How to use a track pump??

xterra
xterra Posts: 117
edited May 2010 in Road beginners
Without sounding a total buffoon :oops: can someone please advise how you can tell what pressure your pump is inflating your tyres to?
i have just bought a top dog track pump with a gauge, but as I pump the dial rises and then immeadiately drops to 20psi or so - i end up just pumping like mad and hoping for the best, is there a knack to doing this??

also as the dial pings round to say 70 psi my tyres feel solid - should i keep going and risk a pop lol

any guidance or advice greatly recieved

thanks>>>>

Comments

  • Erudin
    Erudin Posts: 136
    With a Presta valve, you should unscrew the tip, and then press down on the top of the valve to release a bit of air before attaching the pump head. Work the pump head gently down onto the valve before closing the lever (check your closing it the right way as some pump-heads vary). The pressure in the pump must exceed the pressure in the tire before the presta valve will release and allow air inside.

    Your tyres should have maximum tyre pressure value marked on them.

    See: http://stadiumbike.com/articles/pump-up-a-presta-valve-pg123.htm

    If you don't keep skinny road tyres at right pressure you risk pinch flats and damaged wheels if you hit a potholes/obstacles, I'd never run my 23c's less than 100psi, 110-120psi is recommended for them.

    Mountain bike tyres don't need as much psi depending on tyre size, for 1.75's you could:

    When riding off-road or wet/icy road;

    Rear: 45psi - Front: 35psi

    When riding on-road;

    Rear: 60psi - Front: 45psi

    http://www.ctc.org.uk/desktopdefault.aspx?tabid=3802

    http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tyres.html

    Presta tube & tire inflation videos:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwwYr9GhCAc&feature=related
  • mattward1979
    mattward1979 Posts: 692
    When I first got a Track pump I had issues too....

    As stated above, make sure you let some air out of the tyre before attatching the nozzle. When you pump, make long slow even pressured pumps and you should Feel and hear the air going into the tyre. If the needle goes up then straight back down again with no overall increase to the pressure, the nozzle is not attached correctly, and inversely, if the needle very quickly rises but you dont feel the air moving, there is a seal between the nozzle and the valve, so the needle is registering the air pressure pre-Tube.

    Im a bit of a large lad, so I run 110 rear 100 front with 700x23's. Dont be worried about breaking the 100 psi mark as as far as im aware, during testing tyres are inflated to exploding point, then the psi halved to give the maximum "safe" psi.
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