bonsai171

This is probably a simple question, but I'm not sure how to figure it out. My rims are Vuelta Corsa Lites, and 27 mm depth. The tubes i'm looking at have 42mm, 60mm, and 80mm presta valves. Will the 42mm length work?

Dave

ThermionicScott 

42mm should work. I use tubes with 40mm stems on rims 26mm deep. The only time they cause annoyance is when I want to top off a soft tire that isn't completely deflated (can't press the valve all the way out through the tire), so I've started to carry one of those valve nuts on rides with me again.

bonsai171

Sounds simple enough, thanks!

datlas 

I agree the 42mm should probably be ok, unless your pump head really likes to take a bigger "bite" on the valve.

If unsure, no harm in getting some 60mm. I often even carry 80mm and/or a valve extender for my friends who run deep section wheels and don't have a tube.

79pmooney

Yeah, the pump makes a difference. I cannot start inflating some of my shorter valve stems and deeper rims with my Specialized floor pump but can easily with my Zephal HPX frame pumps. On those wheels I just use the Specialized for topping off and the gauge,

eduskator

27mm is a pretty common and shallow rim depth. 40mm should be OK.

79pmooney

And a fun thought (shameless plug): If you carry both presta to schrader and schrader to presta adopters, you could screw both onto your presta valve, be back to presta for your pump or inflator and have a valve that cannot slide into the rim AND have that magic schrader to presta adopter so you can be a good citizen anytime and help out others without needing to take your pump head apart and flip the gasket (risking losing it or the spring).

Schrader to Presta adopters - $10 at Cantitoeroad.com. They sell E-bikes and accessories. Completely not my cup of tea! but they carried these sweet little adopters. Filled my order for a half dozen and got it to me in 2 days. These are a one piece, high quality version of the "damsel-in-distress: adopters we used to make and carry. (The shop I worked in 1977, Sheldon Brown who used to hang at it late in the day and others of the Boston cycle crowd.) I long ago lost mine and forgot how to make them. Sheldon passed before it occurred to me to ask him. Two weeks ago, I went on a mission to get/make one. Success! And really easy to carry and not lose. I've been keeping my Allen wrenches with rubber bands forever. Now I just include the little "dumbell" of that adopter screwed onto the usual presta to schrader adopter. Barely bigger than the usual adopters and carrying both, you can pump up anything with anything. Might just make a really bad day no big deal.

Camilo

Most of my rims are 27 - 30 mm depth. 42 works, but I always look for and buy 48 and stock up.

jaxgtr

Somewhere along the way in my bike riding life, I think someone told me the general range is rim depth + 15mm for basic stem length, but then again, I could be talking out of my butt.

SoSmellyAir

My general rule of thumb is rim depth + 15 mm, so the 42 mm long one should work, especially if it is threaded. I have 52 mm long non-threaded valves for my 27 mm deep wheels and they are a bit too long.

biglmbass

I need/use 80mm so carry that valve length tube, but also carry valve extenders in case I need to borrow a tube from a fellow rider.

MinnMan

With my 55 mm rims, I use 80 mm valves. They stick out really far and look kind of dumb. I need 70 mm valves, which AFAIK, don't exist, and 60 mm lengths are just too short.