First Vado Flat is a Mystery

[Stefan Mikes]

Yes, they look good in the pictures I see but they’re still Presta and I’m wanting the ease of a Schrader valve for inflation. I’ll probably just get a Presta -> Schrader adapter to fix that, however the underlying valve is still of a French design .

Now see the quality of Specialized. Can I see properly the nut is fastened with Loctite (or similar)?

 

[kahn]

Just curious - did anybody ever recall having these problems when bikes had Schrader valves? Maybe that will be a good upgrade for me. I hate Presta valves.

I have a hard time remembering back that far. I do recall converting a mt bike to Presta so that all my bikes were the same. But I also remember attaching a pump to schrader and hearing the air whoosh out at that center pin was depressed. I prefer presta. I do remember pulling the pump off the more full bodied schrader tube and having the stem separate from the tube. Stuff happens...

 

[Marcela]

Just curious - did anybody ever recall having these problems when bikes had Schrader valves? Maybe that will be a good upgrade for me. I hate Presta valves.

I've converted 3 bikes to schrader from presta. The only one I didn't convert was a mtb with skinny carbon rims, didn't want to experience how the carbon would take to a drill bit. Never had any problems with either presta or schrader, but I can go to the corner gas station and set their pump to whatever psi I want and make the fill on the schrader pretty quick and easy. Just make sure you don't leave behind any burrs when you drill the rim.

Just a whimsical fwiw type thing, centrifugal force or a bump in the road can open a valve if the lock is not seated on the presta valve, that 'knob' gains weight as it spins faster or hits the bump.

Also helps if you got little lady fingers to operate the presta valve.

 

[BioWheel]

I've also converted to Schrader from a Presta valve. Simple to drill out a bit bigger whole and no difference in wheel integrity.

 

[Allan47.7339]

I've also converted to Schrader from a Presta valve. Simple to drill out a bit bigger whole and no difference in wheel integrity.

It would depend on the shape of the rim and how well you drilled the hole and smoothed the edges. Some rims don't have a lot of margin.

 

[Nxkharra]

The problem is the rim is made specifically either for Presta or Schrader ones. You cannot swap the inner tubes freely (Schrader valves are of bigger diameter than Presta; you cannot freely drill a wider hole, or you jeopardize structural strength of an expensive wheel).

The issue with Presta valves I described before only manifests itself when two conditions are met at the same time:

• The valve can move freely in the rim hole (is not fastened with a nut: typical for road and mountain bikes), and
• The pump has no flexible hose.

With these two conditions met, the valve moves sideways and can tear its rubber base.

Don't be afraid Voltman: I looked at the Presta valves in my brand new Vado SL. The valves there are short and rock-solid fastened to the rim!

@Stefan Mikes did you buy a Vado SL?

 

[marmac51]

Given my recent experiences, maybe the next time I have a flat on the road I'll just reinflate it and see if it at least gets me home where it's way easier to replace the tube that I'll no longer trust.

i had this happen on my road bike.. i think i didn't have the presta valve closed all the way.. there is no other explanation. so i re-inflate and if it flats again, i change the tube.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@rochrunner: Let me update you about last days of riding Vado SL on Schwalbe Smart Sam (37-622). A marvel!

As Vado SL 4.0 has no suspension, I ride Smart Sams at 60 psi (the tyres are rated for 50-85 psi). With similarly inflated Nimbus II, I could feel any pebble met on my way, and riding onto a pebble meant traction loss! Smart Sams seem to ignore the type of surface, is it cracked asphalt, paving blocks, gravel, sand over hard, or dry mud. I rode a little on wet mud, no ill effects. The tyres are completely silent on pavement. No increased rolling resistance experienced.

 

[Stefan Mikes]

@Stefan Mikes did you buy a Vado SL?

Yes I did. An incredible e-bike, completely different from the full-power Vado. Vado SL feels like a bicycle while Class 3 full-power Vado feels like a light motorcycle for me now.

The SL is so lightweight I carry it upstairs in one hand, and can also carry it on my shoulder. The bike requires quite solid pedalling (good for fitness). It is sensitive to headwind and hills. The range (especially with Range Extender) is just terrific. If I bought the SL as my first e-bike, I would have hated the whole idea. Yet, after almost two years of riding powerful heavy e-bikes I got ready for a "bike" Vado SL is my favourite everyday e-bike. I ride the "big" Vado on long and fast group rides (disregarding the Vado SL 25 km/h speed limit, I'm just too weak to ride the SL with strong younger people at 30 km/h).

What I love about the SL is its handling. With no suspension whatsoever (it is 4.0 EQ), I feel no need for any Kinekt suspension seatpost or some suspension stem/handlebars. Fancy that you are jumping from the curb: with a heavy e-bike that hurts; it is a pleasure with Vado SL.

 

[Nxkharra]

Yes I did. An incredible e-bike, completely different from the full-power Vado. Vado SL feels like a bicycle while Class 3 full-power Vado feels like a light motorcycle for me now.

The SL is so lightweight I carry it upstairs in one hand, and can also carry it on my shoulder. The bike requires quite solid pedalling (good for fitness). It is sensitive to headwind and hills. The range (especially with Range Extender) is just terrific. If I bought the SL as my first e-bike, I would have hated the whole idea. Yet, after almost two years of riding powerful heavy e-bikes I got ready for a "bike" Vado SL is my favourite everyday e-bike. I ride the "big" Vado on long and fast group rides (disregarding the Vado SL 25 km/h speed limit, I'm just too weak to ride the SL with strong younger people at 30 km/h).

What I love about the SL is its handling. With no suspension whatsoever (it is 4.0 EQ), I feel no need for any Kinekt suspension seatpost or some suspension stem/handlebars. Fancy that you are jumping from the curb: with a heavy e-bike that hurts; it is a pleasure with Vado SL.

Love it. Enjoy. You are living my dream.
what about the third bike? still have??

 

[Stefan Mikes]

Love it. Enjoy. You are living my dream.
what about the third bike? still have??

I gave Giant Trance E+ to my brother: he loves the bike, and I feel I have never needed an e-MTB. The fourth e-bike, hub-drive Lovelec is in storage as a guest e-bike.

 

[Kayakguy]

I've also converted to Schrader from a Presta valve. Simple to drill out a bit bigger whole and no difference in wheel integrity.

The best way, by far, to enlarge a hole is to use a step drill. This is a tapered drill with steps, all marked at certain sizes. They come in a variety of tapers, from quite small to very large (upwards of 1.5" or so), but a smaller size would work in this application. You can pay a lot for a step drill, but Harbor Freight has them for really cheap. They work in all metals, though stainless will dull them eventually.

They don't hang up in the hole the way a twist drill does, and they leave a very precise, round hole. Probably best to drill from the inside out, as the small burr will be on the outside of the rim, and easily filed off