Getting to know your tire valves has some serious value, considering this knowledge could keep you from ruining a ride. If you don’t know which style of valve your bike uses, this overview helps you figure out which valves are on your bike, and how to maintain them.
Most bicycles in the U.S. use either a Schrader or Presta valve. If when pumping your tires you see a valve similar to those used on car tires, that’s called a Schrader valve. If you see a slender valve with a knurled end, this style is called a Presta valve.
Why do different bikes use different valve systems? And how do they compare to one another? Here’s everything you need to know about bicycle tire valves so you can keep rolling without setbacks.
What Types of Bike Tire Valves Are Available?
Bicycles typically come with one of two types of valves. Schrader valves are the most common; they’re the same as those used on cars and are found on many inexpensive bike models. Most higher-end bicycle tires use Presta, a valve specifically designed for bikes. Here’s how to tell the difference:
• Schrader: These valves are wider than a Presta valve and typically have the same circumference from top to bottom. Schrader valves (sometimes called American Valve, Auto Valve, or A/V) are often wrapped in rubber (when used on wheels) and the outer wall is threaded to accept a cap or pump head. The pin in the center is a spring-loaded check valve that controls airflow in and out. Check valves are designed to allow airflow in only one direction; Schrader valve tubes require pressure on the inner pin to let air enter
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• Presta: About half as wide as a Schrader valve and made entirely of metal. This valve (sometimes called a French Valve or F/V) tapers slightly toward the top, and some are threaded to their base. A Presta valve stem opens by unscrewing a knurled (textured) nut at the top. Unlike a Schrader valve, the system doesn’t use a check valve—it seals entirely based on pressure in the tube or tire. On many Presta valves, and especially those used for tubeless systems, the entire core is removable. Take care when unscrewing the stem nut to not accidentally unscrew the entire core, which will let all the air out of the tire quickly. Lastly, the tips of Presta valves bend easily. Apply the pump head gently to secure the pump on the valve.
• Dunlop: If you travel to Europe or Asia, you may encounter a third style called the Dunlop (or Woods) valve. It looks like a fatter Presta valve and is often used on city bikes.
• New Valve Types: As rim widths on bicycles push wider, carbon rims become the norm for high-end bikes, and more riders adopt tubeless tire technology, some wheel brands and engineers have suggested new valve types that allow for rapid air flow and don’t bend or clog with sealant like Presta valves. One such design is Reserve’s Fillmore tubeless-specific valves.
Where Are Valves Located on My Bike?
You’ll find both Schrader and Presta valves on the tires—and more specifically, jutting toward the hub on the inside of the rim. But you’ll also often find Schrader fittings on suspension (rear shocks and forks) as well as dropper seatposts. With droppers, the Schrader fitting is typically recessed inside the post itself.
Why Do Bikes Use Presta Valves?
Presta valves were invented by the same person who went on to found Zéfal, a leading bike pump manufacturer. Compared to Schrader valves, Presta valves are better suited to bicycle wheels for many reasons:
- They require a smaller hole in the rim, which improves rim strength.
- They’re lighter, so high-performance wheels don’t need to be counterbalanced for the stem weight in order to spin smoothly.
- They seal tightly on air pressure alone, so there’s no need for a mechanical check valve like on Schrader systems (which can clog with debris).
- They are easily extendable with adaptors, making them ideal for deeper-section aerodynamic rims.
The Best Calipers for Measuring Bike Tires and Everything Else
Overkill for measuring tires but if you need to own the best caliper, here it is.
A reasonably priced digital caliber that is available in several lengths.
Park Tool Park Tool Digital Caliper
If you need a digital caliper with cycling-specific branding.
Spurtar Spurtar Vernier Caliper
Simple, analog, and plenty accurate to measure the width of a bike tire.
Can You Mismatch Presta and Schrader?
You can put a Presta-specific tube in a rim drilled for Schrader valves, but it’s not advisable for anything more than an emergency fix. Tubes and tires tend to move slightly on the rim.
In the wider Schrader hole, a Presta can move around enough that the rim will actually cut the tube at the base of the valve. If you must install a Presta tube in a Schrader rim to get home, use the valve nut to secure it close to the rim.
Meanwhile, the only way to put a Schrader tube in a Presta-drilled rim is to widen the valve hole—something we don’t recommend, as it may compromise the rim’s integrity.
Valve Lengths
When installing a tube (or purchasing new ones), you need to use the appropriate valve length to fit the depth of the rims on your bike. Most Presta tubes have valves 40 to 48mm long. However, valves up to 80mm or 100mm are sometimes needed for deep-section aero wheels.
Make sure the spare tube you carry on rides has a valve long enough to fit your wheel. You can also use valve extenders to use shorter-length valves with deep section rims. If you use these, have a valve core removal tool handy so you can install the extenders.
Some low-priced bikes with deep-section wheels use tubes with extra-long Schrader valves. These can be hard to find at bike shops, so if your bike uses these tubes, make sure you have spares on hand.
Which Pump Should I Use with These Valves?
A Schrader-only pump has a pin in the center of the chuck to depress the Schrader stem’s check valve. If you try to put it on a Presta tube, it will not fit.
Presta-only pumps have a rubber gasket in the head (or chuck) that fits snugly around a Presta valve but does not fit Schrader.
Luckily, many bicycle pumps feature dual-head designs. These come in three types:
• Twin Head: Found on some floor pumps, the chuck features separate gaskets for Presta and Schrader valves.
• Swappable Head: Found on some frame and mini-pumps, this head has a gasket with a conical hole—A narrower side for Presta and a wider side for Schrader. Simply unscrew the chuck cap, flip the gasket to the side that matches the valve, and screw the cap back on to use the pump.
• Adjustable Head: The newest and most convenient type, this style head fits Presta and Schrader valves without swapping any internal parts. Just press the head firmly onto the valve, flip the lever to secure it, and start pumping.
If you want to use a Schrader-only pump with Presta valves, adaptors can be purchased at most bike shops. Also, note that some CO2 inflators are only compatible with Presta valves. Check that it fits your valve before installing the CO2 cartridge.
You can’t use a tire pump on your suspension fork, shock, or dropper post. And a shock pump (designed for tuning air pressure on suspension components) does not work on tires. Tire pumps don’t typically reach high-enough pressures that suspension requires. Bicycle suspension needs highly accurate pumps for fine-tuning, which tire pumps generally lack as they are made for moving large amounts of air rapidly into a tire. Plus, suspension pumps are so small that it would take forever to inflate a Schrader tire.
Will I Need to Replace a Valve?
Most valves are already attached to tubes, so swapping one means replacing the whole tube. However, two scenarios may require a valve replacement:
• Tubeless: Presta valves for tubeless tires have a knurled nut with a seal underneath that fixes the valve to the rim. If that seal ever fails and no longer holds air, you can replace the valve. Some tubeless valves are specific to the wheel or rim model—Make sure you’re getting the right replacement or the gasket might not seal properly.
• Replaceable Cores: Some Presta valves have replaceable cores that unscrew. These are needed for adding valve extenders to aero rims, or for adding tire sealant (which gums up the valve core if it’s not removed first). If your tire isn’t holding air, or if sealant has clogged the core, you can simply swap it for a fresh one. Most local bike shops have replacement cores for sale. You’ll know your valve has replaceable cores if its sides have small, flat sections right as the valve tapers toward the top nut.
4 Bicycle Floor Pumps We Love
SILCA Terra Floor Pump
Pedro's Super Prestige Floor Pump
Topeak Joe Blow High Volume Floor Pump
Links to Tubes and Supplies
Schrader Tubes
Presta Tubes
Pumps
Tubeless Accessories
Stan's NoTubes Tire Sealant, Liquid Sealant, 16 Ounces
