Valve Extenders (Try to contain yourself!)
With a seemingly endless pre-race checklist, the day before a triathlon can be more stressful than a day at the office. Trying to remember everything from a race belt to nutrition to the rental car confirmation can be an overwhelming task. Very few people get hot under the collar for valve extenders, but choosing the right extender can eliminate one problem during that busy race morning.
Hollow Tube Extenders:
This extender is just a hollow piece of metal that screws onto the end of the tire valve and pokes out the end of the rim. The hollow tube extender works just fine when it’s attached properly. It can, however, create some problems. The valve lock must be in the unscrewed position for air to get in or out of the tube. If the lock rattles down, the tube will have to be removed from the wheel to fix the problem. This can shoot stress levels to a new high if the valve locks off 10 minutes before transition closes.
The extender itself can also become unscrewed, which allows air to seep out of the extender before filling the tube.
Although the hollow tube extender can increase the stress of an already hectic race morning, most people stick with them. The main reason is price. They are about $5 apiece, but come with nearly ever deep dish wheel.
Valve Core Extenders:
This style of extender moves the valve core beyond the deep section rim. There is no hollow tube to secure to the valve, no possibility of the core locking up and less chance of the extender leaking air before it reaches the tube. The valve core extender eliminates nearly all the headaches involved with hollow tube style extenders.
This style of extender is compatible only with tubes that have removable valve cores. This includes nearly all tubulars and high end clincher tubes, such as the Continental Race Light series. Many cheaper clincher tires have fixed valve cores and are therefore only compatible with hollow tube extenders.
Most people can’t stomach parting with any more coin after spending somewhere between $1,300 and $4,500 on a pair of race wheels. Although $12 seems like a lot for a piece of metal with threads on it, the peace of mind that come with that $12 is absolutely worth it. Tacking anything onto an already massive invoice is difficult, but these extenders are worth it, even though they’re about as sexy as a pair of tube socks.
Vittoria and Tufo both make an extender of this style that can be found at most high-end shops.
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Aaron Hersh is the Technical Liaison at Colorado Multisport in Boulder, Colorado. He has been competing in endurance sports for the last seven years. Hersh has a B.A. in Integrative Physiology from the University of Colorado, focusing on biomechanics.
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