Re: [CR] Mystery Bolts - What the heck are these??

(Example: Racing:Wayne Stetina)

In-Reply-To: <C9124AAF6265451FAA6B69D8D945641F@ARSPC>
References: <804355.3247.qm@web82203.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:27:54 -0800
To: Andrew R Stewart <onetenth@earthlink.net>, Jerome & Elizabeth Moos <jerrymoos@sbcglobal.net>, <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
From: "Jan Heine" <heine94@earthlink.net>
Subject: Re: [CR] Mystery Bolts - What the heck are these??


At 11:13 AM -0500 11/12/09, Andrew R Stewart wrote:
>Jerry- Those bolts look similar to current tubeless valves. But I
>have no real idea what they're for, as you can tell.

That is what they are: Valves. It used to be that the valves were separate from the tubes, rather than vulcanized in. The two washers at one end sandwich the tube, and when they nut squeezes tight, you get an airtight connection. The rest is a standard Presta valve, with the little nut to hold it on the rim, and then some metal valve caps. When I was a kid, those were considered superior, because you could tighten them with pliers, making them theft-proof. Yes, the plastic caps always got stolen from our communal bike garage. Little did we know that you didn't need them at all. (Nor did the thieves know that they were stealing a useless piece of equipment.)

I remember my consternation when I took my broken valve to a bike shop in the early 1980s, to be told that I had to buy a brand-new tube, with valve attached. (Don't ask me how I managed to break a valve - I was 12 at the time.)

Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
2116 Western Ave.
Seattle WA 98121
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com