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All bike tires slowly leak air every day. Even if you’re an occasional rider, and you only take your bike down from the bike rack once a week, the tire pressure will still decrease. Before you ride, you should always check your tires’ PSI and, if needed, inflate them with a floor bike pump or a handheld pump.
On the sidewalls of your tires, you’ll see the manufacturer’s recommended pressure range for PSI (pounds per square inch). Different bike tires have different ranges, and narrow tires need more pressure than wide tires. The recommended PSI for different tires are:
Experienced cyclists can often estimate whether their tires need to be pumped by pinching the tire between their thumb and forefinger. The more accurate way of knowing when your tire should be pumped is by measuring its pressure with a pressure gauge; if the air pressure is measured below the recommended PSI, it’s time to pump.
First pump your bike tire to the middle of the range for the recommended PSI. You also need to take your body weight into account. Tires that bear a heavier rider need more PSI. Weather conditions and terrain also affect how a bike rides, so you’ll need to experiment with different PSIs to feel what’s most comfortable to you.
A Schrader valve is the type of valve you’ll find on car tires, older bike tires and mountain bikes. It consists of a metal pin in the center of a threaded valve, and a rubber cap that’s screwed onto the valve. Most bike pumps like those we reviewed have a dual head to accommodate both Schrader and Presta valves or a single head with an adapter.
A Presta valve is found on road bikes and some mountain bikes. It’s a slender valve with a nut at the top that is loosened and tightened before and after inflation. Almost all new bike pumps have a head with openings for both Schrader and Presta valves, or they have an adapter for switching from Schrader to Presta, like one of our top picks, the Topeak – Road Morph G.
If you’re out riding and your tires need air, you could give them a quick inflate with a CO2 injector, like the one we reviewed. But if you don’t have a CO2 injector in your bag, and you forgot your mini pump, then you can pull into a gas station and inflate your tires there.
If you don’t have a pressure gauge, ask the station attendant for one. Inflate your tires to optimal pressure in short bursts; a gas-station air pump has very high pressure, and you run the risk of popping your tire.
A gas-station air pump will only fit a Schrader valve. But if your tires have Presta valves and you don’t have a Presta valve adapter, there’s still a way to inflate them.
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Gene Gerrard, Writer
Gene has written about a wide variety of topics for too many years to count.
He's been a professional chef, cooking-appliance demonstrator, playwright, director, editor of accountancy and bank-rating books, Houdini expert and dog lover (still is). When he's not writing for Your Best Digs, he's performing as a magician at the Magic Castle in Hollywood.
Asked
Modified 4 years, 7 months ago
Viewed 52k times
I haven't used my bike for almost a year and I need to start riding it again, but it appears I have a flat tire. I don't think there's something wrong with the tube cause I haven't used it for a pretty long time. It just won't inflate. The tire has a Schrader Valve. I use a pretty old pump so maybe that's the case? I'm not really sure.
. So is there any way I could inflate it again without getting a new tube or tire?
1
You can easily inflate a completely flat tire (provided the tube is still good). Usually, when a tire is completely flat, you have to press the back of the tire so that the valve doesn't recess into the tire so your pump can be attached properly to it.
With a presta valve, you can use your mouth for this (well, on a clean tube, since the valve stem isn't spring loaded), but with a schrader valve you have to use a pump.
If it still won't inflate, check the tire and tube for damage and replace accordingly.
3
Make sure the valve isn't stuck. If it's been sitting that long it probably is. Look at the valve and you'll see a pin in the middle. This pin needs to be depressed for the valve to open and allow air into the tube.
Press down on it with a ball point pen, screwdriver tip or similar object to unstick it. Then follow the advice above about holding the tube in place while you attach the pump.
I had a similar problem and what worked for me was soaking the valve in white vinegar as you would a shower head for half an hr and then gently pushing the middle bit with an old ikea small allen key. worked perfectly.
ps i used a tissue soaked the tissue (cotton balls are better) in white vinegar, place them on the valve wrap in foil around tire and I let it sit for about an hr or 2)
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Contents
Flat tires do not bode well for the cyclist.
The situation must be resolved immediately, otherwise you will have to become a pedestrian for a while. What should be done? That's right, pump up the camera and calmly continue moving. Consider how to pump up a bicycle wheel with a pump, what subtleties are available when using an autocompressor, and whether it is possible to do without a pump.
Tire pressure is the main parameter that is responsible for the speed of movement, grip and safety of the cyclist. The average minimum indicator for bicycles is 2 atmospheres. For driving on asphalt, the recommended value is within 3.5 atm., For primers - 2.6 - 2.8 atm.
It is easy and simple to determine the pressure inside the bicycle tube using a pressure gauge - separate or built into the pump:
Another method: feel around the entire circumference of the tire with your fingers. If the rubber does not flex, then you can ride. It should be noted that this method will only give accurate results for thin slicks on road bikes and tires on city bikes.
Consequences of underinflated tyres:
On the contrary, an excess amount of air in the chambers threatens the following:
Maintaining the recommended pressure will eliminate all these shortcomings and allow you to get the most out of your trips. Below is a table of values depending on the weight of the cyclist:
| The mass of the cyclist, kg | atmospheres/PSI* |
| 50 | - 2. 59/35 - 38 |
| 3.1/45.5 | |
| 90 | 3.6/53 |
| 105 | 3.9/57.5 |
| 4.1/60 | |
| 118 | 3.2 - 3.4/47 - 50 |
*1 atm = 14.696 Psi
In general, a bicycle pump is a necessary thing for every cyclist. With the help of this simple device, it will be possible to inflate the wheels on your own, and not roll your bike to a service or gas station.
Hand pumps are divided into two types: simple and with a recording device (pressure gauge). It is recommended to purchase the second option, however, if a separate pressure gauge was lying around in the cabinet, you can buy a cheaper pump.
Universal hand pump with dial gauge
For ease of pumping with a conventional hand pump, you can immediately count the number of air inlets until the optimum pressure is reached and then pump exactly like this, even without additional use of a pressure gauge.
How to inflate the chambers correctly:
Pressure tracking:
By the way, the latter will not be superfluous to do with a pressure gauge, since the pressure inside the pump can increase during pumping, but air does not enter the chamber (the valve is not completely closed) or exit through a hole in it.
Common bicycle nipples are automotive and Dunlop. For thin wheels, a Presta nipple with a valve is used. It requires cleanliness and accuracy in handling.
Presta tubes fitted to road bikes and select hybrids
A special small volume pump is matched to it. A regular bike pump may not fit or you may need to use an adapter.
Most bicycles have a "Schrader" or car valve. The standard option allows you to inflate tires at gas stations and public bike pumps (of which there are only a few in our cities so far) directly.
How to inflate simple wheels with a car pump:
How to inflate your Presta with a compressor at a gas station:
In this case, it is very important to know exactly how many atmospheres it is necessary to let air into the chambers. With increasing pressure, it can quickly burst.
The last option left is Dunlop. It is identical in size to an automobile nipple, but in terms of design features it is similar to the French one (aka Presta). When inflating a wheel, you should follow the rules for a sports analogue.
Is it possible to inflate bicycle inner tubes without a pump? It is unlikely to reach the recommended pressure, since a regular supply of pressurized air is required, but you can reach the minimum values.
Let's consider several methods of pumping chambers, which can be resorted to without using a pump:
Vacuum cleaner. Many models are equipped with a blower mode, when switched to which air is blown out. A thin hose can be used to connect the wheel nipple. The result directly depends on the tightness of the connection between the hose and the nipple. Here you can use rubber pads, clamps and even rags.
Bottle pump. You will need two plastic bottles. One of them will serve as a cylinder, the other as a rod. Cut off the bottom of the first bottle and connect its neck through a thin hose to the chamber outlet. Next, insert the second bottle into it and with translational movements pump air through the cylinder into the hose. For tightness, grease the connection of the neck and the hose with sealant or lay a rubber pad. High pressure cannot be created, but it is possible to ride the N-th distance on a bicycle.
Bottle pump schematic: 1 - "rod", 2 - cylinder, 3 - cylinder neck, 4 - hose
The third way is to remove the nipple and inflate like a balloon.
The method is fraught with difficulties in its removal and installation in its rightful place. It will be especially difficult to install back, since during this time all the air can be released.
An alternative tire inflation option is to inflate with a bicycle air fork pump. You will have to work hard, as this pump is designed for small volumes.
Despite the fact that a resourceful person will find a way out of any situation, it is recommended to have a special pump for tire inflation. Moderately inflated bicycle chambers are the key to comfortable trips without unpleasant surprises in the form of a burst chamber or damage to the wheels.
Depending on the type of soil, the pressure in the tires of a car, motorcycle or bicycle has to be varied in order to get the maximum flotation from the vehicle.
But if in the case of a car, what to let down, what to pump up a tire is not difficult (I inserted the compressor into the cigarette lighter and just “business”), then in the context of “two-wheeled friends”, the problem is more acute.
Dmitry Zlenko
Many bicycles come with compact hand pumps. It seems that you know as well as I do that while you “breathe” one and a half or two atmospheres into the tire with such a “magic wand”, you will get tired so that you don’t want to go anywhere. And here, you understand, the second wheel is in line! And the degree of reliability of this kind of plastic compressors leaves much to be desired: then some part will fall off, then the stem will bend, then the check valve will stick. In a single season on my bike, I scrap a couple of these "hand trainers." Yes, and an eight-year-old son without the help of adults is not able to pump up a wheel on his “friend” with such a device.
Eh, to combine the ease of use of a car compressor with the compactness of a hand-held bicycle pump .
.. And while I was dreaming about this miracle, the well-known to all motorists manufacturer of electric compressors Berkut has already created such a “device”! Imagine, it looks like an ordinary bicycle pump, except that it is packed in an aluminum case and does not have a handle, which traditionally has to be pulled up and down. From one end of the Berkut Specialist VL-1000 there is a hole for screwing a small hose, and from the other end there are two buttons and a connector for recharging the pump from a 220 Volt network. On both ends of the pump, everything is closed with dust and moisture protective rubber plugs.
There is a mechanical pressure gauge on the hose, thanks to which you can determine the degree of tire inflation by touch, but what is called with the help of a precise instrument. At the end of the hose there is a fitting for a wheel valve (in the common people "nipple"). In fact, there are two fittings, one is screwed onto the other: this design allows the compressor to be used to inflate tires with “nipples” of different standards.
The Berkut Specialist VL-1000 is turned on and off with the help of a large red button, which, as we said earlier, is located on the end of the pump. Nearby there is a smaller button - it is responsible for the operation of the LED flashlight. Why does a compressor need a flashlight? Well, don't tell me... If the need for pumping up the wheel arose after sunset, the built-in LEDs will help you quickly find the "nipple" and screw the fitting onto it. And to find in the dark the same cap from the nipple or some other “lost thing” with a flashlight is much easier than without it.
Does Berkut Specialist quickly inflate a 27-inch bicycle tire? Almost instantly. This accumulator compressor inflated a deflated bicycle tire to the rims to two “points” in 13 seconds! The instructions for this "gadget" say that it is not recommended to inflate more than two wheels up to 28 inches at a time, as this can lead to overheating of the pump. And if the wheels are of a larger diameter, then you need to take a break after "swindling" each wheel.
Well, I don’t know, having pumped up two “twenty-seventh” wheels in a matter of seconds, the pump was still cool outside temperature. By the way, you can use the pump in the temperature range from minus 10 to plus 45 Celsius.
If we continue the topic of the technical characteristics of the Berkut Specialist VL-1000, it should be noted that in one minute the pump is able to pump up to 10 liters of air from the atmosphere into the tire, and the maximum pressure given out by the device is as much as 8 bar!
Although the Berkut Specialist VL-1000 is positioned as a bicycle compressor, we decided to check whether it can become a friend for motorcycle tires. A pit bike wheel is about the same diameter as a bike tire, but due to its higher profile and wider width, it requires a significant amount of air. But our test subject in some 34 seconds stuffed the rear tire of a pit bike up to two atmospheres. It took ten seconds more to inflate the front tire from 0 to 2 units (the fact is that the front wheel is one and a half times larger than the rear).
