I have Hed Jet 9 and am having trouble finding a pump that will clamp adequately to the valve extenders I have tried. Does any one make a tube with a valve longer than 80mm? Or is there a valve extender that has a wide enough surface for a pump to grab on tightly?
My LBS’s pump will not grab on tightly enough either.
Any definite answers?
FYI - solved my problem by purchasing the new Silca valve extenders. No leaks and even my old crappy pump holds and air in and gage works. Not cheap, but I am happy!
Not sure of the brand. I have tried several and they all are too thin near top and pump slips, not enough diameter to bite on to. Not sure why they would make them that way.
I have never had that problem with my Coninental Conti valve extenders… I have used them with 2 different pumps and neither were an issue. Joe Blow pump works mint and has never slipped off.
There are basically two types of valve extenders. One is a tube extender and the other is an actual valve extender used with tubes with removable valve cores. The tube extenders are pointless and troublesome.
Tube extender (no valve on the end):
Valve extenders (valve replaced onto end of extender):
I’ve used both and prefer the removable valve core tube with the valve extender. No issues with pumps/co2 regulators on the valve extenders as it is a regular presta valve on the end. I now only keep the tube extenders in case of emergency and really hope I never have to use them. Only downside is you need to make sure your tubes have removable valve cores (RVCs).
Most tube extender users have issues due to leaky seals and resulting lack of pressure during inflation. You leave the valve open, twist the extender on (recommended to use teflon tape), and then need to push enough pressure through extender and into the open valve. Also, the tops of the extenders don’t fit every pump perfectly and can also cause inflation issues. If the seal is not proper, inflating the tube is going to be difficult, especially with co2 or a hand pump on the side of the road…
Zero problems with Zipp tube extenders and my SKS Airbase Pro.
An alternative view on the tube vs valve extender debate. If your extender seal fails, you have a flat tire, if mine fails, I might have more trouble pumping up my tire before a ride. The tube extender maintains the integrity of the system whereas the valve extender introduces another location for tube leaks.
I have used both types and the only time I had success with the first type, was out on the road when I needed to change a flat and used a CO2 inflater to pump the tire back up. Currently we use the type that relocates the valve of tubes with removable valve cores, which works very well but I have also used the Topeak variant as it does not require removable valve cores. The Topeak simply adds an extended plunger that works with the existing valve and is a very nice concept, offering what I considered to be the best of both worlds. I used them with Michelin Aircomp Ultra Lights tubes which do not have removable valve cores but experienced reliability issues after 3-4 months when the aluminum shaft developed stress cracks at the point were it threads onto the valve stem such that it was no longer air tight making it difficult to inflate the tire.
I have the HED tube type extenders (like the Zipp pictured below) and sometimes my pump will blow off. Maybe my pump is getting worn out. I don’t know. Jet 9 wheel, but that shouldn’t matter.
I have 30mm latex presta (non removable core) + extension.
