We tested our the Big Bore tubeless valves for ourselves to see if they actually made tubeless setups that much better, and the result was surprising.
Design/Bling – 10/10
Effectiveness – 10/10
Userbility – 10/10
What Are Big Bore Valves?
Big Bore tubeless valves are specially designed valves from Muc-Off to make tubeless setups easier and also better to live with.
How Do They Work?
Big Bore work via a tap system at the top of the valves, replacing the traditional valve screws which tend to clog up over time with sealant.
With the Big Bore installed, when inflating you first need to attach the pump to the valve, pumping a bit of pressure, and then opening the tap system to begin inflation. Thus reducing the likelihood of sealant and air from rushing out.
The Traditional Tubeless Valves – The Problem
Let’s first go back to when Ray’s son Anthony had the traditional valve setup.
When setting his wheels up, there were two ways to get the sealant inside the tyre.
The first and by far the messiest method is by pouring it inside the tyre just before finishing putting the tyre on the wheel.
The second method is to use a specialist tool to safely remove the inner valve core to then squirt sealant inside the installed tyre – far easier and less messy. Understandably, the preferred method for Ray.
Once the setup is complete and everything is seating correctly and inflated, it is now down to his son Anthony to be able to maintain a good pressure throughout the daily use of his bicycle. This traditional valve required Anthony to unscrew a dust cap and the valve top, just the same as with a tubed tyre, only with the added worry of losing some sealant in the process. If sealant leaked out during inflation, it could easily cause a blockage inside the valve system.
Even so, some sealant could still find its way into the core and valve top itself.
Having not too many issues for a few months, Anthony found it just like living with regular tubular tyres… that was until the inevitable happened!
Anthony went to his gravel bike one morning to get ready to make his daily commute only to find his tyre pressures were seeming low for his liking. Upon removing the dust cap, sealant had found its way through the valve and inside the dust cap, resulting in the inner core being removed still attached to the dust cap. This did unfortunately cause both air and a large amount of tubeless sealant to explode from his valve, leaving Anthony with a flat tyre and a messy puddle of sealant to clear up. This forced him to hop on his old road bike instead.
You may be thinking that there was another way of stopping this from happening, but due to a traditional valve requiring the top to be unscrewed prior to the pump being attached, there’s not much of a solution around this problem arising. In other cases, the valve core gets clogged up with sealant, leaving the user unable to inflate the tyre.
Muc-Off Big Bore – The Solution
Recently becoming a Muc-Off trader came across their Big Bore valves when flicking through their B2B and thought Anthony should give them a go.
First look, they were well made and looked interesting given the external tap on the valve. Nonetheless, Anthony agreed to be Mondo’s tester and had them installed on his gravel bike.
Setup was so much smoother due to ability to disassemble the valves from dust cap, tap system, and the empty valve – making it a simple task of dry inflating and pouring in the sealant into each tyre. Screw the tap system back on, stick on the pump with the tap of the valve closed, pump the pump slightly before opening the valve, and inflate – closing the valve tap before removing the pump. Simple and effective.
So far so good, but they had yet to be put through their paces.
Anthony since has roughly racked up about 500-600 miles since installation, riding on road, dust tracks, and through some pretty hardcore bridleways. So it’s safe to say his bike has taken quite the beating. He has truly seen the benefit of a tubeless setup as he has had not a single puncture during his cycling, even when smacking on hidden tree stumps.
What for the Big Bore?
Well he has not experienced a single valve clog up and not ran into another sealant explosion! So as far as Anthony is concerned it is a true 10/10 product!
Conclusion and Final Thoughts
Running tubeless has many benefits, with the key ones being self sealing of punctures and no more impact punctures, however, it does take more time and money to setup than a traditional tubular tyre. With that being said, it is a lifesaver when riding on tough gravel trails and mountain bike trails because of the puncture security. They can also be ran at far lower pressures for improved comfort and adjustments to rolling resistance if you want to get technical.
Whilst the incident with the dust cap becoming glued to the valve core has a solution of running no dust caps, the problem still persists where the core continues to become clogged with sealant.
The Big Bore certainly remove this problem entirely and can also look as bling as you desire!
Are there any problems with the Big Bore?
We wouldn’t really class these as problems as such, however, they are more expensive compared to standard tubeless valves with the price difference being about £25. Don’t forget though, you are paying for an innovative design which solves a major issue with tubeless setups, so in the long run it’s certainly work the extra spend.
The other “problem” or more so something major to remember, is the inflation process. Due to the tap system literally being a big ball with a hole through it, you can’t open the valve for inflation before attaching the pump as air and sealant will rush out, just like removing a standard valve core. You have to therefore remember this and get used to a slightly new process.
- Attach and lock on the pump
- Pump slightly to build pressure in the pump
- Open the tap system and begin to inflate
- Close the tap system
- Remove the pump
This can be a bit odd at first, but by not having the traditional screw top valve, it is fairly easy to get used to – plus the tap is unmissable when close up. This does also mean you can use the included aluminium dust caps free of worry!
Would Mondo’s recommend Big Bore – Highly!
If you would like to upgrade your tubeless setup to include the Big Bore or if you are wanting someone to setup your first tubeless wheels, get in touch with Mondo’s today!