Bicycle Pumps

[GeorgeET]

As a former member of Santa Monica Dept of Parks Mountain Bike Safety Unit I always stop and help bikers on the road.

Yesterday I took a beautiful ride from Venice Beach to Manhattan Beach.
Great ride perfect weather.

At the Manhattan pier I was asked to pump up a low tire, took my small MB Blackburn MMP 1 pump out, but could not get it onto their Schrader valve?? Worked on mine.
ON the way back helped a group of young riders get the chain back on the rear sprocket. So made me feel good to be able to help and show them how to get the chain back on by using the pedals to wind it on.

Anyway got home and serviced the pump, works better now . So all of you who have not serviced or used pump in long time suggest you check it out before you need it.


Can anyone suggest a good easy to fit light pump??

[GeorgeET]

My new pump from LBD.

http://wheelworld.com/product/blackburn-08-mammoth-pump-40003-1.htm

[KC-Steve]

What's a Schrader valve? (he-he just kidding) I always get Schrader and Presta mixed up, maybe because I have always been accustomed to just filling my car tires up with air without labeling them as such. I never knew they were called "Schrader valves" until I recently started riding bicycles again.

But that begs the question, why does anyone use Presta valves? Maybe someone overseas can help with that one since Schrader valves are also known as "American" valves.

Steve

[trevgbb]

Presta valves are much thinner than AV and require a smaller dia hole in the rim, thus preserving strength in narrow rims, they are also capable of higher pressures and are more airtight.

[Surly LHT]

And they look better on a bicycle too (Presta) only way to go lol.

[GeorgeET]

Nah to the look part. No Idea how to test pressure. Are presta air gauges available? Never seen one.
Never had a presta. I use a $4 automotive stick gauge. Cheap, accurate, hard to break. Camel and Syracuse gauges tested good.

Yes on the very narrow rims it makes sense.

[Billy]

My Planet Bike dial-type gauge claims to work with Presta valves. It came with a little chrome bezel that screws onto the end, but it doesn't make a decent seal. I've stopped worrying about accurate pressure readings when I'm out on a ride; I just inflate until the tire feels right and then check when I get home.

"Feels Right" falls in the middle of my personal 5-point scale:
1 - Flat
2 - Mushy But It'll Get You Home
3 - Feels Right
4 - Rock Hard
5 - Dang, It Exploded

[Joe_W]

My Schwalbe digital gauge works very well with my Presta valves. I find it hard to guesstimate a road bike's tyre pressure from feel. 6 bars (a bit too low) doesn't feel that much lower than 8 bars (though it will be hard to overinflate the tyre with a flimsy frame pump)

[KC-Steve]

(07-02-2010, 12:53 AM)Joe_W Wrote:  My Schwalbe digital gauge works very well with my Presta valves. . .

Joe, tell us why YOU use Presta valves on your Peugeot or any other bicycle.

Steve

[Billy]

(06-01-2010, 01:44 AM)GeorgeET Wrote:  My new pump from LBD.

http://wheelworld.com/product/blackburn-08-mammoth-pump-40003-1.htm

Does that model have the reversible Schrader/Presta fitting in the head? I picked up a Blackburn on a recent ride (forgot my tool kit that day), and it has a rubber bit that you flip over to fit whichever valve you need.

[GeorgeET]

Yes it does have a reversible fitting. I got two pumps. I had to flip both of them as they were set up for presta.

[lumpynose]

(07-01-2010, 04:44 PM)GeorgeET Wrote:  Nah to the look part. No Idea how to test pressure. Are presta air gauges available? Never seen one. Never had a presta. I use a $4 automotive stick gauge. Cheap, accurate, hard to break. Camel and Syracuse gauges tested good.

Yes on the very narrow rims it makes sense.

The floor pumps (when you're at home) usually have a guage.

When I pull the pump's fitting thing off of the presta valve it always makes a loud pop and I can feel some air is lost. I've always wondered how much. Today I finally did a test and noted the pressure and then took it off and then put it back on and it had gone down by about 10 pounds.

[AndrewB]

The Planet Bike gauges are nice, but a little big to carry in one's saddle bag to complement a mini or frame pump.

There are three parts to the Planet Bike gauge though:
- the large gauge piece
- the silver conversion that screws onto the end
- a piece of black rubber tube that goes into the silver conversion adapter


If you lose that black rubber piece (I almost did!), the gauge will no longer work reliably on Presta valves.

(07-01-2010, 08:51 PM)Billy Wrote:  My Planet Bike dial-type gauge claims to work with Presta valves. It came with a little chrome bezel that screws onto the end, but it doesn't make a decent seal. I've stopped worrying about accurate pressure readings when I'm out on a ride; I just inflate until the tire feels right and then check when I get home.

"Feels Right" falls in the middle of my personal 5-point scale:
1 - Flat
2 - Mushy But It'll Get You Home
3 - Feels Right
4 - Rock Hard
5 - Dang, It Exploded