We welcome Reserve Fillmore valves to the Flow fleet—a noteworthy addition to the frustrating, explosive and swear-word-filled realm of F#%&ing tubeless. These valves have garnered attention for their potential to enhance the overall experience, addressing common challenges faced by many late-night workshop warriors like ourselves. Fortunately, we’ve finally discovered these expensive little gizmos for ourselves.
Reserve Wheels, renowned for their top-of-the-line carbon wheels, took on the audacious task of reinventing the Presta Valve. Their mission was clear: address the infuriating sealant clogs and the pesky issue of limited airflow. We’ve all experienced the frustration of dealing with sealant clogs, forcing us to remove valve cores, scrub them clean, and perform intricate valve surgeries to make them breathe again. Enter the Fillmore valves, a promising solution to this perennial headache.
The innovative design of the Fillmore valves brings a breath of fresh air—literally. With an expanded airflow system that utilizes a nifty “poppet valve” (a valve typically used to control the timing and quantity of gas or vapour flow into an engine, thanks Wikipedia), these valves deliver an astonishing amount of airflow during inflation and deflation. It’s a substantial improvement compared to any valve we’ve used before. We have been able to seat a tubeless tyre with our regular pump, plus we could inject sealant into the tire without the need to remove the valve core. This may sound a little petty, but any improvement via clever engineering is a good thing.
It is worth noting that losing the dedicated cap could pose an inconvenience, as it protects the valve from dirt, keeps the poppet valve securely in place and can help with smaller adjustments in tyre pressure (thread out just a bit, press, less whoooooosh etc.). Therefore, keeping track of the cap is advisable. The shape of the valve also doesn’t play too nicely with some pressure gauges or mini-pumps too. Our Schwalbe gauge didn’t register any pressure, but the Lezyne gauge with a deeper valve recess did just fine.
According to Reserve, they are said to work with inserts, though we haven’t tried them yet. As the valve pushes up, it may take a little more pressure to break the seal at first.
The Reserve Fillmore valves present a useful option for those seeking to improve their tubeless setups. They address sealant clogs and limited airflow issues, potentially simplifying the process and enhancing overall performance. We feel like it’s the type of product that’s worth the extra cost, considering the benefits they bring now and a few months down the track.
