tire pump question...

[gretchen]

Here's another stupid question that hopefully others are wondering about...
I have a Specialized bike pump...free standing with gage on it.
Ok, i take the little rubber cap off the tire valve, ta da...then unscrew the metal thing at the top of the valve...then push the pump tube end on and pull up that little lever. Right?
Ok, now, here's where i'm stumped...when i do that, the gage reads "0" as in no pressure....What's with that. Then i pump them up to 120 and when i take unrelease the little lever it sounds like all the airpressure is leaking back out. Man, i hate that sound!!!! The tires are supper hard so i know that didn't happen, but i'm kind of puzzled by the whole thing.
Any advise, or knowledge on this.. great!
thanks
gretchen

[Veronica]

For the reading zero, maybe you didn't properly seat the pump head on the valve to open the stem. When you actually started pumping that caused the stem to open.


You also lose a little air when you take the pump head off. It's trivial.

Veronica

[pedalfaster]

Veronica's right. If you watch, after that first "pump" the tire pressure will register. Pretty normal.

Most of the time that airpressure sound when you remove the pump head is just air in the pump hose. You'll know if you accidentally release too much air from your tire...it'll feel soft.

As far as asking a stupid question...no such animal!

Ok here's my sexist observation for the day. I notice while working in the bike shop that many men will ~pretend~ they know what they are doing, even if they don't. Sometimes it's funny to watch! Women seem to have no qualms asking "what's this for?" or "how do I....?"

[spokes]

i was wondering the same thing. good to know!! thanks, gretchen, for getting up the guts to ask. sometimes i feel like i shouldn't have to ask newbie questions anymore because i've been riding for almost a year now. but i guess when i stop asking questions i stop learning too.

many men will ~pretend~ they know what they are doing, even if they don't.

sooooo true... which is why most men never ask for directions!!!

[Veronica]

I check my tires nearly every morning before I ride to work. I'm getting ready to do a big ride tomorrow, so I decide I'll make sure they're topped off and really at 100 PSI. Imagine my chagrin - I've been riding them at 40 PSI. Probably all week. That explains why I've been late to work.

V.

[gretchen]

Yeah, my lbs guy said to check then before every ride, that they loose 10 lps everyday.
40 ! wow, you must have been dragging! I like that excuse for being late though...just tell your boss "oh, i'm really sorry but that extra 60 lps of air out of my tires added a good hour and a half on to the trip". I'm sure they'll buy it!

My tires will be about 10 by the time i get back on! I"m going crazy with the awesome weather out! Prob. one more week before i get the ok from my doctor (i'm the back surgery 'victim').

gretchen

[ChainsOflove]

Whoa
I read that low tire pressure can wreck your good wheels real easy.

I bought a fancy digital tire guage and had the same problem. I tried to get a reading on it and kept letting all my air out!!
It was ridiculous. I'm gonna take the stupid thing back. Not worth the money.

When your road tires are properly filled they are hard as rocks, right? that's what I figure.

[gretchen]

I can't believe the difference 20-40 lbs. makes! It's the difference of hitting a pot hole (not seeing it of course!) and getting jared a bit and hitting that hole and feeling like your hands may never recover!!!!!!!!!! OUCH!
Yep...rocks! those little babies are supposed to be!

[hibiscus09]

Okay, I had to laugh at myself when reading this thread. I guess you guys remember me -- I haven't been posting because I haven't been riding and I forgot about this forum. LOL I had to get some minor surgery in November and then couldn't ride through mid-January -- then it was too cold -- then I kept putting it off. Finally, pulled my road bike out for the first time this past Saturday morning. What can I say?

Anyway, I bought it toward the end of last summer and then did a MS150 in October -- so I've had it long enough to know how to pump up my tires.

I go to pump them up Saturday and never could figure out why they weren't feeling much firmer -- I was scared to keep pumping -- thought I'd end up blowing something up. Needless to say that ride had a slight bit of drag to it.

Well, after reading the first post on this thread -- I now realize I forgot about unscrewing the top of the tire valve.

At least I remembered how to unclip from the clipless pedals -- I was worried I had forgotten how to do that.

I'm going to try to ride more now.

I have been riding a beach cruiser though -- all last week on vacation -- we bought new Treks and I really liked them -- they were a lot of fun to ride at the beach.

[jobob]

Welcome back hibiscus!

[hibiscus09]

Thank you, jobob!!

[MightyMitre]

Good to have to back Hibiscus!