If you’ve ever struggled getting a tubeless tyre to seat on a rim, or had your valves clog with sealant, preventing you from topping up your tyres, the new Peaty’s Holeshot Fast Flow valves could offer a solution.
After two years of development, the Fast Flow valves promise 200 per cent more airflow, won’t clog with sealant and enable the tyre to still hold air, even if you snap or damage one.
What’s more, thanks to one of the nifty valve caps, you can lube your ebike chain more easily.
Thanks to the valve cap shape, it’ll slot into a chainring bolt, sticking out far enough to snag a crank as it rotates backwards, engaging the chainring and enabling you to backpedal your drivetrain and lube the chain in the process.
The other valve cap doubles as a spoke key. That seems good for £34.99 / $44.99 / €39.99.
Born from warranty woes
The concept for the new Holeshot Fast Flow valves was based largely on “feedback from our customers, riders and warranty returns of our MK2 valves from the 'Valves for life' warranty,” says Rob Sherratt, head of marketing for Peaty’s.
According to Sherratt, the bulk of the returns were due to valves being snapped. As a result, Peaty’s has ditched the standard Presta valve core, moving the valve seal so it sits at the base of the valve and, more importantly, inside the rim.
Doing this, along with increasing the size of the base of the valve and incorporating a 'cage' increases airflow by a claimed 200 per cent over its predecessor, as well as enabling sealant to flow more freely.
Increased airflow means seating tubeless tyres – which can be a real headache – becomes easier.
The design also means you can inject sealant, straight through the valve, without having to remove the core – because there isn’t one, speeding up the tubeless-fitting process.
With the space Peaty’s has freed up, there’s less chance of sealant clogging or blockages. To help minimise this further, Peaty’s has anodised these outside and inside because, according to Sherratt, sealant doesn’t stick well to anodised surfaces.
The broad 'bell-house' shaping (inspired by old fire hydrants you’d see in America) and cage design at the base also ensure they’ll work with tyre inserts.
In some instances, tyre inserts can suffocate the valve, limiting airflow.
The cage acts as a built-in buffer, creating space to ensure air can continue to pass through the valve and inflate the tyre.
While the Holeshot Fast Flow valves look similar to the Reserve Fillmore, where the valve seal closer is also housed closer to the base of the valve, that’s where the similarity ends.
That's thanks to a drastically different design at the base of the valve, along with valve caps that do more than just protect the top of the valves.
More than just valves
Look closely and you’ll see two different-shaped valve caps.
Because there’s no longer a valve core to remove, Peaty's has added a T30 Torx head. This will fit into T30 or 6mm hex chainring bolts. Why? Because ebike cranks turn independently of the chainring, due to how they’re connected to the motor.
That makes lubing your chain a pain.
If you slot the T30 valve cap into one of these chainring bolts and rotate the cranks backwards until it butts up against it, you can then spin the cranks, chainring and chain together, making oiling your chain far easier.
It’s a nice touch, plus you still get the second valve cap to tweak spoke tension.
Keeping air in the tyres
Moving the valve seal to the inner side of the rim helps to keep air in the tyres, should you twang the valve or something twangs into it.
The Fast Flow valve design uses a double seal to keep it closed, even if you snap the top of the valve off, lose a valve cap or forget to put one back on.
It should mean racers can finish their runs, and riders can get to the end of the trail with air still in their tyres.
What’s on offer?
Peaty’s is offering the Holeshot Fast Flow valves in 42mm, 60mm or MX (42mm and 60mm to work on Bosch eMTBs) lengths, and in 12 colours.
Pricing for a pair is £34.99 / $44.99 / €39.99, covered by a lifetime warranty.
These valves are also serviceable should you need to rebuild them, with the kit costing £5.99 / €6.99.
There’s also an accessory kit available for £9.99 / €11.99, which includes a spoke key valve cap, ebike-lubing valve cap and two Fast Flow lockrings.
There’s no option for roadies or gravel riders seeking an 80mm version just yet, though.
