BBB says its new CoreCap adaptor removes the weak points of Presta valves while retaining compatibility with existing schrader valve pump heads.
Designed to replace the core on a standard Presta valve, BBB’s CoreCap is claimed to provide “up to 300 per cent more airflow" and to solve the “long-standing issues of fragility, air restriction, and maintenance”.
After decades of technological stagnation in this space, the fight to determine the next valve standard for cycling has become unexpectedly heated in recent years.
Is it about time riders sat up and took notice? Let's find out.
Universal compatibility
The CoreCap is made from machined aluminium and simply screws onto existing Presta valve stems in place of the valve core.
The Dutch brand says it wanted to tackle the Presta valve’s shortcomings because, while it acknowledges they are “effective”, they’re nevertheless “prone to bending, clogging and breaking during frequent use”.
Given this, the brand says its engineering team set out to “redesign the system from scratch, removing the weak points while retaining universal compatibility”.
The latter is a key differentiator from competitors such as the Schwalbe Clik Valve (SCV), which requires the use of a specific bike pump head or adaptor (which is included with Clik valve conversion kits).
In this respect, the CoreCap is more akin to Halo’s Hi-Flow tubeless valves or Reserve's Fillmore Tubeless Valve, both of which work with existing pump heads.
According to BBB, the CoreCap has “universal pump compatibility”, and will work with existing pump heads designed for Schrader valves.
It can also be used with tubeless tyre systems or with inner tubes (provided the latter have replaceable valve cores, of course).
BBB’s CoreCap is available in two forms and multiple colours – as a complete valve set, featuring removable CoreCaps (two colours) or as an ‘upgrade set’ for existing Presta valves with removable cores (in six colours).
Prices for the CoreCap AL valve set are:
- 40mm: £24.99 / €29.95
- 60mm: £27.99 / €32.95
- 80mm: £31.99 / €34.95
The upgrade sets cost £14.99 / €16.95.
Why should we care?
BBB’s CoreCap is the latest in a series of bicycle valve replacements and/or modifiers, each promising to upend the way we inflate our tyres.
So far, though, none has managed to break the dominance of existing options. Perhaps it’s simply too early to tell – Schwalbe Clik might eventually become the new ‘industry standard’ it was intended to be, after all.
BBB’s solution looks promising on paper, thanks to its retrofitable design and claimed pump compatibility.
On the other hand, it remains to be seen whether a brand such as BBB can exert enough influence over the bicycle industry and riders to herald such a wholesale change, even if the performance claims hold water.
Either way, we’re intrigued to find out how the CoreCap performs compared to standard Presta valves and its competitors, so watch this space to find out more.
