RockiesDad

Looking at a lot of bike photos recently and I noticed that a lot of them don't have valve caps on. Is it because they fell off or got lost or purposely being left off? I leave mine on thinking that they would help keep the air in my tires in case the needle is loose or something.

Just wondering if its cool factor to leave it off???

Jon T

The caps are a shield against dirt getting into the internals, they won't keep the air from leaking out if the valve isn't tight, hence the name "dust caps".
Jon

canklecat

Yup, valve caps are uncool.

Which is why I use them.

And to keep my valve stem nut company, so it's not uncool alone.

Besides, they look better with my argyle socks, black knee warmers and navy blue shorts.

AlmostTrick

I too like them, and never go without. Some of mine are anodized aluminum, in colors that match the bike... Very Cool!

jefnvk

Bout as uncool as dork discs and reflectors. I'm uncool tho...

Nermal

Sure, but what about the weight? Not to mention the wind resistance.


Knurled Knut is great, though. Keeps short valve stems from sinking inside the wheel when connecting the pump to a flat tire.

MarcusT

I have never heard a professional racer claim he lost a race because he forgot to remove his valve caps

OldTryGuy

Knurled-knuts on every stem tightened up to black piece of Gorilla Tape on rim

Green valve cap front, orange valve cap rear, Propel is White/Black and Roubaix Expert is Red

Looks fine to me.

exmechanic89

Ì've never used them simply because they don't do anything. Never had a dirt problem in my tubes' internals either.

Deal4Fuji

To me the presta valve caps just don't look aerodynamic and are unnecessary since there is already a screw to tighten the valve. I also like the lock ring holding the valve firm against the rim.

I have some bikes with schrader valves, and on those I do prefer some type of cap. For some reason, a bare schrader valve doesn't look right. I use these truck type caps that gives somewhat of a presta look.

AlmostTrick

Right, and either do presta valves. Like the bike was haphazardly or sloppily assembled or maintained.

wphamilton

More aero and less weight without them, no benefit with them, so what's the question?

I'll put them on unless I dropped one in the grass or forgot, and then I don't sweat it. It's probably not cool looking to have one valve cap and one bare ... but I'd have a lot of not-cool to address long before getting to that point.

JohnDThompson 

Only uncool for poseurs.

joesch

And also slow down the inflation process by a few secs

joesch

Why not just go a little more impressive ...

Marcus_Ti

Those had better be jorts.

BobbyG

I keep presta to schrader adapters on mine, even though I have no need to do so. All my pumps handle schrader valves directly. But even so when I go to top off my tires I unscrew the adapter, unscrew the presta valve nut, re-screw the adapter, pump, unscrew the adapter, screw down the presta nut, an finally re-screw the adapter back on.

I find this unnecessarily complicated process provides me with the perfect balance of convenience and obsessive/compulsive disorder satiation. Additional valve caps for the schrader adapters seem excessive to me; and keeping the presta valves open under the schrader adapters so that they can be used like regular schrader valves seems unsecure to me, even though many people do just that with no adverse consequences.

It is one of the very few OCD things I do.

T Stew

I'm pretty sure what he meant wasn't that the caps would hold air pressure but guard against the valve becoming loose accidentally which could then be prone to leaking. Like how a cap on a spray paint can prevents it from loosing its contents...


But really, who cares about a valve cap? They seem to be very prone to falling off, which I would wager counts for the majority of capless valves. I always put the cap on if I have it, but have broke a couple too tight, and others have fell off...

Nachoman

It's unnecessary.
And for me just boils down to another thing to deal with when I'm trying to very quickly fix a flat and get back on the road.

jamesdak 

I never use them. I see no benefit. I mainly use latex tubes but no matter what air up daily before my ride. They just get in the way. Even on my winter bikes that see weeks and weeks of riding in gunk I've never had a problem.

And just to illustrate the point!

Scarbo

What--only two this time? Why not post the whole menagerie as you usually do?

TimothyH

Valve caps and jam nuts are simply not needed. It isn't about cool or uncool. There just isn't any benefit.

Not only is there no benefit but using either or both increases time required to fix a flat.

Some people chronically overtighten jam nuts, pulling the tube up through the hole in the rim causing a flat.

Presta valves which push all the way down into the rim are too short. Tubes with longer valves is the answer.

Fumbling with jam nuts and valve caps on the road is just a waste of time.


-Tim-

jamesdak 

I can't..... I found some pics with caps on. I'm so ashamed of myself.....

f4rrest

They're absolutely necessary on the rolled up spare tube to keep it from puncturing the tube in storage.

Toss it after installing the tube. Unless you keep the box too...

texaspandj

I use them only on my brand new spares in my saddle bags.