Tubeless valves must be one of the most overrated parts of your bike. Some consider them purely functional, while others want to add a bit of bling to their high-end carbon wheelset. Since you're reading this, you probably already know how I feel about them. The sole reason I got these was to replace my old orange Duke valves, as they didn't match any other part on my bike. Seeing as Chris King are renowed for their quality and the price of 24,45€ for a set from R2-Bikes, not to mention the lifetime warranty (Not that I've ever snapped a valve)!
The valves are beautifully machined from aluminum and available in 42mm and 60mm lengths and a variety of colors with laser etched Chris King logos on the securing nut.
- Black
- Silver
- Matte Slate (grey)
- Navy Blue
- Violet
- Red
- Matte Mango (orange)
- Matte Bourbon (brownish, matches Chris King bourbon colored hubs)
- Matte Turquoise
- Matte Punch (Hi-viz pink)
As I was installing these on a Yeti, I opted for the turquoise. The valve core is always black, which I prefer over the standard silver ones.
The valve caps, which no self-respecting MTBer uses, also act as valve core removers. Why should you not use them, you say? So you don't risk pulling out the valve core when un-screwing the cap! King of an oxymoron this one, but luckily the cap does actually work as a valve cap removal tool.
The stem seal is nice and is promised to seal up to an 8mm diameter valve hole. Mine held air right after installation with not even a hiss of air escaping the tyre. Nice!
Then the most important question: Does the turquoise anodizing match the Yeti frames? No, not even close, but it's a nice match to my Raceface Turbine R stem and also matches Chris King and i9 anodized turquoise parts.
Would I buy these again? You bet, they're basically jewelry for your bike!
Build quality: 5/5
Price: 5/5
Ride impressions: 5/5
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