Juice Lubes Tubeless Valves 65mm

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