Some would say a valve is a valve is a valve. And that’s pretty much true.
The current Presta valve is at best a slightly modified version of a design created in the 1880s. Yes, those 1880s, when the most common form of personal transportation was a horse and buggy.
Well, there is finally something new (and truly unique) in the valve market and it represents a game-changing leap forward for use with tubeless technology.
Introducing the Reserve Fillmore Valve
Reserve is rewriting the future of tubeless systems with the introduction of the Fillmore valve, a completely new take on tubeless valve designs. Reserve’s patented Fillmore valve eliminates the traditional, delicate, clogging valve core of yesteryear in favor of a high-flow, no-clog design. The Reserve Fillmore valve will make difficulties setting up your tubeless tires a thing of the past (like the Presta!).
It’s All About Flow
One of the basic issues the Reserve Fillmore valve resolves is lack of air flow.
This may seem counterintuitive, as a Presta valve’s main purpose is to flow air, but remember, the Presta was developed LONG before the advent of tubeless tire systems.
At that time, flow wasn’t an issue the initial designers were particularly focused on resolving; they just needed something to get air into the tire, no more, no less.
Some of the basic problems of the Presta valve, when used with tubeless systems include:
- Limited air flow, with tiny flow hole for air
- Removable valve core that can come out accidentally
This creates a number of user issues, including:
- Difficulty of seating the tire bead with tubeless systems
- Undersized valve hole clogging with sealant to further reduce (or eliminate) air flow into the tire
- Sealant dispersal when the core is removed and sealant exits the tire
- Requirement to remove valve core when adding sealant to tire
Increasing air flow, like with the Fillmore valve, resolves many of these tubeless-related issues. High flow allows for quick and unrestricted flow of air to enable the tire bead to be seated and seal the tubeless tire to the rim.
And once installed, one of the biggest benefits of the Fillmore valve is its resistance to clogging. With a current Presta valve, it’s not a question of IF your valve is going to clog with sealant, but when.
In fact, most sealant is designed to clog an air hole over twice the size of a standard Presta valve hole. Because of its unique poppet design, the air flow hole on the Fillmore valve is actually protected from sealant; in fact, it’s basically impossible to clog.
The Fillmore valve also resolves some of the more niggling design challenges of a Presta valve, like the end bending over during use or the valve coming out and spraying you with sealant. With the Fillmore valve, there is no core to be removed, no core to bend and no mess to be had. In fact, you don’t even need to remove the core to inject sealant with the Fillmore valve. Simply relieve the pressure, and use a standard injector to refresh your sealant levels.
Lastly, with the patented Micro Adjust design, making precise pressure adjustments is a snap. Just back the air cap off slightly and then depress, simple as that. Tighten it back up and the whole thing is once again sealed from the bottom, meaning it can’t get clogged with sealant.
Reserve Fillmore valves are super easy to install and fit all standard mountain bike rims up to 28mm in depth. You simply deflate the tire, push over the tire sidewall, remove the old valve and install the Fillmore. It’s as easy as that!
And because of the Fillmore valve’s high flow, re-inflating your tire also takes less force. Who knew it was the Presta valve making every pump so difficult?
The Fillmore valve is one of those products that once you try it, you will be wondering how you lived without it.
So, what are you waiting for? Get that new rubber mounted up, drop in, and find out really what you have been missing!
MSRP $49.99/pair, available from Reserve.
