Review: Peaty’s Holeshot Fast Flow Tubeless Valves
It starts as if a rubber bubble loosely blocks the flow of air from the pump to the tire. Ignore it long enough and it becomes a headache. Ride tubeless long enough - and successfully enough - and one inevitably encounters the clogged valve core. A valve core, quite possibly the least expensive part on a modern bicycle, can eventually upend a ride. For years, tubeless riders accepted that valve cores would work well, then work ok, then create frustration, before finally clogging altogether. Along comes Peaty’s with their Holeshot Fast Flow Tubeless valves to reportedly end all the clogging nonsense both for the valve and the pump chuck.
Straight out of the packaging, the Peaty’s Holeshot Fast Flow valves look different compared to their old MK2 presta valves. Luckily we had an extra unused set of MK2s to compare, and the Holeshots looked more robust. The striking difference is the lack of a visible valve core. Further changes are apparent at the bottom of the valve in what Peaty’s calls the base cage. Combine these changes and Peaty’s claims a 200% greater airflow, a number that suggests easier tire seating for the next set of casings. Lastly, Peaty’s states the new Holeshot valves can be broken off, but the tire would remain inflated. That one we will have to take Peaty’s word for.
Instead of a valve core that resembles a shock from an automobile, Peaty’s has redesigned the valve to mimic a needle. With more space along the valve, a considerable amount of air is moved through the valve to the tire. It’s this design that allows faster tire seating. What is even more impressive are the microadjustments available with the Peaty’s Holeshot. By unscrewing the cap and tapping the valve allows riders to breathe out a little extra tire air when needed. With the base cage, Peaty’s valves are compatible with all rim inserts for those running them.
Having ridden on Peaty’s MK2s for years, the valve cores wound up getting gummed up. Much to the dismay of our OCD, one of the cores was removed by a mechanic due to the difficulty of mounting a tire. Over the lifetime of the MK2s, several valve cores were replaced and life went on. With the recent install of Peaty’s Holeshot, all things inflation got faster. The pump’s chuck easily connects to the valve. With satisfaction, only a few presses on the Lezyne floor pump breathed life into new gravel tires. The first benefit of the new valves was the discovery of the microadjustment, and it was by accident. Given the events on the horizon, this feature will certainly be used to air down quickly. The Holeshot success made the MK2 valves a distant memory.
Peaty’s has partnered with Chris King for several years to provide complementary colorways for those looking for a little extra personalization. On the gravel bike, we’ve gone with the Chris King teal rigging; the road bike went with the standard black color. Having twelve total colors to choose from certainly makes customization fun, especially with the vibrant 7075 aluminum. The valves come in two lengths: 43mm and 60mm. Like Chris King products that are highly serviceable, so, too, are the Holeshot valves. Instead of chucking valve cores, the Holeshots can be rebuilt using Peaty’s service kits. Even if that doesn’t work, Peaty’s stands behind their valves with a life guarantee. The caps also serve a purpose. One Peaty’s valve comes with a spoke key; the other comes with a bolt to service pedal assist bikes.
Adding Peaty’s valves has always brought a small joy to our bike rides. There's satisfaction knowing that upgraded valves perform better and look better. Using Peaty’s Holeshot on both the gravel and road tubeless bikes has been an easy improvement in the world of tire health. Now we can tell the local bike shop to cancel our monthly valve core replacement subscription. Maybe we’ll replace it with the Peaty’s Holeshot service kit.
