Cycling UK Forum

I just bought a Ryde Sputnik 700c rim that was advertised as drilled for presta valve but it's an 8mm hole for schrader. Should I be concerned about the extra weakness over the long term or is it an advantage to be able to fit both types. I'm not going on expedition with this but it will probably do a lot of miles mostly on the road with some inevitable off road rough terrain.

I can't imagine thar rim strength is an issue, and while I've never used one, there are those shraeder to presta adapter thingees that fit in. You must be able to find some at a store.

I think all Sputniks come drilled for schraeder valves. I'm on my 3rd such wheelset. Never been an issue and I do use it offroad rather alot.
Reducer spacer thingybobs are available to stop the presta valve wobbling about. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07F6Z3M8X/ ... FFb8PMW2VM

Strong rims so I wouldn't worry.

Perhaps these are what you need.
https://spacycles.co.uk/m20b0s119p4426/ ... le-Reducer

When I say I won't be using it for an expedition I mean I won't be crossing the Sahara but I do plan to use it to tour the UK and Europe so it will be bearing some weight for an indefinite period. The sputnik is not a super wide rim, just 25mm so the valve hole is about a third of the width of the rim. It looks like a weak spot. Am I overreacting?

The Ryde website says that the valve hole is 6.5mm https://www.ryde.nl/sputnik.

Sjscycles advertises it as drilled for presta https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/rims-tape/3 ... im-silver/

SprokenBroke wrote:When I say I won't be using it for an expedition I mean I won't be crossing the Sahara but I do plan to use it to tour the UK and Europe so it will be bearing some weight for an indefinite period. The sputnik is not a super wide rim, just 25mm so the valve hole is about a third of the width of the rim. It looks like a weak spot. Am I overreacting?

I believe you are. Think of all the touring rims out there with Schrader holes out there. If it were a real problem it would be common knowledge.
Rim issues tend to be hairline cracks at spokehole areas, overtensioning, or thinned out rim brake areas, or a whack which can do in a spoke, not to mention under tensioned spokes leading to busted spokes.

SprokenBroke wrote:The Ryde website says that the valve hole is 6.5mm https://www.ryde.nl/sputnik.

Sjscycles advertises it as drilled for presta https://www.sjscycles.co.uk/rims-tape/3 ... im-silver/

Unless you order a production run, it is a crap shoot what you get from Ryde. It's just what they have in stock, valvehole diameter and drilling could be anything. And they are not really bike people, so these things are difficult to discuss

One of mine came Presta but I drilled out to Schrader, the other Schrader. I needed a good drill as the alloy was hard.

Don't some folk reckon that schrader is better for touring rims so that you can use either sort of tube - with the adaptors if you put a presta valve in?

Sweep wrote:Don't some folk reckon that schrader is better for touring rims so that you can use either sort of tube - with the adaptors if you put a presta valve in?

The "adapters" are really just to plug the gap around the bigger hole, should you use presta. You could use any thing even blutak?

Sweep wrote:Don't some folk reckon that schrader is better for touring rims so that you can use either sort of tube - with the adaptors if you put a presta valve in?

In fact I considered doing this before my Latin America trips, wondering about availability of presta 26in tubes for tires in the 2in range, but didn't do it in the end and took three spare tubes with me, but was lucky and didn't have flats or need to source prestas.

mercalia wrote:
The "adapters" are really just to plug the gap around the bigger hole, should you use presta. You could use any thing even blutak?

Current tubes with molded in valves (BITD valves were bolted in the tube) last better if the tube around the valve isn't pushed in a too big a hole. Whether this is a factor depends on your rimtape and the tyre pressure

m-gineering wrote:

mercalia wrote:
The "adapters" are really just to plug the gap around the bigger hole, should you use presta. You could use any thing even blutak?

Current tubes with molded in valves (BITD valves were bolted in the tube) last better if the tube around the valve isn't pushed in a too big a hole. Whether this is a factor depends on your rimtape and the tyre pressure

not sure that applies. If my memory is correct the few presta rims I have seen that are double walled have the inner wall valve hole , any way larger than the presta size.

I have broken wheels, and sometimes it has been the rims that have given. But they have never failed at the valve hole. I think the chances of those rims failing in that way are very small.