Presta vs Schraeder

[litespeedguy]

after recently snapping off the presta valve stem on my wife's hybrid I got to thinking - is there a good reason why tubes with presta are more favorable than schraeder ? my road bike came with presta and so I've replaced with presta as needed but never stopped to think if schraeder would be just as reasonable a replacement - is it a weight thing ?? presta looks narrower than schraeder but how much weight difference could there be ?? or is there another reason to chose presta over schraeder ?

 

[jpr95]

Presta valves don't need a cap to keep grit and grime out of the the valve mechanism as Schrader valves do. Presta valves are also narrower than Schrader to allow for narrower tires and wheels--a wider valve on a narrower tube creates a weak point around the base of the valve stem, increasing the rate of failure.

 

[jhuskey]

I use the Presta valve but honestly it's because they are the accepted standard but more fragile. I personally don't know why they are considered better but I am willing to be enlightened.

 

[sitzmark]

Originally Posted by litespeedguy .

- is it a weight thing ??

Yes, but not significant. More of a functional thing. Schrader valve is larger diameter, which doesn't work as well with the traditional narrow-rim/tire road wheel - issues with bead seating and the amount of material removed from the rim.

 

[Volnix]

Both tubes I changed after 2600km were because of the valve getting ripped of the tire (presta valves).

I also have a hard time securing the valve on the pump without losing pressure so I bought an presta to schraeder adapter. It doesnt work that well.

Its probably just because of the arrangment of parts in the presta that makes them thinner then the schraeder to allow for thinner wheels.

 

[litespeedguy]

thanks all for the great replies - it just seems like with schraeder you avoid that snap off risk and it's hard to believe that the OD of the valve would be that much greater to not have it work with skinnies - thanks again !!!!

 

[litespeedguy]

Here's some info from Wikipedia that is basically the same as what others on this thread have said -- thanks again !!!!

[SIZE= 12px]" Presta valve stems are 6mm diameter, whereas Schrader valve stems for bicycle tyres are 8mm, thus requiring a larger diameter hole in a bicycle rim. While not a concern on wider bike rims, it will weaken a narrow wheel rim, precluding their use on (road) racing bicycles. Another disadvantage of the Schrader is that the air chuck must depress the spring-loaded pin before air can flow during inflation, whereas the Presta valve relies solely on internal air pressure to keep it shut. This means that some air is lost while attaching and detaching pumps to Schrader valves, although this is usually nominal (most of the air which makes the "whooshing" noise when the pump is removed comes from the compressed air in the tube between the pump body and the attachment end, not the tyre via the momentarily-open Schrader valve). To fill up a bicycle tyre with a Presta-valved tube at a gas station requires an adaptor, while a Schrader-valved tube does not "[/SIZE]

 

[jhuskey]

Originally Posted by litespeedguy .

Here's some info from Wikipedia that is basically the same as what others on this thread have said -- thanks again !!!!

[SIZE= 12px]" Presta valve stems are 6mm diameter, whereas Schrader valve stems for bicycle tyres are 8mm, thus requiring a larger diameter hole in a bicycle rim. While not a concern on wider bike rims, it will weaken a narrow wheel rim, precluding their use on (road) racing bicycles. Another disadvantage of the Schrader is that the air chuck must depress the spring-loaded pin before air can flow during inflation, whereas the Presta valve relies solely on internal air pressure to keep it shut. This means that some air is lost while attaching and detaching pumps to Schrader valves, although this is usually nominal (most of the air which makes the "whooshing" noise when the pump is removed comes from the compressed air in the tube between the pump body and the attachment end, not the tyre via the momentarily-open Schrader valve). To fill up a bicycle tyre with a Presta-valved tube at a gas station requires an adaptor, while a Schrader-valved tube does not "[/SIZE]

That actually occured to me after I thought about it. The larger the hole the more you weaken the rim.

 

[daveryanwyoming]

The Presta valve is also a simpler assembly with no internal spring. Yeah that comes back to weight (which is meaningless at this level) but it's also a simple and sufficient design for most bike applications so there doesn't seem like a compelling reason to swap to Schraeder valves. Yeah we bend or break the occasional Presta valve but in many tube designs the valve core is removable and replaceable so it's usually not a big deal.

But at some level it's like asking why road bike wheels are standard at 700c and not 27". Both exist but 700c has become the defacto worldwide standard on nicer bikes even though you can certainly find 27" wheels if you shop around. Same thing with Presta vs Schraeder valves, they're pretty much the standard for higher end bikes these days even though both designs exist.

-Dave

 

[Hillrider]

CCM bikes always come with Schreader Valves. In my opinion anything on a CCM is a better choice because they are simple and effective.

 

[Volnix]

Originally Posted by daveryanwyoming .

[SIZE= 13px]But at some level it's like asking why road bike wheels are standard at 700c and not 27". Both exist but 700c has become the defacto worldwide standard on nicer bikes even though you can certainly find 27" wheels if you shop around. Same thing with Presta vs Schraeder valves, they're pretty much the standard for higher end bikes these days even though both designs exist.[/SIZE]

-Dave

Hmmm...

 

[clarkscug]

To fill up a bicycle tyre with a Presta-valved tube at a gas station requires an

 

[dabac]

Cutting the tip off a Presta valve cap will give you an instant adapter presta-to-schraeder adapter.

 

[alienator]

Cutting the tip off a Presta valve cap will give you an instant adapter presta-to-schraeder adapter.

Excellent idea. Adapters are also available in many places online and at many LBS for wildly outrageous prices, like Nashbar's $1.49. They can be stored in virtually any pocket or seat bag.

 

[mpre53]

I snapped the valve on a Presta tube----once. Then, I took the time to learn how to do it without snapping the valve.

Don't rock the pump head to get it on and off the valve. Don't try to force anything. Straight push on. Lock the pump head. When you're done, cradle the tire between two fingers behind the valve, and give it a straight push out with those two finger tips.

If you have Presta rims, to use Schrader tubes, you have to drill out the holes to accept the wider valves. Or buy different rims. You're pretty much going to be limited to cheap-assed, heavy rims.