My son recently got a really nice specialized bike used. It came with presta tubes on it, and a few extras. Last night he called me in the middle of the night to come pick him up because he had a flat and he could not get the pumps on campus to work with his tubes.
He said he could have probably ridden home on the low tire, but he was trying to fill it up but instead the pump kept releasing more and more air.
I personally see no benefit to presta valves, but there has to be some… right?
That was always my guess, the smaller valve hole in the rim is the only real ‘advantage’ but honestly I freaking hate presta valves. He can buy a cheap adapter that allows him to use a Schrader pump on a presta valve.
And if you buy one of those adapters, buy a 5 pack of them, and put them everywhere that’s obvious. They are small and easily misplaced
That was the problem he had last night, his valve adapter fell out into the grass in the dark. I told him to put an old shoe lace through it so it would be harder to lose.