Video: Seth // Edit: Curtis // Words Below: Daniel
When I was a kid, getting my first real mountain bike was a moment I'll never forget. My dad, however, wasn't thrilled to discover we needed a different kind of pump just to inflate the tires and that we couldn’t (and were told we shouldn’t) just use the pump at the gas station. Fortunately, at the bike shop checkout sat what is likely a familiar sight to many—a jar brimming with Presta valve adapters. Over the years, I've seen that jar countless times in countless shops. To me, it’s a symbol of an enduring annoyance that's quietly plagued cyclists for decades.
As the years passed, I eventually acquired a proper pump and have owned more than my fair share of them since. Still, I often wonder how many riders still don't have a pump that accommodates Presta valves. I'd wager it's a surprisingly large number.
Presta valves, inherently, come with their own set of frustrations. I've encountered far more headaches with them compared to Schrader valves, whose main issues, in my experience, have mostly been limited to suspension applications. Occasionally, dirt and grime get inside an exposed Schrader valve (you should keep the cap on for several reasons) and cause the valve core to leak, but even that's been rare, considering the thousands of times I've adjusted pressures on suspension forks and shocks. The only time I’ve experienced it happening is with rental or test bikes that are being cycled in and out of a fleet day after day.
