Published March 25, 2026 03:00PM
When it comes to valves on drop-bar bikes, Presta is king, queen, emperor, and president combined. Suddenly, options have emerged that threaten that hegemony.
Different brands are challenging the valve status quo, with fresh types of valves emerging. But are any of those options truly ready to become a new industry standard?
At the Belgian trade reveal Velofollies, one line of items stood out: valves. Whereas Reserve was arguably the first to introduce a truly innovative valve with their Fillmore valves in 2021, Schwalbe was the first to openly declare they wanted to set a new standard with their Clik Valve.
At Eurobike 2024, Schwalbe was ambitious, wanting their new valve to become the industry standard within a few years for all types of bikes. In the almost two years that followed, widespread adoption hasn’t materialized, but more brands are now putting their backs into dethroning Presta.
At the conclude of last year, Topeak launched TurboFlow—first spotted at Velofollies—and, more recently, BBB launched another alternative called the BBB CoreCap. Does this signal a shift towards a different valve in the coming years?
Tubeless Trouble
The launch of these new valves is largely driven by issues with tubeless tires. A common problem for tubeless users is sealant clogging the Presta valve, limiting airflow and making inflation difficult.
Reserve’s Fillmore valves, designed specifically for tubeless setups, address this with a steel pin running through the valve shaft, allowing for a larger opening and improved airflow—reportedly threefold.
Schwalbe’s Clik Valve aimed to address both tubeless issues and general user-friendliness. John Quintana, collaborated with Schwalbe after observing children struggling to inflate bike tires.
Presta valves are prone to bending and breaking, and attaching a pump can be difficult due to the rubber attachment wearing over time. Schwalbe aimed to create a more user-friendly valve overall.
“One year at Sea Otter, we were approached by John Quintana,” Maiko Bakker, who works for Schwalbe, said. “We didn’t know him yet, but he was working on a new valve system when he saw his kids struggle to inflate their bikes’ tires. They would always ask him to do it, which made him think about how he could create a valve that everyone could use on their first try.”
BBB also entered the market with CoreCap, inspired by a valve developed for the automotive sector. “We immediately recognized that if we fine-tuned that mechanism a bit, we could really create something that worked even better than existing options,” Florian Bont, who works for BBB, explained.
Different Valves, Different Ideas
The brands have different approaches to solving the valve issue. Clik Valve can replace a valve core or be used as a complete valve, while Topeak TurboFlow and BBB CoreCap are valve core replacements.
A key difference is Schwalbe’s development of a new pump head that clicks onto the valve without a lever, and is backwards compatible with Presta and Dunlop pumps. Topeak TurboFlow requires a special pump head, and BBB’s CoreCap only works with a Schrader pump.
Each company is backing its own approach to improving valves.
“Clik Valve is obviously much better than Presta, but it comes with its own challenges,” Bont said. “Schwalbe needs to change the industry on two sides. They require to sell their valves, but they also need to convince the producers of bike pumps to create Clik Valve-ready pumps.
“In our case, you just twist on the CoreCap, and you’re done, which makes it easier to transfer. The learning curve is much easier than with Presta.”
Bakker and Schwalbe have a different view. “For most users, messing around with a pump and the lever is actually the annoying part,” Bakker said. “You have probably also worked with a worn pump head where one person needed to push the pump onto the valve, and the other was pumping. Our biggest added value is that you can just click the pump on easily and it doesn’t wear.”
Topeak and BBB’s valves are easier to implement, but Schwalbe is attempting a more comprehensive change. As a tire producer, Schwalbe is better positioned to convince other brands to adopt a new standard.
A Matter of Perseverance?
Schwalbe is working to persuade industry partners to adopt Clik Valve. Widespread adoption requires major brands to join in.
“Admittedly, that takes longer than anticipated,” Bakker said. “We were a bit naive about thinking everybody wanted to transfer. But more and more users are adopting our valves, and more and more brands are switching to them. That means more bike shops will be seeing the product, and bit by bit we can set a new standard.”
“There are also some advantages to it for bike brands if we can set this new standard. Right now, they might need to use different valves for different countries — sometimes even with different diameters for the valve holes in wheel rims. We can bring that back to just one valve, which simplifies production.”
Schwalbe’s approach offers the most potential for establishing a new industry standard.
“I think when other tire brands also decide to use Clik Valve, we have truly done well,” Bakker said.