Bicycle Pump Valve Types

Compared to schrader valves presta valves are ideally suited to bike wheels.

Bicycle pump valve types.

Several pump designs can handle presta valves including pumps dedicated solely to presta valves those with separate connectors for each type a unit with a reversible gasket that handles both valve types or one equipped with an adapter that converts from presta to schrader. Because the two valve types are different they require two different types of head on a pump or as is often the case an interchangeable head. Presta valves were invented by the same guy who went on to found zéfal one of the leading bike pump manufacturers. A bicycle pump is a type of positive displacement air pump specifically designed for inflating bicycle tires it has a connection or adapter for use with one or both of the two most common types of valves used on bicycles schrader or presta a third type of valve called the dunlop or woods valve exists but tubes with these valves can be filled using a presta pump.

This type of hand pump features a separate tube which connects the bike pump to the tire valve. It is cheap but inefficient due to higher risk of air leaks through multiple joints.