The Juice Lubes Tubeless Valves work very well and look good, but while they include a couple of handy extra features, they’re a bit on the expensive side.
I put these in my wheels and they didn’t leak air. Can I go now? I’m being told no.
As you might expect from the price, these are pretty fancy. They’re machined from 7075 aluminium, an alloy strong enough to be used in aircraft frames, gears and even gear shafts, and they come in either 48mm or 65mm lengths.
7075 isn’t actually very good at resisting corrosion, but anodising seals it very well and means these can come in lovely colours too – eight, to be precise. Most are bright, but there’s black if that’s not your style.
The design is worthy of the material. The locking ring has flat sides that take a spanner if necessary, and the base fits an Allen key if you’re ever struggling to get these undone.
The stems inside the wheel are slotted so the airway is not blocked if you’re running tyre inserts (they’re just as good for mountain or gravel bikes as road), and each comes with three shapes of rubber grommet for sealing with your rims.
I tried them all and chose the ones it arrives wearing anyway – the bigger cones seem suited to rims drilled for Schrader valves, while the longer ones seemed unnecessary on my quite typical 19mm rim beds. Hand tightening easily created an airtight fit for me – they’re easy to install.
> 9 things they don’t tell you about tubeless tyres
The caps are at least 26.359% fancier than the bodies, according to my calculations. The slot on top is a spoke key that fits 3.2mm and 3.4mm nipples (ours measured 3.3-3.4mm, so it’s tight), and the lower part works as a valve core removal tool. These extras are nice, but do they justify the premium price?
Personally, in 20+ years of mountain biking and road riding I’ve never once ground to a halt for want of either a spoke twiddler or a valve core remover. Perhaps I’ve just been lucky, but it makes these tools seem nice to have rather than essential – especially when spoke keys often appear on multi-tools anyway. You may, of course, find them a constant source of wonder and utility, which would help with the value.
At least you should have a valve core remover handy should you need to top up the tyre juice.
Well, you will assuming you fit the caps, which in all honesty I rarely do… again speaking personally, I check the tyre pressures before almost every ride and don’t want the extra faff, and I’ve never had an issue with bare valves. Schrader valves need caps. Presta? Not really.
Value
If you just want to stop the air falling out of your tyres, you can do it much cheaper: the LifeLine Universal Tubeless Presta Valves are £9.99, and available in four lengths instead of just two; Weldtite’s Tubeless Valve Kit is also £9.99; and Joe’s No Flats Tubeless Presta Valve Kit is £13.99.
But nice wheels deserve nice valves, and it’s a great spot for a splash of colour. Since we reviewed the Muc-Off Tubeless Presta Valves they’ve been redesigned and uprated to 7075 alloy as well, and those are very close now at £27. They also look fancy and come in 12 colours.
Or for £28.50 you could have the 76 Projects HI Flow No Clog Tubeless Valves, which actually get you some new ideas for the money, though they’re not so easy to install as a result.
Even with the tools included on the Juice Lubes’ caps, then, the price is well up there. The build quality, design and looks are all worthy of it, but ultimately how you perceive the value will depend on how useful you think the tools are and, frankly, how much you fancy treating your bike to a pleasing bit of bling.
Conclusion
Overall, they’re well made, easy to use and look great. I like them a lot. There are plenty of cheaper options, though.
Verdict
Nicely designed, nicely made and effective premium valves with a premium price
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road.cc test report
Make and model: Juice Lubes Tubeless Valves 65mm
Size tested: 65mm
Tell us what the product is for and who it’s aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
Juice Lubes says: “The best looking, best performing, most tooled-up valves in the game and absolutely packed them with features to make tubeless super simple.”
“Each has a valve core tool and spoke keys for 3.2mm and 3.4mm spoke nipples. Tools are on both caps so no stress if you ever lose one.
“First up, the valve core is removable to make adding sealant a breeze, and that valve core tool is always close at hand when you need it.
“There’s a 4mm Allen key base for easy removal and a selection of rubber grommets for a perfect, airtight fit. Last but not least, a slotted base works perfectly with your tyre inserts and flat-sided edges on the lock ring help you clamp it down tight.
“Finally, our packaging is 100% cardboard for easy recycling.”
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Juice Lubes:
MTB – CX – Road compatible
Premium 7075 Aluminium
3 x Tools on each cap
Valve core removal tool
3.2mm spoke key
3.4mm spoke key
Tyre insert compatible
4mm Allen key base
Wrenchable locking nut
Selection of rubber grommets
100% card packaging
Our tubeless valves are available in eight colours and two sizes:
48mm fits rims up to 30mm deep
65mm fits rims up to 45mm deep
Grouped product items
Around the same price as other premium options, though there are much cheaper ones available.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well. They fit well, hold air and look good.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Easy to fit, work well and oooh look at the colours!
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
They’re quite expensive.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
LifeLine Universal Tubeless Presta Valves are £9.99, so these aren’t exactly cheap, but they’re around the same price as other premium options.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
These are well designed and nicely made from quality aluminium. They work very well. To score higher, though, they’d have to be cheaper.
About the tester
Age: 48
I usually ride: Vitus Zenium SL VR Disc My best bike is:
I’ve been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: general fitness riding, mtb,
6 thoughts on “Juice Lubes Tubeless Valves 65mm”
I love a good tubeless valve
I love a good tubeless valve and these look like they’d fit the bill. However they are ten pounds too expensive than the other expensive valves with the fancy dust caps and twenty pounds more expensive than a non fancy dust cap valves.
Pfff, and I don’t even use
Pfff, and I don’t even use dust caps. You know…”the rules” ?
Have we any real world
Have we any real world testing on the clogless valves yet?
In 5 years I’ve only replaced
In 5 years I’ve only replaced one valve core on my Giant when it stopped sealing due to getting too grotty, so I can’t justify fancy valves, not a real world problem.
As for core removal tools, I’ve acquired so many with different purchases that I just have one in every saddlebag and a couple in my bike tool box, one or two by the sealant shelf and a couple in the man drawer. I probably actually end up using one kicking around on the garage floor.
I keep saying this, but to me
I keep saying this, but to me, tubeless valves are the biggest rip-off in cycling.
You can buy a whole intertube for £5, but just buying the valve somehow increases the price to £15 a pop. It’s madness.
At least these valves are trying to provide something for the money. The spoke key is pointless, but I can see the value in a core remover… except does anyone really keep the valve caps on presta valves?
Well engineered valves make
Well engineered valves make the tubeless experience much more pleasant and successful. I have a lot of experience with various valves over the years. There have been many frustrating moments with bases that don’t seal well and retaining nuts that are too small to get a grip on while they quietly stick themselves in place with sealant. Valves that address these issues are worth the money – don’t skimp on valves.
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