Presta valves kind of suck for most cyclists. I get that serious roadies with super-skinny rims may prefer them, but otherwise, they’re just too fragile. Certainly for daily commuter use in NYC, which is what I use a bike for.
It’s not a big deal at all to drill out Presta holes to Schrader size. I think it’s 21/64, but that’s from memory – don’t rely on me, look it up before you do it. Drill them, then smooth out the edges with a fine file, you’re good to go.
Car accident?
Heh, no. He was in poor health for years, never saw a doctor. His eyes were so bad that even with thick lenses he had to hold paperwork right against his face to read. He inherited the shop from his dad, who died a few years ago. It was a sad situation, but I kept going to him despite his obviously failing health.
Yes. You have misunderstood everything.
I did not accuse them of anything. Where did you get that? I said, “This brand new tire blew out after 6 miles. Is it under warranty?” and they accused me of trying to return a different tire than the one I bought. If they had been on top of their game, as professional bike technicians (I’ve changed tires maybe five times in my life; they do it more than that every day), they might have recognized that they were looking at the inside of a tire; I’ve never heard of an “unbranded tire.” Failing that, they could have offered to take the tire off to inspect it, at which point the problem would have been discovered. Instead, they accused me of trying to cheat them, which I was not doing. Yes I made a mistake, but instead of believing me and trying to work with me to help figure out what was going on, they put up a wall.
I used to get flats fairly regularly, as I was commuting to work in an urban environment with lots of roadwork and construction (I often see random nails and misc. metal things in the gutter near an apartment building going up).
I finally decided to buy the only new bike I’ve ever had (always bought cheap used ones). As I was about to buy a Trek 7.1, I asked “So what would I get if I upgraded to the 7.2?” “Blah blah blah Kevlar-lined tires.”
My eyes lit up…“Here! Take my money!”
Haven’t had a flat in ten years. BUT I carry a tube and a pump in case.
My mountain bike, e-bike and two road bikes all have Presta valves. I’ve never had an issue with them in the many years (>20) I’ve used them. Both of my spouses bikes also have Presta. Are they really that fragile or have we been super lucky?
My old, old mountain bike, which is now a commuter bike with fenders and a rack), has Schrader valves.
I knew a guy like that when I was a kid, he operated the town’s only gas station.
That fragile? I don’t know. More fragile than Schrader valves without offering any benefit in exchange, or at least not any benefit that means anything to me? Absolutely.