Special air pumps for Bikes? k2 curvy BS

Went to out air in the front tyre today. Couldn't get the airpump nozzle to the valve because of the discs - what to do?

John

Take the discs off

The pumps at petrol stations are awkward but it can be done. You've just got to get your valve at the bottom of the wheel and approach at an angle from the front.

Otherwise, just get a decent footpump with the flexible hose.

Oh, and a decent pressure guage because those petrol stations are notoriously inaccurate.

You can also get those valve addapters that instead of point in towards the centre of the wheel, point outwards, so its far easier to get the hose onto them...

[northwind]

Take a real deep breath, and...

Originally Posted by carlos

Otherwise, just get a decent footpump with the flexible hose.

Oh, and a decent pressure guage because those petrol stations are notoriously inaccurate.

A foot pump and good gauge ain't a lot of sovs. I've become a bit anal about tyre pressures and do mine before riding if I haven't checked them within the past week. I've got three bikes on the road, so depending on mood, needs, weather, etc., I can go several weeks without riding one or other of them.

[Kylie]

Yep, go down to you local car parts place and get a footpump. I used to have an Argos one but that bust recently, now got a nice Michelin one from Halfords that does the job. You only need the single cylinder version, around 10 pumps will take you from 32 to 38psi on mine.

Originally Posted by Kylie

You only need the single cylinder version

A double barrel is better simply because it is wider and therefore more stable - it also pumps quicker....

Originally Posted by andy

A double barrel is better simply because it is wider and therefore more stable - it also pumps quicker....

Do not rely on the gauge on footpumps; they are often/usually/always wildly inaccurate. Buy a separate one.

[Kylie]

A double barrel is better simply because it is wider and therefore more stable - it also pumps quicker.

I've got one of these:

and its stable and quick enough for bike and car tyres. But each to their own!

Do not rely on the gauge on footpumps; they are often/usually/always wildly inaccurate

The old argos one had a woeful gauge, but the one on the pump above compares pretty well to the number I get from my pen gauge thing. To be fair I don't worry too much about manufacturer's recommendeations, you get a feeling for whether a tyre feels right or not, so I only need the gauge to be consistent, not super accurate.