Guide To Inflating A Presta Valve Without An Adapter
While professional riders know what they need to do to keep their mountain bikes running smoothly, new people getting into bike riding can get confused when it comes to doing things such as inflating a tire. This is something everyone has to do at a certain point, and many people have trouble doing it even after riding bikes for a time.
However, things before were as easy as taking your bike to a gas station and using a regular gas pump for the job. The problem with that is new trends and what's better for riders now. Bike riders used to always go for Schrader valves, which are universal.
Professional racers now prefer going for Presta valves since they are more effective and give your bike the exact amount of pressure it needs more accurately. Nonetheless, newbies get confused when using them since Schrader valves are simpler.
One of the reasons people get that confused when using a Presta valve is they need a Presta valve adapter for it. Presta valves are not universal, so they don't fit with many -if not most- gas pumps. Gas stations don't often have gas pumps compatible with Presta valves either.
You may not have any problem using your Presta valve if you have a Presta valve adapter, but things get difficult if you don't and are far from your home or any store you could buy an adapter from. We are here to help you solve that problem!
There's a way to inflate a Presta valve without an adapter, and you can learn it by reading this page! You can also find some information about Presta valves and why people fancy them so much. Remember people use these valves because they are better than others, so don't get left behind by today's trends!
Other bike maintenance articles you may be interested in include:
Changing Bike Pedals On A Mountain Bike Or Road Bike – How To Guide
Your Guide To Bleeding Shimano Brakes On A Mountain Bike Or Road Bike
What Are Presta Valves?
Presta valves are valves used to inflate bicycle tires, and they are mostly used for high-end and mountain bikes. These valves are not new to the world, but people started to use them when professional racers noticed they improve bike performance and safeness.
They are different from Schrader valves in that their design is thinner and smaller in comparison. You can't use all kinds of pumps on the market for a Presta valve, so most people going for one need to get an adapter before they can use it unless they follow the steps named on this page.
As we mentioned before, Presta valves are skinnier than Schrader ones, and they don't have the button Schrader valves have to let the pressure in. Instead, each Presta valve uses a screw system that holds the air pressure in the bike's tire.
Although professional racers with high-end mountain bikes are the ones looking for a Presta valve right now, people with more inexpensive bikes are starting to see how beneficial these valves are. Additionally, neither Presta valves nor their adapters are outrageously expensive.
The popularity these valves are getting makes people think gas stations may have more than one air compressor or pump to support them in the future. A few gas stations already have adapters of their own or a pump with two holes that allows bike racers to inflate a Presta valve there.
Hopefully, we may get to see many others in the short term.
Difference between a presta valve and shrader valve
Do People Need a Presta Valve Adapter to Use a Presta Valve?
It depends on your situation and where you are at the moment. If the gas station you go to has a pump that can inflate both Presta and Schrader valves, you don't need an adapter. The same happens when you have a pump of your own.
You don't need to use an adapter, either, if you follow the process we mention on this list. However, if you don't want to do it or just don't have the equipment to do it, you are most likely to need a Presta valve adapter or to use a Schrader valve.
The good thing is that adapters are not that expensive. You would have to go to a bike store and get it, but people working on a budget can get them with no problem. Many people even get more than one to save some for their house and take others with them when they go out.
We recommend you get one as soon as you can. You can use the method named on this page to get out of a pinch, but since adapters aren't that expensive, it's not a bad thing to get some when you have the time.
Why Do People Use Presta Valves?
One of the things beginners in the bike world ask themselves the most is why people use Presta valves if they are more complex than Shrader ones, and the answer is that they are more effective and can improve the performance of your bike and the safety it gives you while riding.
Firstly, Presta valves are more accurate when pumping air onto the valve due to their design. Therefore, you don't have to suffer from your valve pumping an off amount of pressure. These valves also solve some issues Schrader ones have.
The main problem with using a Schrader valve is that it comes with a lot of air loss since they release air over time. Hence, people inflating their tires with a Schrader valve always need to top them off. Although you can put a cap onto the valve to reduce air loss, that makes the tire lose a lot of the pressure you just pumped to it.
On the bright side, Schrader alternatives are sturdier than Presta valves. The reason for that is Presta valves are lighter and skinnier, and therefore, more prone to get damaged or break. However, you don't have to worry about that if you take enough care of them.
When we said Presta valves solved issues of Schrader ones, we were talking about how these valves keep the air you pump to the tires as no other valve does. The screw system each Presta valve has lets you close the valve when you get to the pressure you need it to have without a cap.
Thanks to that, the tire holds all the pressure you need it to have in the safest way possible. You may not care about this if you are a casual bike rider, but professionals notice the pressure tires have as soon as they start riding their bikes.
Do I Go for Presta Valves or Schrader Valves?
Everything depends on what you want for your bike and your goals while riding it since both are decent for different things. Casual riders are often good to go with Schrader alternatives rather than a Presta valve.
It's not that Presta valves are not good for casual riders, but that they don't need to switch to it from a Schrader one if they don't ride their bike that much. The same happens when someone doesn't have a mountain bike and uses a standard one instead.
Roads and streets don't have as much debris as mountains, so air pressure doesn't go out that quickly, and you have several gas stations close to you in case something happens. Using a Presta valve for a regular bike would still help you with bike performance and safety, but it's not something mandatory for casual riders.
Things change when talking about professional racers and people who ride mountain bikes more often. As for the former, they need their bikes to perform the best they can if they want to keep riding at the highest level of their skills.
Professional racers notice when there's an off amount of pressure on their bike's tires, and that could jeopardize what they do in competitions or while training. Thus, they should use a valve that is more precise when pumping air pressure and that keeps it for a longer time.
When talking about casual bike riders that use mountain bikes, they can take advantage of how much these valves keep air pressure on tires and the safety they give to the whole riding experience. Naturally, they are not as skilled as professional racers, so they need their bikes to be as safe as they can be.
Additionally, using a valve that keeps air longer lets them forget about pumping their tires for a time. It's not that big of a deal, but some people see it as a nuisance, so it's a small plus that Schrader alternatives don't have.
To summarize it all, we recommend you get a Presta valve if you are a professional racer, someone using a mountain bike, or a newbie to the bike riding world that wants to feel the experience of using the optimal equipment for riding bikes.
Schrader alternatives, on the other side, are better for people using standard bikes or that are just casual bike riders.
Inflating a Presta Valve Without an Adapter
Getting to the main part of this page, it's time you learn how to inflate a Presta valve without an adapter. This method helps you use any pump you want to inflate your valve, which is ideal for people in a pinch.
The first thing you need to do is take the valve cap off the valve and look for its smaller end. You only need to turn it upward to find it. After that, look for a knife, scissors, or anything that lets you cut the smaller end of the valve.
You are not going to need that tip again, so you can give it to someone else or throw it away if you want. Once you've done this, the process is very similar to what you would have to do if you had an adapter.
Unscrew the valve and connect it to the valve. Then, plug the pump to the valve's end you just cut and pump it as if you had a regular valve or an adapter. Pump the valve until you get to the pressure your tires need according to your bike model.
If you already got to the ideal pressure for your tires, you have to remove the pump from the valve's tip. However, make sure to be careful when you do it since removing it harshly can bend the tip you cut, which could damage the valve permanently.
Although Presta valves don't need a valve cap to keep air pressure from going out under normal circumstances, you need a cap if you want to go for this method since you are directly modifying the valve itself. Therefore, tighten the valve's nut as much as you can after you detach it from the pump and put the cap on it.
Final Thoughts
Bike trends change from time to time, as it happens with everything in the world. However, you must know these trends get to us because professional racers try them and notice they are optimal for bike riders, or at least for racers at their level of bike riding.
Many people were hesitant to get a Presta valve because they didn't have a pump that could fit that valve and didn't want to get an adapter. Nonetheless, this method helps you use any pump you have in your house without getting an adapter for it.
Regardless of that, we recommend you get adapters if you have the time and funds to do it. You can find them in any bike store close to you, and they are not expensive at all.
