Bike Maintenance - The Difference Between Tire Valves

Jason: This is the second type of valve that is widely used on bicycle wheels; this is called the Presta Valve. As you could see, its slightly different from the Shredder Valve visually. This you will see on a lot of the racing bikes or the higher-end bicycles. The operation is a little bit different than the shredder; you need to open the valve before you start inflating it. The valves open up by a small threaded piece on the end of the valve; it basically opens a tube to allow you to enter air.

Most pumps that are available at shops are adaptable to both valve systems; so you don't need to buy an alternative pump for this particular valve; it will be automatically set inside the pump. Mini pumps and floor pumps both have that feature.

Another way of using this type of valve with a regular pump, if you have an older pump or if you have compressed air, is to buy an adaptor piece which threads on to the valve itself that basically transforms the Presta valve into a shredder valve, as you could see here. So, both could be utilized to inflate the tubes. You could either leave on the valve, or remove it and store it whenever you need to, but it threads right on to the valve, and this again is a piece that is available at all bicycle shops.


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