Stupidest question yet - how to pump your tyres

laertes

I know it seems unbelievable, but I seem to be letting more air out than in. I have a hand/frame pump and a presta valve inner tube. They have worked together before, but I seem to have forgotten how.

I twiddle off the little plastic valve cover. Do I then need to unscrew the little golden fella at the top of the valve a little? Then I pop the pump on, snap the little handle up to secure the fitting and pump. Sometimes I have loads of resistance and no air goes in, other times I get air in, but by the time I have taken the pump off and tightened the little gold bit up, too much air has got out.

Please help an idiot, a humiliated, bad tempered, idiot with an upside down bicycle and putting on weight every minute!

orv

lol. too much friday evening wine perhaps?

yup twiddle the little golden fella a little. press it in to release some air and free up the seal. attach pump making sure to use correct adaptor, presta not schrader. and then pumpy pump.
once you take the pump off there shouldnt be any air coming out while you tighten up the golden fella... if there is perhaps your valves knackered.

Bazza

Just thought I'd add -be careful with the said "little golden fella" as they can break off easily and use some saliva before you attach the pump, it'll help getting it on an off without breakin it, also helps with temp, it gets warm as you pump.

feel

If you have a hand frame pump it may well not be able to put the desired pressure in your tyres, a free standing track pump is what you really need if you want to easily pump them up to 80+ psi . A lot of frame pumps will only do emergency get you home pressures.

Papa Smurf

Free standing pumps are definately much better, hand pumps are good for emergency's and if yours don't go very high, it can give you enough pressure to get home on if needed.

One thing to watch with some bikes is if you have thick/reinforced rims.
I got smashed up by a car recently and had to use a wheel off my other bike, which has those pyramid type rims and 24 spokes. Even with a Presta valve in it (which is longer...) it's a real bitch to pump up if it's really flat or you've just repaired a puncture... Simply because you can't get your pump onto the valve as it can retract into the tyre a little way, making it near impossible to get your pump on!

laertes

Bazza wrote:

Just thought I'd add -be careful with the said "little golden fella" as they can break off easily and use some saliva before you attach the pump, it'll help getting it on an off without breakin it, also helps with temp, it gets warm as you pump.

I wouldn't be so embarrassed if I was drunk :roll: but I never touch the stuff, I just have 17 thumbs and a brain to match.

Thanks for the tips everyone, at least I was on the right track.

feel

and just to prove you were telling the truth about all the thumbs - a double post
good luck.

synchronicity

You need to get yourself a track pump. I have two!
Decathlon sells a really good one called the "Clever 9000"... two thumbs up for that one.

They're next best piece of kit after the bike.

orv

Papa Smurf wrote:

Simply because you can't get your pump onto the valve as it can retract into the tyre a little way, making it near impossible to get your pump on!

Isn't that what the little locknuts that screw down are for? - the ones that all "real" roadies always remove from their valves. Never quite understood why. just that everyone laughs at you if you leave them on. very odd that.

synchronicity

Maybe because they add more weight to the wheel where it's most unwanted (at the valve), thereby unbalancing it even further...

The solution is to just get longer valve stems...actually, I suppose this adds extra weight too. :oops:

:arrow: The best tubes come with non-threaded valves to save the life of your pump head... get those.

notsoracy rich

Isn't that what the little locknuts that screw down are for? - the ones that all "real" roadies always remove from their valves. Never quite understood why. just that everyone laughs at you if you leave them on. very odd that.

If you have ever had the misfortune of trying to remove one of those locknuts after a winters worth of salty roads has welded the locknut to the stem, and you're miles from anywhere with a puncture,you will never fit those little locknuts again!

MichaelW

[/quote]

If you have ever had the misfortune of trying to remove one of those locknuts after a winters worth of salty roads has welded the locknut to the stem, and you're miles from anywhere with a puncture,you will never fit those little locknuts again![/quote]

Been there, done that, managed to get home again thanks to a pair of pliers. I now smear a dab of grease on locknuts.

Top tips:
Always hold your pump at 90 degrees to the valve.
Brace your thumb against the rim as you pump.
To remove the pump, hold steady at 90 degrees, un-lock them slap down gently. If you twiddle or twist you will wreck the valve.

Mettan

Another idea if you need a cheap Track pump equivalent - get a Draper double barel foot pump (the blue ones) - they easliy and very quickly pump your tyres up to a reliable 100 psi - the gauge only runs to 100, but they do definately pump to that level and very quickly (being a foot pump) - I use one at home for easy, quick pumps to 100 or top ups from 80-90 back to 100 (I'm actually quite pleased with mine now).

Rich Hcp

I bought a track pump.

I have a franme pump.

It stays on the frame for emergancies only