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It is standard for road bikes to adopt Presta, whereas nearly all else use Schrader.

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I personally think Schrader are better:

  • I've had fewer Schrader valves break on me than Presta
  • No problems if needing to use car pumps
  • Have also seen long Schrader valves for deep rims
  • Less fiddly
Criggie
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jakc
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    related although not duplicate? http://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/59/which-kind-of-tube-valve-is-the-best – jakc Feb 19 '12 at 06:55
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    interesting. I have had more schrader issues and breakage than i have with prestas. Personally i love prestas, and use them even in schrader drilled wheels. – Matt Adams Feb 19 '12 at 22:39
  • I hate Prestas with a passion. I've had so many different bizarre problems with them that just never happen with Schrader valves. The only reason I ever use Presta anymore is because Schrader are just too big for my road bike rims. – Brian Knoblauch Feb 20 '12 at 20:01
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    I'm curious as to what problems Matt and Brian have had. I've never really had problems with any valve. – Daniel R Hicks Feb 22 '12 at 13:01
  • Thanks for explaining this.I have experimented with two identically sized tubes/tires but different valves and can say that with MTB tires like 26 x 1.95 to 55 psi (that's just as high as I wanted to go with small frame pump) it makes absolutely no difference in time or effort. So if prestas are easier, it's definately only at higher psi. Someone with road tires should try this and estimate the degree of difference. –  Apr 18 '12 at 18:19
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    Is there a question? What is the question? – kmkaplan Dec 05 '12 at 23:10
  • I picked up a brand new bike only last week (June 2013) whose tubes had Woods valves on them. Maybe they're making a comeback??? – PeteH Jun 04 '13 at 14:58
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    This question should be reopened and protected, as it contains some valuable discussion (that does not need to be repeated elsewhere). – Daniel R Hicks Jul 18 '14 at 12:04
  • Also related - https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/questions/80748/ – Criggie Oct 28 '21 at 04:35

10 Answers10

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The main thing is that the Presta valve is thinner, and takes less of a bite out of the rim. This is quite important as the rims get narrower.

Further, the Presta works better with hand pumps in that there's no spring that the pump needs to overcome to get air into the tire. Also, the Presta always has the fully-threaded body (which is possible with Schrader, but rare), so a nut can be used to hold the valve in place -- again, quite important with hand pumps.

Never had a bike valve stem break on me, that I can recall.

Daniel R Hicks
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    This. Presta valves are purpose-designed for bicycles. – Stephen Touset Feb 20 '12 at 02:24
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    Not all presta valves have a fully-threaded body. Most do, but I've picked up lots of long stem presta tubes at kraynick's bike shop with threading only on the top 1cm or so. – Benzo Apr 20 '12 at 19:36
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    @Benzo -- Then I'd take them back. – Daniel R Hicks Apr 20 '12 at 20:22
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    You can get presta's that are NOT threaded, those of us with push on pump heads appreciate that. The threads and that little nut that screws down on the rim are not really necessary. – Angelo May 10 '12 at 14:37
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    The threads and nut prevent you from pushing in the valve when you push on the pump head. Makes things much easier (and helps prevent tube damage) when inflating a totally flat tire. – Daniel R Hicks May 11 '12 at 11:05
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    Presta valves work much better in the cold as well. I've seen Schrader valves stick open when not intended and lose all the air in a tire. Prestas you can actually pull the pin back out with your fingers. When it comes to airing down in cold weather, prestas are also superior in that respect and require less fiddling. – Deleted User Apr 02 '15 at 16:40
  • Agreed on the threading... for the Schaeder-equipped bikes we have, I've looked for and ordered the threaded ones. I've also used presta/schraeder adapters. A stable valve to press against is very helpful, and one of those details that are too easily overlooked. – Andrew Oct 08 '20 at 16:39
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This primarily comes up as the pressures in the tires get higher.

With lower pressure wider tires, Schrader makes the most sense, if only because you can hit a gas station for some air pressure.

Presta makes more sense on higher pressure tires, since it allows you to pump in higher levels with a floor pump. Per the comments let me try and clarify. When you use a Schrader stem the valve is depressed by a thingy in the pump head the whole time. With a mechanical constant pressure pump (like at a gas station) this is fine.

But with a floor pump where there is a pause between pumps, Presta works better because each time you release pressure, the valve head closes. Then as you build pressure in the pump, when it exceeds the tires current pressure it forces the value to open, allows air in, and repeat. Thus you can pump to higher pressures with it. (Or at least with poorer quality pumps.

But if it bothers you, get the little one dollar adapters, and you can use a car pump with no issue.

geoffc
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    How does a Schrader limit tire pressure? Semi-trucks run 100PSI plus on Schrader valves. – DQdlM Feb 19 '12 at 21:55
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    Maybe limit pressure is the wrong word? Make it easier to pump in higher pressure would be more correct. In Presta, the valve stem is pushed in the whole time, so the pump chamber has to maintain pressure or lose it. In Schrader, each pump builds pressure till it pushes the stem in, then air flows. – geoffc Feb 20 '12 at 13:12
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    I believe he's saying that Schrader valves are harder to get to high pressures with mechanical pumping, which is periodic, as opposed to having a continuous stream of air provided by a compressor. – Stephen Touset Feb 20 '12 at 19:09
  • Every presta pump that I had used, keeps the center bit pressed down all the time, so it is the pump the responsible for keeping the pressure up all the time. As long as the pump is well designed, i.e. not too big area for the piston head, it is no issue to reach 120 psi or more; spent time in the other hand... – Jahaziel Apr 18 '12 at 20:09
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    @Jahaziel, how do you know that the center bit is being pushed down all the time? I suppose one way to check would be to inflate the tire and then leave the pump connected. If after a few minutes the tire loses pressure, then the center bit is being pressed down by the pump head. I believe that the old Silca pump heads do not push down the center bit. – Angelo May 10 '12 at 14:30
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    +1 for mentioning the $1 adapter. With presta + the adaptor, you never have to worry about being stuck with a pump that won't work on your valves. – Angelo May 10 '12 at 14:34
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    @Angelo -- You can tell the center is pushed in because the gauge on the pump is registering pressure as soon as you push on the head. Not all pumps do this, but many do. And most Schraeder air chucks do the same thing (which can make airing a car tire very frustrating at times, since you're apt to lose more air than you gain). – Daniel R Hicks May 11 '12 at 11:08
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Schrader valves are more robust, this is the reason why you see them universally in use for vehicle tires. With Presta, you have to be more careful when putting in or taking off the pump nozzle or you might bend or even break either the rotating (locking) tip of the valve. You could also go to literally any gas station to pump air to your tires if you are using a Shrader valve.

Presta's advantage is that it is thinner and the rim has a smaller valve hole in which case it makes the rim stronger. This can be a factor especially in thin bicycle rims. Another advantage of Presta valves is they can be made longer, a lot longer in fact than Shrader valves. This is especially important when you have deep aero type rims.

cyclo
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    I doubt there is a limit to the length of Schrader valves. After all, truck tires valves (perhaps with extensions) have to go a long way to be accessible. Maybe they just are not made longer in bike tubes for whatever reason. – PositiveK Sep 21 '13 at 04:53
  • It's more that the rims where length is important tend to be skinny and lightweight, making the difference between a 10mm Schrader hole and an 8mm Presta one more important. Plus the extra weight and air resistance of the bigger value count more when you're paying a lot of money to shave grams and trim CdA – Móż Feb 23 '16 at 01:18
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I've also had fewer issues with crap clogging the valve with presta valves; as long as you remember to spin the valve closed you don't need a valve stem cap. This is particularly important if you're riding in mud or dirt. I run presta on both my road and mountain bikes for this reason.

lawndartcatcher
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5

I have used both presta and shrader valves, like neither. I go for Blitz/Dunlop. Easier to use than both others.

Maybe it is just a case of what you are used to, but I think the Dunlop least fussy, easiest to use and least likely to fail.

three different kind of valves with their names

Willeke
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    Dunlop valves used to come with rubber tube but the newer version has a sturdy bit of rubber build into the valve and those hardly ever fail. – Willeke Apr 03 '15 at 14:23
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    Also the Dunlop lets you easily replace the valve itself without having to replace the entire tube. – Thomas Aug 08 '21 at 09:30
  • Dunlop works well for low pressures (up to about 3 bar, I'd say), but becomes a total nuisance at higher pressures (like 6 bar): The high pressure will press the sealing ball with such force into the sealing ring that it will seize. The next time you try to top off your tire, you'll need to produce a very highe pressure to unseat the ball. I frequently failed to pump a tire that retained about 3 bar because I was not able to produce that pressure. Only way out is to unscrew the valve to completely deflate the tire before applying pressure. You may need about 5 bar simply to free the ball. – cmaster - reinstate monica Dec 12 '21 at 08:17
  • Only time I had a stuck ball was on an out of use cycle that had not been pumped in a few years. I keep my current tyres at 5 to 6 bar, I keep check. Now running two dunlop and one schrader. – Willeke Dec 12 '21 at 08:56
5

To add onto the existing answers, there’s actually several good reasons to switch back to Schrader nowadays!

  • Modern wide rims no longer need the additional strength from a smaller valve hole. Carbon rims can also easily be built stronger specifically around the valve hole, perhaps with a small counterweight on the other side of the rim to balance the additional weight.

  • Schrader is better for tubeless setups. The additional valve width means more air can be flowed, making tubeless easier to set up. There would be no need to remove the valve core to do a dry setup anymore, and it would also lead to fewer sealant clogs.

  • Even though Schrader is perfectly capable of handling extremely high pressures, there’s always been a fear of “Schrader isn’t strong enough!” Modern wide tires and lower pressures mean this is even less of an issue.

  • It would remove a “barrier to entry” for cycling. There would be no need to get a special bike-specific pump. This is also good for emergency situations: you can get air from a gas station or a motorist carrying a portable pump.

  • You can always use an adaptor to use Presta valves in a Schrader valve hole. You can’t go the other way around.

MaplePanda
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  • One caveat of the service station / petrol station / gas station pump is that for liability reasons, many are limited to 60 PSI. I've heard of some sites that are set to no-higher than 32 PSI. – Criggie Oct 11 '20 at 07:52
  • On the other hand, 32 PSI is often enough, especially for normal tourists who rarely use anything else than MTBs and hybrids. And tubeless benefits sound like valid ones. – Vladimir F Героям слава Oct 11 '20 at 12:12
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    @Criggie 60psi will easily get you home on anything wider than 28mm tires, and 32 is probably still better than 0, especially if you’re fortunate enough to be on gravel tires or something. 32psi is also plenty for MTBs as Vladimir mentioned. – MaplePanda Oct 11 '20 at 17:44
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    To corroborate the bit about width, consider that in the early 2000s, we were on rims with probably a 14-15mm internal width, and I think MTBs were around 19mm. The 2021 Zipp 303 NSW, a road wheel, has an internal width of 25mm. Roadies from the early 2000s would probably react with either disbelief or scorn if shown a current Zipp 303. – Weiwen Ng Dec 11 '21 at 18:50
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I consider the fully threaded stem and knurled nut a large plus for Presta valves, because it allows you to push a pump onto the valve stem without pushing the valve stem into the rim (as often happens when attempting to inflate a Shrader valve tube, especially at lower pressure).

DerekG
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    That is not really a specific feature of Presta valves. Some Presta valves are threaded, some aren't. Some Schräder valves are threaded, some are not. Check the picture in the answer of Willeke https://bicycles.stackexchange.com/a/29819/21133 for a fully threaded Schräder valve. – Vladimir F Героям слава Oct 08 '20 at 16:20
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    @VladimirF - Probably 95% of Presta valves are threaded. Probably 98% of Schrader valves aren't. – Daniel R Hicks Oct 08 '20 at 16:27
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    @DanielRHicks I buy Schwalbes. Pretty sute ther AVs are threaded. That only might make nore than your 2%. Some Decathlon tubes are non threaded (inc. Presta) and those are also pretty common. – Vladimir F Героям слава Oct 08 '20 at 20:44
  • @DanielRHicks I've never seen a Schrader tube without a fully threaded stem, complete with a slim ring nut to lock the valve in place. Of course, my LBS is rather sane with the products they stock... – cmaster - reinstate monica Dec 12 '21 at 08:24
  • @cmaster-reinstatemonica - I think you meant to say "Presta". – Daniel R Hicks Dec 12 '21 at 13:59
  • @DanielRHicks No, I've never even touched a Presta. I definitely meant to say "Schrader". – cmaster - reinstate monica Dec 12 '21 at 14:49
  • @cmaster-reinstatemonica Google it. – Daniel R Hicks Dec 12 '21 at 15:08
  • @DanielRHicks In case you are confused by my wording of "nut to lock the valve in place", what I meant was the "slim ring nut" at the base of the valve stem that contacts with the rim. I did not mean the tiny nut at the top of a presta valve that is used to secure the valve shut. I'm fully aware of what precisely each of Schrader, Presta, and Dunlop valves look like. – cmaster - reinstate monica Dec 12 '21 at 15:46
  • @cmaster-reinstatemonica - You said "I've never seen a Schrader tube without a fully threaded stem." Walk into any shop that sells bike tubes, open a box containing a tube, and examine it. Unless it's a high-priced unit the stem will be rubber coated, from base to just short of the threads for attaching the pump head. – Daniel R Hicks Dec 12 '21 at 15:50
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    @DanielRHicks As I said, my LBS makes rather sane stocking choices. And the Schrader tubes they stock all have the feature I described. Your LBS / local customs may be different. All I wanted to point out is that it is not the case that you only get unthreaded, rubber coated stems. You can get the fully threaded, metal stems, and they are not expensive. They are the norm where I live. – cmaster - reinstate monica Dec 12 '21 at 16:49
  • @cmaster-reinstatemonica - Well, you don't live where things are normal. And are you sure you're not talking about Dunlop/Woods valves? – Daniel R Hicks Dec 12 '21 at 21:10
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    @DanielRHicks The world is bigger than the USA. – cmaster - reinstate monica Dec 12 '21 at 21:47
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Your rim will be drilled for one of the two. Usually a schrader. A presta (which is thinner) will allows fit in a schrader sized whole, but give more freedom for the valve to move around, often causing a valve wall tear and leading lots of people to think "wow what a useless valve". A typical case of human error. This can easily be countered with a schrader to presta valve converter, a cheap little bit of plastic cushioning which usually costs pennies. Prestas are far more performant in terms of the amount of pressure they can hold, and the rate they can take air in.

Schraders are widely used not just because "they're the best" but because they've become a standard which is hard to break away from.

S..
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    Schraders are used because they are well-suited to auto tires, motorcycle tires, et al. (Though, interestingly, not that well suited to drag racer tires.) For the bikes where Schrader valved comfortably fit it make sense to use them, since gas station hoses can be used to fill them. But for narrower tires Schraders simply aren't a good fit. – Daniel R Hicks Dec 06 '12 at 00:39
  • Schrader valves also have the problem that they require force be applied into the valve to activate the spring. This can push the valve stem down into a deflated tire meaning proper pump attachment can be difficult. Presta fixes this by not requiring force be applied directly to the spring and by having a nut to keep the valve from moving into the tire. – gps Jul 21 '14 at 01:21
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In addition to what others have said, many gas station air compressors won't push the tire pressure past 80 psi. This is fine for cars where the tires are usually inflated to about half that, but no good for a road bike where you probably want 100+ psi. This means that you're stuck using a floor pump, a frame pump, or a Co2 pump alll the time. And as others have mentioned, Prestas just work better with hand pumps. And if you're filling your tires to 100+ psi all the time, you might as well have a valve that works easily with the pump that you'll be using.

jimchristie
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  • 80 psi at a servo? Not round here! They either have digital pumps that stop at 60 PSI, or the hand ones that are backed by a compressor in the workshop. Many of those stop at around 40 PSI because who needs more for a car ? – Criggie Feb 22 '16 at 11:09
  • And then there are other stations that use a high pre-pressure and an automated process that's designed for the volumes of car tires. You may easily explode wide tires with such a station. – cmaster - reinstate monica Dec 12 '21 at 08:29
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I personally think Presta are better:

  • I've had no fewer Schrader valves break on me than Presta: I have broken zero Schrader valves and zero Presta valves
  • No problems if needing to use a simple pump design that does not have mechanism for pushing the return spring. In contrast, such a pump used with Schrader would need additional air pressure to push against the return spring, making the pumping effort harder.
  • Have seen so many long Presta valves for deep rims that the amount of long Schrader valves for deep rims is nowhere near comparable
  • Less difficult to deflate a tyre

Seriously, the reason Presta valves are used is that in a high performance narrow road rim, the Schrader valve hole, being large, is the weak point of the rim. It limits the spoke tension you can apply to the rim. This in turn limits the strength of a built wheel, meaning that even a typical 36 spoke wheel might not be enough to support the weight of a heavyweight rider. If you add more spokes, the problem is not solved, as their tensions add together to compress the rim tangentially. In contrast, a Presta valve hole is not much larger than a spoke hole, allowing you to reach a huge spoke tension in a manner the rim can withstand.

Yes, Presta is weaker if you pump it incorrectly. With Schrader, you can get away with pumping against the valve. With Presta, if pumping with a pump that doesn't have a hose, you have to support the pumping force with your other hand to avoid damaging the valve. This is easy once learned.

juhist
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    This question already has plenty of correct answers, so I just had to see how you manage to involve 36 spokes. Wasn't dissatisfied. – ojs Oct 11 '20 at 12:11