76 Projects Hi Flow Tubeless Valves Review
76 Projects recently launched their hi flow ‘no clog’ tubeless valves. The valves have 4x the air throughput compared to a traditional valve and thanks to a redesigned core they also significantly reduce the likelihood of sealant build-up.
Tubeless tyres and rims were introduced 20 years ago yet tubeless systems still use the Presta valve standard. The clearances in a Presta valve are smaller than the holes that sealant is supposed to be able to block so it’s no surprise that the valves get clogged. This new design aims to solve this issue. Read on to find out if it does and if these valves are worth the price tag.
”One of the best products I have tested to date and I will be fitting these to all my bikes in the near future.
Will Brett-Atkin
Review
The Hi Flow valves come in two colours Magenta (pink) and Black. They also come in multiple lengths to suit different rim sizes and depths.
They are pretty easy to fit, just a couple of extra steps over a traditional valve by unscrewing the valve to fit it through the rim hole.
Once the valve was in place and tightened correctly it was time to test pumping up a tubeless system and see if I could seat a tyre. To do this I used a traditional Presta valve on one wheel and the 76 Projects Hi Flow Vale on the other. To make things fair I used the same rim tape, rim, tyres and sealant for both wheels.
I tried pumping up the traditional Presta valve first using a simple track pump. After a couple of minutes of vigorous pumping, I was unsuccessful at getting the tyre to seat and had to resort to using the pump’s high-pressure system. (I used the LifeLine Airblast Tubeless Tyre Track Pump). This took 3 more attempts until I finally heard those satisfying pops and bangs and the pressure started to stay up. A common experience for those using a pump over an air compressor for seating a tubeless tyre.
Next, I tried the 76 Projects Hi Flow Vales and I kid you not they seated so quickly and I didn’t need to use the high-pressure system on the pump. Honestly, this blew me away (Excuse the pun). To make sure this wasn’t a fluke I deflated the tyre and tried again with the same result.
I own a pair of carbon rims and some really awkward to seat tyres that are both great products but a pain in the arse to set up as tubeless. I won’t name these as I really like them and we’re not reviewing them in this article. Once I finally managed to get the tyre onto the rim I tested these the same way I did the previous rim using a track pump and the hi-flow valves. Same result, seated really easily and surprisingly quickly.
What can I say? These are the future of MTB valves. Why would you use a Presta valve ever again when these are available? Yes, they are expensive compared to a standard valve but they work so much better, They save a ton of time and yes I can confirm they do not clog as easily as after a few weeks I checked both the Presta and the 76 Projects valves. The Presta had already become semi clogged and the hi flow was completely fine.
One of the best products I have tested to date and I will be fitting these to all my bikes in the near future.
76 Projects Hi Flow ‘No Clog’ Valve Features
- ‘No Clog’ internals – Greatly increased clearances prevent sealant build up.
- 4x greater air flow (compared to Presta) – Fill the tyre faster to help seat and seal the bead.
- Inject sealant directly through the valve centre. Although we still recommend adding sealants with particles directly into the tyre.
- Compatible with standard rims and holes for Presta valves.
- Lightweight at just 9 grams a pair.
- High precision CNC machined aluminium.
- Come supplied with spacers to allow fitting to different rim heights.
- Completely rebuildable for cleaning.
- Compatible with rim inserts.
Designed to work with push-on pumps as standard. Screw on Adapters available here
- Size 1 – 15-35mm rim heights
- Size 2 – 30-50mm rim heights
- Size 3 – 45-65mm rim heights
Price is per pair of valves: £24.50
So what do you think of the 76 Project Hi-Flow No Clog Valves? Would you be happy to pay for the steep price tag in order to gain the benefits of easier tubeless setup and a major reduction in sealant clogs? I know I am. Let us know what you think in the comments below.
You can learn more about the Hi Flow Tubeless Valves and 76 Projects here: https://76projects.com/products/hi-flow-no-clog-tubeless-valves
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