Ok. Is the valve supposed to be really loose in the hole? It moves arond a lot.
Why do they put caps on the stems if it really doesn't do anyting?
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Thread: My first Flat!
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10-16-2007, 08:44 AM #1
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10-16-2007, 09:02 AM #2
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You didn't happen to get a tube with a presta valve when you really need a schrader, did you?
Originally Posted by htfu
I just tried to wiggle my valve and it doesn't move much at all.
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10-16-2007, 09:14 AM #3
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Once you pump up the tire the valve usually doesn't move around too much, but it can be pretty wobbly when the tube is flat. Originally Posted by htfu
The caps will keep gunk out of the valve stem, but I've never had a problem with a valve gumming up so I usually just leave them off. On presta valves having a cap is probably a throw back from schrader valves, which gunk up easier."Sharing the road means getting along, not getting ahead" - 1994 Washington State Driver's Guide
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10-16-2007, 09:58 AM #4
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The little valve piece on the presta stem screws down tight. Then you unscrew it with your fingers when you pump air in. Then screw it back in again.
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10-16-2007, 10:30 AM #5
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The valve moves around side to side? (It shouldn't move laterally, and that probably means you do need a tube with a Schraeder valve.) Or in and out of the hole and a little pivoting when there's no air in the tire? (It should. The little ring is to keep it from doing that, but it's really non-critical, just makes it a little easier to install the tube and, I suppose, prevents further damage when the tube does go flat.)
When you put the new (or repaired) tube back on, check the inside of the tire for anything sharp. Not just at the site of the hole, because there could be bits of glass or whatever sticking through the tire that hadn't gotten far enough in to flat the tube yet. Check the rim strip on the inside of the rim to make sure it's properly seated and covering all the spoke nipples. And put a little baby powder in the tire. That'll make it easier to get the tube seated, and keep it from sticking to the inside of the tire later on. Sorry if you knew all that
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10-16-2007, 10:52 AM #6
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If it's an old bike with 27" tires, you may have the larger hole in the rim to accommodate Schraeder valves, yet use a tube with a Presta valve. That's when it moves around a bit, and that's when you need the nut.
I keep the valve cap on because the Presta valves seem easy to open.
Karen
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10-16-2007, 12:28 PM #7
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Really? I've never had that issue. In fact, I never screw down my presta valves, they're always open. Originally Posted by Tuckervill
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10-17-2007, 06:23 AM #8
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But with the Presta valve open, anything brushing against the pin just allows air to escape. I'm pretty clutzy and my family is not always careful when they are loading the car or what have you. So I wouldn't leave it open because the boy would put his helmet on it or something.
Oh well.
Karen
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