Presta valves are the most commonly used valves on mountain bikes despite the fact they are far from user-friendly. Presta valves are fiddly, delicate, frequently get clogged with sealant, and have an annoying habit of valve cores unscrewing themselves when removing pumps and undoing all your hard work.
Despite all these common issues, there is one reason why Presta valves were adopted in cycling. It wasn’t the result of a big Presta lobbyist but rather the smaller valve hole in the rim improved rim strength. Rim manufacturers all adopted the smaller Presta valve and squeezed out the old-reliable Schreader.
e*thirteen has come up with a solution that they say achieves the best of both worlds, the Quick Fill Schrader tubeless valve fits the standard drilling of a Presta valve but features a four-piece design topped with a Schrader valve.
Design
They follow the same design format as e*thirteen’s Quick Fill Schrader tubeless. The four-piece design is completely machined from alloy and comes in two sizes, 16-24mm for mountain bikes or 23-31mm to fit shallow gravel wheels.
The base section features grooves so it's compatible with inserts that thread into the Presta diameter stem. On top, there is a bowl that’s used when adding sealant, and the Schrader valve head screws onto the top. The valve cap is also metal and shaped so it can be used to depress the center pin and release air as well.
The valves are sold in a pair, weighing 18g for the set. Like any other tubeless valve manufacturer worth their salt, e*thirteen offers the valves in a range of colors to match its Helix components. The valves come in Bronze, Black, Naranja Orange (which pairs nicely with my Cotic SolarisMax long-termer), Eggplant, and Intergalactic.
Performance
Fitting was a breeze with the valves snugging tightly into the bed of the rim to create an airtight seal. The thicker barrelled section gives a good purchase when tightening everything up, unlike the narrow lock rings on regular Presta valves. You will need to inject or use a bottle with a narrow-tipped lid to insert your sealant through the valve but the process was simple and mess-free. Being able to apply the sealant straight down the neck of the valve also significantly reduces the risk of the sealant clogging up the valve internals.
Everything screws together smoothly and the Schrader valve inflats without worries of removing or bending valve cores. The whole process was fuss-free and has remained airtight since setup.
The one gripe is that if you own multiple bikes, it's a little annoying having to switch between Presta and Schrader. It’s also worth double-checking that your mountain bike pump, CO2, or pressure gauge is compatible with Schrader before committing to the Quick Fill Schrader tubeless valve. Most models are but it would be very annoying if you stumped up $25.95 / £22.95 and yours was one of the few that isn't.
Verdict
Not having to worry about bending valve pins or unscrewing valve cores means the e*thirteen Quick Fill Schrader tubeless valves are fuss-free in use. The alloy construction feels well-made with everything screwing together smooth and airtight. If you have multiple bikes, switching pumps between Schrader and Presta is a little annoying, although that’s not an issue for single-bike stables or riders with specific pumps for specific bikes.
Tech specs: e*thirteen Quick Fill Schrader tubeless valves
- Price: $25.95 / £22.95
- Weight: 9g (with valve and lock ring)
- Sizes: 16-24mm, 23-31mm
- Colors: Bronze, Black, Naranja Orange, Eggplant, and Intergalactic
- Rival products: 76 Projects HI FLOW ‘No Clog’ valves, Reserve Fillmore valves
