I just bought my first bike in 20 years, and as a result have had to pump up a bike tire for the first time in 20 years. I was dazzled to discover a type of tire valve that I'd never known about. The Presta.So of course, I need a pump with a special adapter, I didn't know to unscrew that nut at first so I accomplished a whole lot of nothing for awhile, and once I did open the nut, the pump kept slipping off the tire once I got anywhere near the tire' recomended PSI until I awkwardly held it in place while operating my pump with one hand, which of course meant less leverage and so while I got above the min recommended PSI, I couldn't get anywhere near the upper end of the spectrum. Why would anyone use these ridiculous contraptions? The fact that they are used means there must be some rationale. A brief internet search seems to find more forum posts with people saying the alternative (Schraeder) valves are more reliable and don't leak as much either.Educate me!
There have been three major types of valves used on bikes, Presta, Schrader, and Dunlop. The Dunlops are rarely used anymore. The advantages of Presta valves are a thinner threaded body, longer length, and the valve is designed to prevent accidental deflation with the screw tip. The Schrader is standard on car and motorcycle inner tubes and tubeless tires and is the most commonly used on most bikes today.
I've never had any problems with presta valves. I suppose their only advantage is that they can be fitted on ultra thin rims.
