Muc-Off’s Big Bore tubeless valves are one of the more interesting additions to the tubeless valve market. Featuring a ‘straight through’ design closed off by a ball valve, they’re complete with airflow claims as bold as their colour. The real surprise is that they work as well as promised. They make life with tubeless tyres easier while being simple to install. The only real drawback is that they don’t play ball with all pressure gauges and pumps and are pricier than other high-flow valves.
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Muc-Off Big Bore Lite tubeless valves - Technical details
The Big Bore tubeless valves from Muc-Off join Reserve’s Fillmore and Stan’s Exo-Core in a fast-growing market of tubeless-specific valves that are designed to increase airflow while making insertion of tubeless sealant as hassle-free as possible. However, the Big Bore valves stand out in more ways than one.
Firstly, they’re built using a straight-through, coreless design. We have seen similar in the market but few as nearly as literal as what is displayed here. Adding to the uniqueness is that this straight-through design is closed by a ball valve that’s actuated by an external lever. There’s nothing special going on here, it’s basic plumbing but on a tubeless valve, it’s certainly different.
With that fancy design, Muc-Off claims that the Big Bore Lite valve on test allows 230% more airflow than a standard Presta valve. That should mean easy tubeless setups while claiming that the ball valve provides control over that airflow.
These valves are CNC machined from 7075 aluminium and the ball valve is stainless steel. Muc-Off then says that these are fully serviceable. They’re then available in four lengths ranging from 60mm to 90 for rim depths of 20mm to 50mm.
The second way the Big Bore valves differ from the rest of the market is that there are three options available: the Lite, which is a complete Presta fit, and the Hybrid, which fits a Presta-sized rim hole but uses a Schrader-sized upper portion to allow for up to 254% more airflow than a Presta. Rounding off the range is the Ludicrous, which is all-Schrader and offers up to 264% more airflow than a Presta valve.
There are differences in weight throughout the range. The Lite valves on test weigh nine grams, which is only two grams heavier than a regular-style alloy valve.
In the pack, there’s an awful lot. Of course, there’s a pair of valves but there’s a plastic spanner to tighten the body with during installation and a bunch of bases and o-rings. The valve benefits from a 4mm Allen slot in its base to help with installation and it’s compatible with tyre inserts.
Muc-Off Big Bore Lite tubeless valves - Performance
Installation of the Big Bore valves is a little more involved than regular valves but it’s no more intensive than options such as e*thirteen’s Quick Fill Valve. It’s a case of inserting the base through the rim hole and threading everything together. Once in place, you can push sealant through the valve. While this would usually be done after removing a Presta valve’s core, it’s a neat touch that this isn’t necessary with the Big Bore valves.
As there’s no valve core to worry about, there’s a real boost in durability. Usually, a Presta valve's main point of failure is its core – it can get bent but that’s not the case here. Presta valve cores are also very easy to clog and, again, that doesn’t happen with the Big Bore Lites.
Muc-Off suggests that these valves allow 230% more air through the valve than standard Presta valves and while I can’t comment on the accuracy of that figure, they certainly make the inflation of tubeless tyres easy. So much so that it can be felt in the pump as there’s impressively less resistance as a pump is compressed, simply because nothing is in the way, of course, unless the ball valve is closed.
And the externally adjusting ball valve is a pretty neat idea. When removing a pump from the valve, it's common that air will leak from the valve and the pump. Before removing the pump from a Big Bore valve, you can close off the ball valve before removing the pump without losing any air pressure. It’s a small convenience but it’s a convenience nonetheless.
There are some downsides, however, but they won’t affect everyone. I’ve found that these valves aren’t compatible with my Topeak Smartgauge DX2 pressure gauge. The combination doesn’t mesh together and that's likely due to the fact it uses a dual-style head, so it can connect to Presta and Schrader valves. That said, I've been using it with track pumps with a similar system that works fine. All of the pumps I've used work fine with these valves.
There are a couple of other downsides but they're minor – they're slightly weightier than regular valves and take a bit more effort when installing.
Muc-Off Big Bore Lite tubeless valves - Verdict
The main downside is the price. It is well justified but there are products on the market that work incredibly similarly for less cash - the 76 Projects Hi Flow ‘No Clog’ tubeless valves. These aren’t a straight-through design as there’s a ‘transfer chamber’ inside but they provide more airflow than a Presta valve without clogging with sealant. There’s no real valve core either, so they won’t bend. The rubber valve caps are just easy to lose.
e*thirteen’s Quick Full Presta Tubeless Valves can be picked up for just short of £23 but these are more about sealant installation rather than air flow. These still get a Presta valve core but come apart, allowing the user to easily pour sealant into the tyre.
Reserve's Fillmore valves are great. These promise three times the airflow against Presta. In use, these form a physical barrier to stop sealant from getting in and clogging and the user can tap the cap to release pressure. There are three sizes available ranging from £25 to £45. There is only one colour available, however.
If you’re looking to add a bit of bling to your bike and want to refine the tubeless experience Muc-Off’s Big Bore Lite tubeless valves are one of the more interesting additions to the valve market. Better still, they work. They’re pricier than regular valves, and similar competitors but they’re simple and do exactly what they say on the tin.