I'm dealing with the Presta valve issues that many a cyclist has had before, and I am finding that the old solutions are probably still the best ones. My new street bike came complete with presta valves and 700C tires, and I've had very few issues with them prior to last week. I went out on my first 10+ kilometer ride to the gym on the other side of my current town and I developed a slow leak in my front tire.
I had left my pump at home, and had no spare tubes, so I ended up calling a cab, driving to pick up my bike, and instead of spending a sweaty afternoon at the gym, I was wrangling with my local bike shop to get a great deal on some tubes. I ended up going with the Rubbers brand, by the way. Great 700C tubes and dirt cheap, ended up being about 4 dollars a tube.
Then back home to pump up and take test rides until I got to the right inflation pressure for my riding style.
I still had fun, but there was a definite sense of the opportunity cost of having a presta valve. I love my narrow rims and low rolling resistance as much as the next guy, but I really miss the convenience of Schrader valves. They are everywhere, easier to inflate, and much sturdier than Presta valves.
I'm likely to consider a Schrader conversion in the near future, or purchase a pump adapter to keep in my bike kit.
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