BBB CoreCap has reinvented the lowly bicycle tire valve with a design that boosts airflow, improves durability, expands pump compatibility, and even possibly sheds a bit of weight. Their new CoreCap design is a mash-up up the two major tire valve options – Presta & Schrader, and yet it manages to avoid the main pitfalls of each. Less chance of clogged valves with up to 3x more airflow from the same skinny valve as before. No more fiddly valve cores getting bent by a misaligned pump head. No more need for an extraneous valve cap. And yet the CoreCap doesn’t look any bigger than most Presta caps. Plus, full compatibility with any pump head that would attach to the traditional Schrader car tire valves.
BBB CoreCap puts a capless Schrader atop your Presta stem
In a nutshell, the BBB CoreCap is essentially just a small alloy Schrader (AV) head that you thread on top of your existing Presta (SV) stem, eliminating the tiny fiddly Presta valve core. By pulling the core out of the small diameter stem, BBB says their CoreCap increases airflow by up to 300%. And with the larger space inside the Schrader-sized alloy cap, that gave them room to create a spring-loaded, triple-sealed bleed valve that does not need an extra external cap to keep debris out and air inside.
If all of this looks a little familiar, you might remember the bulkier Aigo-Tec Capless Speed Valve that we covered last summer. But BBB independently developed what looks like a more refined and certainly lighter solution in their CoreCap. This new one apparently has a global patent pending, and you can actually buy them now.
When BBB’s marketing told us they were going to “blow your mind” with some new valve caps, I wasn’t overly ready to succumb to the hype. I’ve tried loads of different tubeless valves and Presta conversions, and none have wowed me enough to change my ways. Clik got the closest to convincing me (and my colleagues) to convert, with its neat pump connection interface. But maybe CoreCap could finally be the one to sway me to really switch.
Are they worth the switch?
That’s really because of how painless the conversion was, and how it kinda still looks like a regular valve cap in the end. It took longer for me to find the nearest valve core removal tool than it did for me to swap a Presta core for the CoreCap. (Why doesn’t BBB include a plastic core removal tool with these CoreCaps, though?) You need less than a minute to make the switch.
Yes, I’ve carelessly bent a few Presta cores in my day, even broken one or two. Some pump heads just want to eat valve cores. Others annoyingly like to remove the valve core itself when you unscrew the head. Plus, I’ve replaced many over the years, clogged by sealant. Clik solved the bent & unscrewed cores, but doesn’t address the sealant issue. I’d tried another Schrader conversion years ago, but it was heavy, clunky, and still really needed its own cap to keep dirt out.
Now, I weighed a set of 4 CoreCaps and compared it to two sets of Presta cores & lightweight alloy caps, and the CoreCap comes out 20% lighter. Sure, that means you are maybe going to save 1g per wheelset here. But all the benefits above and lighter sounds good, right?
So how well do they work?
I was able to quickly and easily fit the CoreCaps to both tubeless valves and regular inner tubes with removable Presta valve cores. Be careful to start with clean valve stems, though. These little caps simply thread onto the outside of your existing stem, and a small internal seal presses against the end to seal air in. If you are like me and ride your bike in nasty conditions without caps over your Presta valves, likely there’s grit on them that could prevent a perfect airtight seal.
The 300% airflow boost sounds great, but does it matter? More flow doesn’t really mean quicker inflation. But there is less resistance, so the first several pump strokes were easier than normal, and your electric inflator might last a few psi longer. It should even make seating a tubeless tire with a floor pump easier. But I haven’t needed to do that yet. The biggest benefit really is that more flow means a decreased likelihood of getting clogged by sealant.
What’s going to really be great is broader pump head compatibility. All of my mini pumps and electric inflators have either auto-changing heads or removable guts to fit either Presta or Schrader valves. But many Schrader-only heads also exist, like those at gas station compressors. And since the BBB CoreCaps are threaded on the outside, you can use any press-on, clip-on, or thread-on pump head. That would certainly come in handy in a pinch.
Now, I just have to decide what color caps I prefer. And whether or not I want to commit to buying like 10 sets of these little gadgets, and going all-in.
BBB Core Cap – Pricing, options & availability
The all-new BBB CoreCaps are offered as two types of solutions – either as a simple replacement for your existing Presta valves, or as a complete tubeless valve set.
The upgrade set includes a pair of CoreCaps, two rubber washers, and a pair of alloy valve nuts for a color-matched solution. The CoreCap Valve Caps Upgrade Set sells for £15 / 17€, and comes in your choice of 6 anodized colors. Pick from red, blue, gold, purple, black, and this brownish bronze that they’ve confusingly and incorrectly labeled as ‘oil slick’.
The CoreCap AL Valve Set is a complete pair of lightweight alloy tubeless valves. The valve set comes in just black or this brown ‘oil slick’ in 40mm, 60mm & 80mm long variants, selling from £25-32 / 30-35€ depending on length.
All combinations are available now, either direct from BBB in some markets, or through your local BBB dealer bikeshop.
