Weird floor pump problem

[ace]

All of a sudden my floor pump only works on my back tire! Last weekend I couldn't make it inflate the front tire, so I rode past my lbs, and they popped on their floor pump, and it worked. Makes no sense to me. One of my neighbors who's a bike guy suggested I let a little air out, then spit into the valve, then try. He said that will help get a seal. In case it matters, I have shrader valves.

Ideas?

Thanks, guys.

-A

[TsPoet]

Dunno, but maybe the depressor thingamaboby is warn down. I put a pebble in my pump - without it, the knob in the middle that is designed to depress the valve stem so air can go in isn't long enough for some tubes.
Clear as mud?

[ace]

Hm. Shouldn't be, because it works fine on the back tire. I can't image it's something on the pump, since it's working on one tire and not the other.

[Kalidurga]

I often have the same issue with my floor pump and the presta valves on my front tire. No matter what kind of tube is in my front tire, it takes a few tries to get the pump to work. Whereas the rear tire works on the first try just about every time. If someone has a clue why front tires are the "jinx" tires, I'd love to hear it, too.

[ace]

I'd be ok if it were a few times, and then it worked. But I'm trying like 10 times, and I just can't get it to work! Frustrating.....

[spokewench]

I'd be ok if it were a few times, and then it worked. But I'm trying like 10 times, and I just can't get it to work! Frustrating.....

IT's hard to tell what is going on with your description since a floor pump worked at the LBS and your floor pump works on your rear tire. I would guess it has something to do with the inner tube stem in your front tire.

Here is a little tip that helps all pumps work. Put the stem at the bottom of the wheel, i.e. down by the ground, instead of at the top or at the side. I know it sounds stupid but sometimes it does the trick.

[ace]

Thanks, spoke. I do always put it down by the ground, seems to work better. I am doomed, DOOMED! Not to be dramatic or anything.

[Batbike]

from my experience, pumps wear-out eventually causing the seal to not be as tight on certain tubes than others.

i have replaced my hose on my floor pump 2 times -- once for wear and once for breakage.

recently, i took my pump to lbs because it was not working on various tubes, showing wear, and they suggested a schrader to presta converter to put on pump, allowing me inflate my presta tubes with the schrader valve -- works great!

maybe you could find some type of adapter or replace the hose -- it is cheaper than buying a whole new pump!

[li10up]

Well, this is what we say in the I.T. world...

USER ERROR: Replace user and press any key


just kidding.......don't get mad. :D

[ace]

I work at a technology consulting firm, and everyone around here knows that if they want to casually test hardware or software, just hand it over to me, 'cause I break everything, pretty much immediately. It is almost a gift. Unfortunately, I can't fix anything, which would be handy.

But the pump thing is pissing me off, because it's a good Joe Blow pump, I bought my first one in July, it broke immediately (see??) and I returned it and got a replacement. So I've only had this for 9 months at most.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I was having trouble getting my (new) floor pump to work on both my tires. We were on the verge of trying to return it as defective, when I changed tire sizes on my bike and put in new tubes- this time not the cheap brand tubes i had in before. Voila, the pump has had no problem since then. We figured the problem actually lay in the bargain tubes valves, not the pump.

[ace]

So I tried what my neighbor suggested, letting a little air out, then spitting into the part of the pump that you stick onto the valve....and it worked! He said sometimes that will create the seal you need to make it work. Cool-o-rama!