Anyone here a cyclist?

[JC99]

Forum Sponsor

I never heard of that type of valve. Had to look it up. Very interesting.
Here’s the link I found.

Review: Schwalbe Clik Valve

Schwalbe announced Clik Valve almost a year ago, aiming to replace the archaic Presta valve and become the new standard. Did they succeed?

theloamwolf.com

I still have to fit them but I'm replacing the Presta valves in all 3 bikes as they don't play nice with my floor pump or hand pump. The Clik Valves seem to solve the issues in a neat way and have the benefit that they don’t clog as easily with tubeless sealant (I have that in two bikes and will be swapping the third over soon) and they have higher flow for seating beads with a floor pump and trail side repairs.

Edit: the Clik Valves kits I got are just replacement cores. All you need to do is unscrew the Presta valve core and replace with the Clik valve core. Simple. If you want to start from scratch they also sell full valve kits for tubeless tires etc.

 

[Sunday Rider]

I still have to fit them but I'm replacing the Presta valves in all 3 bikes as they don't play nice with my floor pump or hand pump. The Clik Valves seem to solve the issues in a neat way and have the benefit that they don’t clog as easily with tubeless sealant (I have that in two bikes and will be swapping the third over soon) and they have higher flow for seating beads with a floor pump and trail side repairs.

Edit: the Clik Valves kits I got are just replacement cores. All you need to do is unscrew the Presta valve core and replace with the Clik valve core. Simple. If you want to start from scratch they also sell full valve kits for tubeless tires etc.

The old floor pump I have can do both Presta and Schrader valves with the same head. It has been good for topping up the M/C and car tires too. The one on the bike has a hose with the different ends to fit the two valves. I use Presta as that’s how the bike came but I do like them. I don’t run tubeless but always carry a new spare tube and patch kit. Which I used often when I had skinnier tires. With mountain bike tires the flats have gotten fewer. The tires have a liner supposedly to reduce the flats.

 

[FullMotoJacket]

I've never had an issue with presta on any of the cartridge systems, floor, or hand pumps I've owned. And that's going to extremes (120 psi in 19mm) for TTs.

 

[JC99]

I've never had an issue with presta on any of the cartridge systems, floor, or hand pumps I've owned. And that's going to extremes (120 psi in 19mm) for TTs.

I probably wouldn’t if I had friction fit pumps. I have thread ons. Changing the valves lets me use either with an adapter and was cheaper than just buying a new floor pump.

 

[backmarkerducati]

I have also never had an issue with either Presta or Schrader and have a mix of both in the stable/house. My floor pump does both (also does Dunlop/Woods valves...), so does both mini-pump and CO2 kit does both but I also leave an adapter on the rear valve on the Presta bikes just in case I need air in the wild, I left my kit at home, and only a Schrader pump is available (gas station...).

Did we really need a fourth (or is it more) (Dunlop/Schrader/Presta/....) valve type regardless of minor benefits and basic reverse compatibility???

 

[JC99]

I have also never had an issue with either Presta or Schrader and have a mix of both in the stable/house. My floor pump does both (also does Dunlop/Woods valves...), so does both mini-pump and CO2 kit does both but I also leave an adapter on the rear valve on the Presta bikes just in case I need air in the wild, I left my kit at home, and only a Schrader pump is available (gas station...).

Did we really need a fourth (or is it more) (Dunlop/Schrader/Presta/....) valve type regardless of minor benefits and basic reverse compatibility???

I got ****** off enough to answer yes to that. My valve cores were unthreading when I unthreaded my pump head. I thought that was a jackass design and quite a few people agree. The Clik Valve solves that issue and adds higher flow for seating beads without using an airshot and less gumming up from tubeless sealant. So for any minor downsides the advantages are enough for me. Connecting to a Clik valve is literally pushing a pump head on (with the adapter) until it clicks, and it's a solid click. To remove pull off. Done. No dicking about like I'm trying to defuse a WWII bomb when I take my floor pump head off the valve. I put the adapter in my bag (it’s small) and it fits on the CO2 canister etc too. Also no Presta top thread to loosen or tighten.

If you're happy with what you have great, but try one if you can.

 

[Dirty Frank]

And on a different topic i have taken lately to programming my cycling device to do a single chime every 5 minutes.
This to to remind me to flex my fingers to keep the circulation up in my hands.
While riding my bike my hands tend to numb up if i do not periodically flex my hand and while riding my concentration is on the ride and i forget to restore the circulation till i need to modulate the brakes and find my hand numb.
The reminder makes riding more enjoyable a big plus.

 

[JC99]

And on a different topic i have taken lately to programming my cycling device to do a single chime every 5 minutes.
This to to remind me to flex my fingers to keep the circulation up in my hands.
While riding my bike my hands tend to numb up if i do not periodically flex my hand and while riding my concentration is on the ride and i forget to restore the circulation till i need to modulate the brakes and find my hand numb.
The reminder makes riding more enjoyable a big plus.

That's a good idea. I have a death grip on my bars mountain biking and it's not much better on the gravel bike.

I should also use the “drink water” reminder as I'm terrible with that too.

 

[GreyGhost]

That's a good idea. I have a death grip on my bars mountain biking and it's not much better on the gravel bike.

I should also use the “drink water” reminder as I'm terrible with that too.

Why such a hard grip on the bars? Gravity works and it's very rare that the bars get pulled down out of my hands. Moving your hands isn't a bad idea but for me, that's primarily related to pressure across the palm and my fingers are mostly relaxed and comfortable.

On the water front, my need for water to help control heart rate on ascents takes care of itself.

 

[JC99]

Why such a hard grip on the bars? Gravity works and it's very rare that the bars get pulled down out of my hands. Moving your hands isn't a bad idea but for me, that's primarily related to pressure across the palm and my fingers are mostly relaxed and comfortable.

On the water front, my need for water to help control heart rate on ascents takes care of itself.

Easy. Lack of skills and a healthy dose of self preservation.

Trying to address the first.

Edit: to clarify, I'm wanting to do things I should have done as a teenager! Drops and jumps are next on my list.

 

[backmarkerducati]

As much as it is a fashion faux paux these days, right up there with wearing white after Labour Day, I run bar ends on my MTB and Fatbike. Small ones, they give me alternate positions for my hands on longer rides when you are cruising some distance. Not dissimilar to the hand position options on my drop bar or bullhorn rides. I am also dealing with Dupuytren (Viking Hand), this helps a lot. I also always ride with gloves.

Ironically, we can ride for hours on a motorcycle with just "the grips" but I do find having alternative positions on a pedal bike helps with hand fatigue.

 

[GreyGhost]

As much as it is a fashion faux paux these days, right up there with wearing white after Labour Day, I run bar ends on my MTB and Fatbike. Small ones, they give me alternate positions for my hands on longer rides when you are cruising some distance. Not dissimilar to the hand position options on my drop bar or bullhorn rides. I am also dealing with Dupuytren (Viking Hand), this helps a lot. I also always ride with gloves.

Ironically, we can ride for hours on a motorcycle with just "the grips" but I do find having alternative positions on a pedal bike helps with hand fatigue.

I have bar ends too. I agree, being able to vary hand position helps.

On my bicycles, I have far more weight on my hands than I do on motorcycles. Grip diameter is also much smaller on th bicycles.

 

[JC99]

As much as it is a fashion faux paux these days, right up there with wearing white after Labour Day, I run bar ends on my MTB and Fatbike. Small ones, they give me alternate positions for my hands on longer rides when you are cruising some distance. Not dissimilar to the hand position options on my drop bar or bullhorn rides. I am also dealing with Dupuytren (Viking Hand), this helps a lot. I also always ride with gloves.

Ironically, we can ride for hours on a motorcycle with just "the grips" but I do find having alternative positions on a pedal bike helps with hand fatigue.

I have a set of raised, wider and more flared drop bars to fit for my gravel bike. They bring the drops up a bit so they are more useful for us older geezers. That's still project # whatever on the list of things to do.

 

[Sunday Rider]

I don't think I can ride my mountain bike without the bar end/bulls to change the grip and especially when standing up or going up hill. Circulation in my hand and toes has started to suck in the last few years (welcome to geezerhood). The other thing to consider is your shoulder and upper body positions. I catch myself with my shoulders up near my ears and have to remember to relax them. I also ride with gloves, I've taken the finger tips of an old set for warm summer rides.

 

[FullMotoJacket]

I have bar ends too. I agree, being able to vary hand position helps.

On my bicycles, I have far more weight on my hands than I do on motorcycles. Grip diameter is also much smaller on th bicycles.

Depends on the company. Some, like Onza Porcs are slightly more than wafer thin. Renthal MTB grips = Renthal PWC grips = Renthal MX grips (R has larger ID/thinner wall). Some MTB grips like Oury are actually much bigger dia. than MX grips.

 

[JC99]

I don't think I can ride my mountain bike without the bar end/bulls to change the grip and especially when standing up or going up hill. Circulation in my hand and toes has started to suck in the last few years (welcome to geezerhood). The other thing to consider is your shoulder and upper body positions. I catch myself with my shoulders up near my ears and have to remember to relax them. I also ride with gloves, I've taken the finger tips of an old set for warm summer rides.

Our local trail park has some pretty narrow stuff and I've found myself shoulder checking the occasional tree. I think bar end grips would just hook me off my bike but I would definitely find them more comfortable.

As an older rider I've made some adjustments. I wear a Leatt under shirt that has shoulder back and chest protection for anything on the trails. Elbow and knee pads. When I start practising more enthusiastic features I have a full face helmet. I already fitted nice cushy grips. I haven't gone down the rabbit hole of swapping bars or anything yet.

 

[GreyGhost]

Our local trail park has some pretty narrow stuff and I've found myself shoulder checking the occasional tree. I think bar end grips would just hook me off my bike but I would definitely find them more comfortable.

As an older rider I've made some adjustments. I wear a Leatt under shirt that has shoulder back and chest protection for anything on the trails. Elbow and knee pads. When I start practising more enthusiastic features I have a full face helmet. I already fitted nice cushy grips. I haven't gone down the rabbit hole of swapping bars or anything yet.

I got a chance to ride with a mtb instructor. She told me to ditch the bar ends as they get caught on trees and to get wider bars to have more leverage. Math does not compute.

 

[JC99]

I got a chance to ride with a mtb instructor. She told me to ditch the bar ends as they get caught on trees and to get wider bars to have more leverage. Math does not compute.

So I'm no expert and the last experience of riding a bike over rough stuff for me was in my teens and the bike was made out of bits of other old bikes and wasn’t guaranteed to stay together for more than 10 minutes but…I did the same thing, got a lesson a while back and was told the same thing about wide bars. I remember thinking that when I picked my new hardtail up a year or so back that the geometry of these newer bikes was just weird. Big bars etc. I kind of miss the hand guards from my motorbike to be honest.

 

[backmarkerducati]

Bar ends were all the rage when stems were long and bars were narrow. With all the changes in frame geometry over the years now stems are short and bars are wide, sometimes stupid wide.

Smaller bar ends on non-stupid wide bars have not been an issue for me. IMO many modern bikes would not fit between the trees on the trails we rode in the 90s... trails are wider now. I am too fat and old to really send it anyways...

 

[FullMotoJacket]

I kind of miss the hand guards from my motorbike to be honest.

Acerbis has been making MTB handguards since the late 80s. Still make a few updated versions.

I think the vintage ones are beefier with better protection, myself.

Forum Sponsor