Reserve Fillmore tyre valve review: does your tubeless experience deserve an upgrade?

If you are thinking about picking up something from our list of the best road bike wheels for this summer’s riding, you may well be thinking about tubeless. Sure, you could run a tube, but from a performance standpoint alone tubeless pips tubes. You can choose between hookless, or one of a few options that have retained a hooked design and you get all the benefits that tubeless brings with it: Run lower pressures for a faster, more comfortable, ride with less possibility of a puncture. If you do get a puncture it might seal without you ever knowing, and if not you can use a plug kit or even put in a tube if you have to. The only drawback is tubeless tyre setup.  

Some people will tell you that tubeless tyre setup isn’t a big deal while others will say it is a huge hassle. What’s important to understand is that no matter what, it’s different. It will require different skills and different tools and there are different tricks. One piece of that puzzle is the valve system that you choose to go with. 

Fillmore valves are an invention that comes from Reserve wheels. The brand claims the Fillmore valve “represents a game-changing leap forward in technology, with a high-flow design” and it’s been out for a while now. What’s fairly new is a longer length version that is usable with modern deep road cycling wheels. Given that there was now something that I could use, I was game to see if a special valve was a meaningful upgrade. Keep reading to see if this is the accessory you need to make your tubeless setup as easy as promised. 

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