Schrader Valve - Presta Valves Vs. Schrader Valves

Presta Valves Vs. Schrader Valves

Whereas Schrader valves are almost universal on car tyres, bicycle tubes have Dunlop, Schrader or Presta valves. Both the Schrader and the Presta types are good at sealing high pressures. Their chief differences are that Schrader valves are larger and have springs that close the valve except when the pin is depressed. Schrader valves are used in a wide variety of compressed gas and compressed liquid applications.

Compared to Presta valves, Schrader valves used for bicycle tyres have a greater diameter, requiring a larger diameter hole in a bicycle rim. While not a concern on wider bike rims, it will weaken a narrow wheel rim, precluding their use on (road) racing bicycles. Another disadvantage of the Schrader is that the air chuck must depress the spring-loaded pin before air can flow during inflation, whereas the Presta valve relies solely on internal air pressure to keep it shut. This means that some air is lost while attaching and detaching pumps to Schrader valves, although this is usually nominal (most of the air which makes the "whooshing" noise when the pump is removed comes from the compressed air in the tube between the pump body and the attachment end, not the tyre via the momentarily-open Schrader valve). To fill up a bicycle tyre with a Presta-valved tube at a gas station requires an adaptor, while a Schrader-valved tube does not.