I hate presta valves!

[jaydee]

Oh dear, I am not having luck with presta valves. I have just changed from mountain bike to road bike - and love everything about the change except the presta valves.

I have so much trouble just getting the pump to attach properly to the valve stem. And of course, with all that wiggling around, I broke the end off the valve. Thankfully the air stayed in and I was able to ride. But last night I tried to inflate the tyre again, and of course all the air rushed out, meaning a tube change. Only took me an hour to do the change - a new bike so I had not had the tyres off before.

But then I coudn't pump the silly thing up again. I did manage to - after about 20 mins of fuddling around. But of course, the main danger is that all this will have weakened the valve and we will have a repeat performance.

Just venting - sort of know what to do, but not coping well! :o

So if anyone has any "Presta valves for dummies' solutions??

[tulip]

Sounds like you need a better pump--one with a little hose that attaches to the valve. I'm prone to breaking valves with my portable pump that doesn't have a hose.

[Biciclista]

I hate them too. What a dumb idea. I have just learned to cope with them. Even the more experienced riders have trouble with them, a couple weeks ago I watched my DH
tear the whole valve stem off a tube after he had changed the tire. had to go through the whole silly thing all over again!

[jaydee]

I have a JoeBlow pump so it is quite a good pump. I get caught though because the grey presta adapter comes unscrewed a little bit and then won't clamp onto the valve tightly enough to pump, but just right to let all the air out!

The on-bike pump is very easy to use - when I get it right.

Unfortunately it is the operator that has the problems, I fear.

[sgtiger]

Unless you're running very skinny racing tires, you should be able to get tubes with schrader instead. Some of your cycling buddies might think you're fred though.:rolleyes:

Also, there is a valve adapter available that screws over a presta valve to make it compatible for a schrader pump head. They're around a buck and most LBSs have them in a jar on the counter. I carry one around in my tube patch kit, just in case I ever forget my pump (luckily I didn't need it that day and I was on a ride with a lot of bike mechanics too) again and need to use the gas station air pumps. Haven't had to use it yet. I'm very forgetful and even rode off without my helmet once. Oops!:o

ETA: Here's what they look like:
http://www.ebikestop.com/innovations_presta_valve_adapter_in_brass-4381.php

[flash]

I feel for you! I have sheared off the presta valve end too. BUT, don't give up on them just yet! With a tiny bit of practice, and a good quality pump, you will quickly learn to love the presta valves! I, also, hated the valves at first, but then my DH patiently showed me how our particular pump worked for those valves. If you aren't sure, then put on your best smile & ask your local bike shop to show you. I bet they would love to help! Each pump is a little different & I personally prefer the kind that twists to lock on to the valve stem (like the old school blackburn models).

[RolliePollie]

I fight them too! Today I broke one off while changing a flat out on the road. Got to patch my old tube and do the whole tire change over again. Not exactly my idea of fun. I have bloody fingers from the ordeal. :mad:

My LBS guys told me to spit on (or in) the pump valve thingie to get a better seal. This may sound gross, but it works for me. I seem to get the air into the valves much easier if I "moisten" the pump first.

Also, I figured out a trick with my frame pump today (this was after breaking the first valve stem off). I layed my wheel in the grass and found a rock to put under the pump so it was parallel with the level of the valve. Then I was able to pump up and down without the valve getting twisted or bent because the pump stayed in one place. This probably doesn't make sense. I'd have to draw a picture.

[Aquila]

I broke off my first presta stem thingy, and my bike shop suggested I switch to tubes with a longer metal piece. I don't know why, but I do find it easier to manage.

[Mr. SR500]

Sounds like a better pump would help. Don't laugh, but Nashbar has the best pump ever:

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=&subcategory=&brand=&sku=24477&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Show%20All%20Products

[Crankin]

We always buy the longer stemmed tubes. They are not as easy to find, but all of the on line stores have them and we buy a lot at a time.

Having a good pump helps, too.

[Aggie_Ama]

+1 on longer stems. They are more expensive at the LBS but worth it. Our mountain bikes have shorter stem presta valves and I feel like an idiot trying to put air in those.

[tulip]

I've found that the longer stems are made of what looks like brass, which seems to be stronger than the shorter ones, which are made of what seems to be steel or aluminum. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find brass stemmed tubes for my Bike Friday, but I do have them on my Luna.

[Karma007]

Anyone else bend theirs, messing with the pump?

[ilima]

Specialized pumps rock.

I've tried Topeak/Joe Blow and Blackburn and neither is as good as my friend's Specialized pump.

Word to the wise--Blackburns come with a lifetime warranty; the Topeaks with a 90 day warranty (at least they did 2 years ago). Guess when mine broke? Day 93.

And the longer stems are helpful, too.

[Grits]

I broke BOTH valves on the morning of the MS150 using my Joe Blow pump. I have been very, very careful since then. I followed someone's advice in a post about positioning the valve on top so that I am pulling down on the pump thingy . That seems to help me avoid wiggling it around too much. I probably need a new pump, but I just hate to buy one. This one is maybe 3 years old. Seems like it should still be ok.

[jaydee]

Thanks so much to everyone for their suggestions. I am so glad that I am not the only one who has been having problems. I had to buy a new tube yesterday so have bought one with a longer valve, so will see how that goes. I also picked up a schrader adaptor that I can try when I am feeling brave. I will overcome!:D

[fidlfreek]

Don't know if anyone has mentioned this but there is a very cheap adapter available that might solve the problem :)


http://cgi.ebay.com/PRESTA-VALVE-TO-SCHRADER-ADAPTOR-BIKE-TUBE-FRENCH_W0QQitemZ370112191030QQcmdZViewItemQQptZCycling_Parts_Accessories?hash=item370112191030&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205|66%3A4|65%3A12|39%3A1|240%3A1318

[sundial]

hand pump + presta valve = http://www.mysmiley.net/imgs/smile/sign/sign0053.gif (http://www.mysmiley.net/free-unhappy-smileys.php)

[jaydee]

I followed someone's advice in a post about positioning the valve on top so that I am pulling down on the pump thingy .

Tried this when I pumped up the tyres tonight and it did seem to work better. It was easier to get the pump to attach and then when I finished pumping, it was just a quick pull down and it released. Having said that, I will possibly go downstairs in a minute and find both tyres flat.

Can anyone tell me why the difference? Why is there not one universal valve (and of course that one would have to be Shrader)?:confused:

[SouthernBelle]

I don't know this for a fact, but have always assumed it is due to the narrowness of road wheels. Consider that if the hole for the schrader valve were drilled in a narrow road wheel it may effect the integrity of the wheel.

This probably isn't as true now as it was once upon a time.

[SFNancy]

I feel embarrassed about this, but I struggled for quite some time with my floor pump (Specialized Air Tool) and the tires on my new bike. Every time I tried to pump them up, it seemed like there was a lot of resistance from the pump. After reading through the posts in this thread and others, I realized that there's a "sweet spot" when attaching the pump to the valve. If it's not on tight enough, the valve doesn't release and allow air in. Of course that's what was causing the resistance!

It does help to release a little air before connecting the pump to the valve and it also takes a little fiddling to get the pump seated properly so that the valve releases.

Nice to know that others have had the same issues and that I'm not alone!

[sundial]

Embrace presta valves--it builds character.

[MauiRockHopper]

I just got a road bike and feel your pain about these valves. I went through several tubes because of pumping mishaps. But a friend told me about SMOOTH presta valves (not threaded) on Ebay so I ordered 10 of them. I have a Park Tool floor pump which works great, but I tend to break the valves off the tube more from this pump than my Specialized hand pump. I just can't get enough pressure from the hand pump otherwise I'd use it all the time.

I had to learn to recognize the sound of air going into the valve once you start pumping. You have to pump several times to break the seal and there is sometimes an audible click and then you hear the air going in the tires. Often times the seal doesn't seem to break until about 90 psi.

[jesvetmed]

I had the exact problem when I started riding. Actually , it lasted for quite a while! :rolleyes:

Then suddenly it just got easier. One thing I KNOW I was doing wrong every time was that I was afraid to press the pump on far enough. This is because right off the bat I had bent / damaged one, and thought I was just being too rough with it. But now I seem to have a feel, and the secret for me is just simply pressing in on straight and far enough on. (Oh, and getting the little flip stem thingy in the right position to lock it on... that is always challenging for me! :p).

Hang in there!

[AnnieBikes]

I am also one of those who had trouble with the presta valve at the beginning of riding a road bike. I bent the valves two mornings in a row on a long ride and out came the air! SOOO frustrating! :mad: One of the things I have learned is that once I have the proper pressure in the tire, (I put the valve at knee level to pump) I use both my thumbs and "pop" the pump off the tire. I found that if I just used one hand to pull the pump off that I was more prone to bending the valve stem. I also was more prone to pulling the valve stem out of the tube, resulting in an instant flat. :(

So stand behind the wheel after you have the pressure at the level you want. Wrap your fingers around the tire and use both thumbs to push the pump off the valve. Try it!! I learned this trick from one of the women on a cycling trip I took and I have not had a bent valve stem since then! Hope it works for you, too.

[tantrumbean]

They are not that bad once you get used to them although I do worry about snapping them off. Have them on my mountain bike as well. Although admittedley without my track pump (got a joe blow) I would struggle! I find they are easier to pump up if you let a little bit of air out first, seems to help the valve to open somehow.

[TrekTheKaty]

I have to admit there were tears when I switched from my hybrid to a road bike. Missed rides because my DH wasn't home to pump up low tires (frustrating--I'm darn independent--shouldn't need a boy to air up my tires!) and once I sheared the whole valve off because the cap was on too tight and when I tried to twist it, it ripped the tube. I've gotten used to them now--one trick is to press on the valve with your finger to make sure it's open before you hook up the pump. Sometimes they are sticky. That trick seemed to help me a lot.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

A little trick I figured out was to take a short 1" piece of black electrical tape and place it over your rim's valve hole on the inside of the rim the next time you change a tube. Smooth it on good over the hole, then take a sharp pen or an awl and poke a hole in it so the tube valve can go in.
What this does is cover the sharp edges of your metal rim hole with smooth tape so that it is less likely for the tube to get cut if the valve gets wiggled or pulled on when pumping up (even though we all try our best to avoid this). Similar idea to your rim tape that covers the spoke holes and protects your tube.
Other people apparently file the edges of their valve hole to smooth it, but I'm lazy and the tape trick works for me. :D Anything that can help prevent a needlessly ruined tube is a good thing I figure.
Anyone who tapes up their own bars will have black electrical tape on hand. :)