Is Presta valve lock nut useful?

[ManBearPig]

Ciao.
I have always had lock nuts with Presta valve inner tubes on my Giordano road bike, but there are a few guys I know who take them off. I understand that there is a chance that you can overtighten a lock nut and therefore irritate the tube in a way.

Do you leave lock nuts on and why? Have you experienced any advantages & disadvantages of having a locking nut?

[Painkiller]

There are pros and cons to each valve system. as for the Presta the lock ring is a Pro. it keeps stem in place should the tire become to low to push the pump valve on. Great feature! Finger tight is all u need to do once tire is inflated. For this reason I prefer schreader tubes with this type of stem also

[Jesper]

(03-06-2021, 08:00 AM)ManBearPig Wrote:  Do you leave lock nuts on and why? Have you experienced any advantages & disadvantages of having a locking nut?

I agree with Painkiller.
I have always used them, and have never experienced any problems. On my regularly used bikes that get higher mileage/Kms; I use 2. I do not over tighten the one at the rim, but I tighten the 2nd one hard to the other which acts as a "jam nut" and keeps both from loosening. Never an issue with that method, nor any tube damage.
I also tend to cut a small rubber "washer" made from old tubes and place it down on the valve stem before tube installation; Presta and Schrader. It needs to fit tight around the stem; I have to stretch it a bit. I always do this when using high pressure tires (>95 psi/6.5 bar); I usually ride at >120 psi/8 bar. It prevents the tube from pushing into the rim orifice and potentially damaging the tube in that area; especially if the rim tape has shifted over time. When installing a new tube I only tighten the nut enough to keep the tube in place. Once tube and tire installation is complete, including inflation, will I tighten the nut to the rim and add my "jam nut". On most rims (vintage, anodized, painted, chromed, and/or new) I use a small nylon washer between the nut and the rim to keep from marring the rim surface, always finishing using the second "jam nut" with that type of application.
I would venture to say that a few riders may exclude using them as a another means of weight reduction; and here I am adding more!

[ManBearPig]

Thank you @Painkiller @Jesper

[ChaseCal]

(05-17-2021, 02:12 PM)ManBearPig Wrote:  Thank you @Painkiller @Jesper

along with Jesper and painkillers response, I have seen people really torque these more than they should and they start to rip the valve and then complain that their tires keep going flat, so the only disadvantage I see is that. and then there is if it gets loose. rims are drilled to let the valve through easily so there is a little play in them. if you don't have the nut tight on the rim then the valve stem will rattle around the rim and it gets kind of annoying. like Jesper said, he uses two, this will keep that rattling from ever happening and I agree with doing it.

[ardy22]

I find it to be very useful.

[ReapThaWhirlwind]

I would imagine they are very useful, but I've gotten pinch flats despite them being there and fully secured.

[enkei]

In my experience, they're definitely useful for holding the valve in place when inflating the tube. Used properly/intelligently, I can't see any practical disadvantage to them.

[Lss555]

(03-19-2023, 05:44 AM)enkei Wrote:  In my experience, they're definitely useful for holding the valve in place when inflating the tube. Used properly/intelligently, I can't see any practical disadvantage to them.

Yeah that’s what I’ve always thought the nut held the tire in for airing up and if you get a flat, or something up that alley the valve doesn’t fall into the tire/onto the wrong side of the rim and wreak havoc. But I don’t really get why you’d take it off

[ichitan]

Lock nuts are useful. You can put them inside the rim, when the hole is too big.

I bought some spare tubes for my bike, in sealed packages. My bike came with Schrader valves. I did not know the new tubes had Presta valves until I opened the first package. I carry one of these tubes as a spare, for when I have a puncture. Because the hole is too big, I put the lock nut inside the rim, to stop the tube blowing out through the hole, or being cut on the edge of the hole.

For those that don't know, I am being light hearted. But the story is true. It is a way to use tubes with valve stems too thin.

On the serious side. I sometimes use motor bike tubes in my bicycle. I like the lock nuts on motor bike tubes.