Did you just plan a tremendous bike ride and saw your bike tires flat? Are you not a veteran of cycling? Well, don’t fret or fuss! We have got intricate solutions for you. Before purchasing any bike, the person should know some basic information about How To Pump Up Your Bike Tires, valves, air pressure, etc. As the fundamentals are clear, the smoother the bicycle ride.
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Contents
Is there air in my tires?
There are two most essential components of tires-
Inner Tube: This is where the air is being stored and is the essential part because if there’s a leakage in this, then this can be one of the reasons you just encountered a flat tire.
Outer Tube: This gives support and strength to the inner tube by shaping the inner tube properly and proportionately, and there’s a valve through which air goes inside. We will be discussing valves in the next passages.
The two most popular valves
There are two most popular valves-
Presta valve
Presta valve is a sleek design valve that is more sophisticated than Schrader and entirely based on metal. It has a lock ring that is used to close the valves. They are easy to recognize because of their slim design and are mostly found on bicycles and don’t worry if you have lost the cap of this valve as the air pressure inside the tube tends to close the valve automatically.
What a relief, right? This valve unburdens the biker as they tend to ride on messy roads, and there is always a chance of losing the valve’s cap but is it a relief? NO! These valves are more precarious and need to be taken care of, but locking makes it easier for the bikes to inflate and deflate the air, which can be surmised as a reason for its popular use.
How to pump up your bike tires with Presta valve ? First, remove the cap if you have a Presta valve in your bike, carefully remove the thread, and then put the pump to inflate the right amount of air.
Schrader valve
Schrader valve is more rounded, concrete in a cylinder shape, and is often found in mountain bikes with tubeless tires. Before we jump on Schrader, let us first know about the tubeless tires. This type of tire doesn’t have an inner tube. If we talk about the Schrader valve, they have a pin in the centre that controls the air.
It is not always that the main reason for flat tires is the depletion of air in the tubes. A lot of air and less amount of air can be the reason for a flat tire. There comes the role of checking air pressure, and it is essential to check the air pressure of the tire. Tires can burst during heat as the air expands.
How to pump up your bike tires with Schrader Valve? Remove the protective cap to protect from the dust and then turn it anticlockwise and attach the pump
But before you start pumping air in the tube, you should know what impact low, and high pressure can cause. Your tires can roll off from the rim if there is low pressure in the tube, which can also be a reason for a flat tire. Too much air pressure can also blow off the tire due to heat which expands the tire and can cause an explosion.
What is the ideal pressure? Let us answer your questions.
The ideal pressure for the road is – 80-120psi
The perfect pressure for a hybrid is – 40-80 psi
The ideal pressure for mountain bikes is- 25- 45psi
You should check the air pressure twice a week so that your tires remain in an idle condition and don’t ditch you while you have a great journey already planned.
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In the following segment, we will talk about How to pump up your bike tires with the help of different kinds of pumps.
Pumps
So, you’ve identified your valve. Great job! Now you’re confused about the kind of pump you’ll need. Thankfully, there’s a ton of variety out there when it comes to these. You can go to your nearest store and ask for recommendations. You’ll likely see one of three types of pumps there. These are a simple Press On pump, a Lever Pump, and a Screw-On Pump. The difference is in how you attach the nozzle to the valve itself.
A press on pump as the name suggests You press it onto your valve hard and start pumping away. These might seem a little inconvenient to some, especially since more easy-to-use variations are available. If you have a screw-on pump, you’ll see a nut mechanism that screws onto a valve in the nozzle. Tighten it around the nozzle and begin pumping steadily.
And finally, a lever pump, as the name suggests, will have a lever attached to the nozzle. You press it against the valve and pull the lever to lock it in place before beginning to pump.
A good way to find some great pumps is to compare them online. These usually cost around $5 to $8 on Amazon and so on. Pick the pump that suits you best.
How To Pump Up Your Bike Tires to fill in the air?
If you find any hole or damage in the tube, then the whole of the tube has to be replaced but if there is nothing as such, then try filling the air with a pump. Try to keep the pump nob and the valve straight. A sudden shift in both of them can completely damage the valve.
Using an air pressure meter, try to check if you are filling in the right amount. If your tire is completely flat, you will have to face struggle as it requires lots of effort.
If there is no stability in the outer tube, then replace it as it is not able to support the inner one, but if the outer one is working fine, then there’s a need to change the inner tube as it is not able to hold the air.
Conclusion
It is necessary to keep the fundamentals in mind if you are riding a bicycle to make it easier for the riders to tackle situations in case they face any due to the flat tires. We hope we were clear enough to give you a fair idea about all the basic concepts.
I hope our complete guide on How to pump up your bike tires was helpful to you.
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Travis is a bike aficionado. Since he was a little boy, he has been riding bikes all day! And this passion led him to start this blog! His passion reflects in his words and detailed reviews!