Cycling UK Forum

I bought a puncture repair kit yesterday and it contained two odd little rubber tubes in the box. They are about 3mm wide, 15mm long and hollow, can anyone enlighten me what they are meant to be for please???

They're for the inside of the old type of valves if I'm thinking correctly...

Yes, very old Woods valves. Haven't seen any of those for years.

not sure why they were done away with, the woods valve..they seemed reliable enough if I remember as a kid

Think there might be something similar lurking back home in a swan vestas box in the shed.

I don't think they would take the very high pressures used on road bikes today. That's what I was told once, anyway.

Woods valves. They were the normal thing until hp valves appeared. I presume your repair outfit is from a country where there is a demand for these things - China perhaps?

The large Lidl toolkit also included a couple of those tubes.

ANTONISH wrote:Woods valves. They were the normal thing until hp valves appeared. I presume your repair outfit is from a country where there is a demand for these things - China perhaps?

It needn't be that far away,Woods valves are used quite a bit on the continent on utility bikes.

BTW if you want a use for valve rubber try slipping it over cable outers where they're likely to rub the frame

BTW if you want a use for valve rubber try slipping it over cable outers where they're likely to rub the frame

Great idea!

do you mean these little things




have a look at

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=53863&start=45

reohn2 wrote:

ANTONISH wrote:Woods valves. They were the normal thing until hp valves appeared. I presume your repair outfit is from a country where there is a demand for these things - China perhaps?

It needn't be that far away,Woods valves are used quite a bit on the continent on utility bikes.

In the fifties a valve similar to the presta valve was produced which was a direct replacement for the Woods. I used them myself. I wonder if they are used on continental utility bikes or do they still use the original rubber sleeved woods?

reohn2 wrote:It needn't be that far away,Woods valves are used quite a bit on the continent on utility bikes.

Yep, it's the most used valve around here. Why i don't know. I don't see them offer any benefits compared to either Schrader or Presta valves.

Edit: it seems never woods valve don't use this rubber anymore, but instead the same type of valves as presta.

Ahh haa mystery solved, thanks for all the replies. Think I will save them and use them as suggested as cable end keepers, thanks to whoever suggested that

I vaguely remember "valve rubber" being recommended in old fishing books / magazines to attach your home made quill floats to your line.
That was back in the '60s when I got very little pocket money and I remember actually opening up elder twigs for the pith to make floats with.