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wow this is gonna sound stupid!

1K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  highdelll 
#1 ·
i got my new bike in, w nt to air up the tires and what thehell!?

how do i air up my tires, have never seen valve stems like this and traditional pump doesn,t fit?

gah i feel dumb...

i have a motobecane fantom trail with wtb rims
 
#4 ·
yeah..you got presta valves. The 'regular' or schrader valve is what you were expecting :p , which i like to use because of the convenience w/ my air comp. or filling up at the gas station.:thumbsup: the adapters aren't bad,,, just one more thing for me to lose...i lose a bunch of sh!t:D
plus... my chrome skull valve covers fit schraders!
 
#7 ·
jdr6031 said:
where is the closest place they would have something to pump up my tire? i livee miles from any bike shop, and 5 minutes from the trails i wanna ride this weekend:madman:

is there any hope?
ahhh, you could whip out a drill and bore out the valve stem hole to fit schraders and put some old tubes in and have a pair of useless(to you) tubes.
or
hang out @ the trail and hope someone with a bike pump with presta ability comes by:confused:
edit**
you could goto pricepoint and order right now (i believe they're still open) and have them overnight you a pump
 
#8 ·
Should you bore out the holes in the rim, you can still use presta tubes in the future. You can use the lock nut to hold the valve in place on the rim, or you can use a rubber grommet.

Most riders are nice, someone should lend you a pump. Just remember to return the favor to the next guy in need.
 
#13 ·
#17 ·
fishbum said:
aka "French Valve" - they are actually supposed to be more reliable as higher pressure presses the valve further closed (with the spring force), while in a schrader valve the air pressure pushes against the spring...
Air shocks are fitted with Schraeder and hold up to 250-300 PSI (compare to 60-70 PSI max mountain tires are designed for). Possibly, it is thinner valve stem, hence smaller hole in the rim, that makes Presta so attractive to the rim manufacturers. Anyway, almost every rider I know has drilled the hole out with 8 mm bit to fit Schraeder.
 
#18 ·
The presta is a little lighter too, if you care, and those who like them say they hold air better. They can be fragile if you are not really careful when attaching and removing the pump.

My Mavic rims came with a plastic collar that fits Presta. I popped it out to make space for a Schrader.
 
#19 ·
perttime said:
The presta is a little lighter too, if you care, and those who like them say they hold air better. They can be fragile if you are not really careful when attaching and removing the pump.
.
They may also be very fragile if you tighten the nut even a bit too much - the whole stem may just pop out of the rubber.
Anyway, speaking of valves, given the choice between the German (Schraeder) and French (Presta), I'd opt for the unjustly forgotten Russian. It is same Schraeder valve, but, like Presta, it has full length metal housing and is secured to the rim with a nut. There is no rubber around the stem, so it has smaller outside diameter, than standard Schraeder (hence needs a smaller hole in the rim), and is also not susceptible to cuts and tears.
 
#20 ·
xenon said:
They may also be very fragile if you tighten the nut even a bit too much - the whole stem may just pop out of the rubber.
Anyway, speaking of valves, given the choice between the German (Schraeder) and French (Presta), I'd opt for the unjustly forgotten Russian. It is same Schraeder valve, but, like Presta, it has full length metal housing and is secured to the rim with a nut. There is no rubber around the stem, so it has smaller outside diameter, than standard Schraeder (hence needs a smaller hole in the rim), and is also not susceptible to cuts and tears.
i recommend smooth valved prestas to most people. the screw is never really useful nor necessary.

i've also heard that Prestas are better because, since you screw shut the valve, at higher RPMs, the schrader valves can open themselves up, presta stay closed.

tell that the the ferrari guys with schrader valves on their rims. haha
 
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