15 percent more off.
Price Point Tube | Inner tube | Presta | Schrader | Valve

The pic is of a Silca presta pump chuck.

Thanks for the info... the cheapest I've found Schraders is around $4... considering how rarely I replace 'em, I suppose cost isn't that big of a deal. Still, save a penny, earn a penny or however it goes.

They are everywhere as long as you look in pricey LBS's or at the bikes that were purchased from them, or at the pictures of bikes posted by BF bicycling aficionados, a distinct minority of bicycles sold in the U.S.

Could be, I've been using Schwalbe tubes and tires in Germany and the U.S. for many years.

Some Walmart stores carry presta tubes now. Can't get much more pedestrian than that. They were asking $7.00 a tube though. Dang what happened to everyday low prices???

Dicks sporting goods and sports authority have them too. SA has Avocet smooth stem presta for fans of that style.

Walmart sells all size car tires too but doesn't sell cars.

I've never seen a bike on the sales floor at Walmart or any other bigbox store that was equipped with Presta valve tubes. Bigbox store bikes may be anathema to the bicycling enthusiasts of BF, but that is the source of most bikes sold in the U.S.

Most non - boutique lbs ' s carry bikes that come stock with Schrader valves too. Walmart sells presta valve bikes online and you can click to order, pick up assembled at store so even though you haven't seen them they are available. My GF works at Walmart and they won't let them keep mongoose fatbikes on the floor there but a walmart down in Portland has them on the floor. So there's a chance some walmart might have presta valved bikes, if that's what you're really after. Maybe that's why they have presta tubes, so new denali and Thruster Fixie owners can go presta, pimp out their bikes as it were.

I guess I'm not sure what your point is. Too many BF peeps wouldn't consider a sub $1500 bike so are out of touch with reality. Is that your point?

Maybe 95 percent of road is that way but fewer than 25 percent of bike mechanics is that way. It would be really tough to suggest walmart bikes to anyone. Some of the non suspension rigs are OK. I like the La Jolla but I have La Jolla wheels on a bike and the coaster hub is almost toast after 400 miles or so...