Adam Do you ride Schrader or Presta valves? Here’s why Presta sucks, but first, a history lesson…
In 1891, the Schrader Company invented the Schrader valve. It worked so well that it was installed on nearly every car in the world. Bicycles, however, are different.
At the time, designers thought that the narrower a wheel was, the faster the bicycle would go. That caused a problem for designing wheels, because the valve hole soon became just too big for a narrow wheel. They needed a valve that would take a smaller hole.
Enter Presta: by removing something from the valve, the hole was now 2mm smaller. Presta was installed on road bikes with their narrow rims, and Schrader on all other bikes, like mountain bikes.
So there we have it. A Presta is faster. What’s not to like? Err, a few things, actually.
If you have pumped up a car tyre, you will know the valve is really easy to use. You just unscrew the dustcap and attach the inflator. With Presta, the head of the valve needs to be unscrewed a little bit, too, before you attach teh bike pump. It’s an extra step we could do without. Also, it’s easy to bend the head by accident. I do it sometimes. With Schraders, it’s all inside the barrel.
Most of all, Schrader valves are much more common, so you can inflate them anywhere: the pump from your kid’s bike, 12v inflator from your car, or even the compressor at a petrol station. They’re all Schrader compatible.
In short, Schrader is more practical, robust and easier to use. That is why I only ride Schrader on all of my bikes. Given the choice, I install it for my clients too. Prestas only make sense if you really can’t afford 5g extra in a race, or it just doesn’t fit a vintage bike’s character.
What is important to you, marginal gains or the simple practicality of a Schrader valve?
Epilogue: the irony is that bicycle designers have changed their minds. After testing in a wind tunnel, designers have decided that a wider wheel is faster after all. Also, wheelbuilding materials have now advanced so much that there is no reason for not building road rims to take Schrader valves.