have never pumped a tire properly. HELP

[inatree]

please no hate mail.

i have a stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid and sad problem.

i have never been able to properly pump my tires. i have been riding for several years. my iq has been determined to be 139. please no "you are too stupid to post in this forum" mail, thanks!!!!

its a road bike. few yrs old. the only pump that has been successful has been my roommates super expensive one. im sorry, i know it sounds weird but i actually cant afford $175 for a bicycle pump. yeah yeah yeah, get off the saddle if you can't afford anything, bla bla bla bla.

i have used various standup pumps. with the pressure gauge on it. yes, i screw that little thing in first. i havent ridden in a long time and basically dont ride anymore because it takes at least 30 mins to pump my tires, and i am always completely covered in sweat afterwards. no, i'm not all fat and out of shape. i am actually dealing with illness and am underweight and need to be healthy. no, i don't have anyone to help me. no one. no family, neighbors or friends. its a nightmare so i am trying to do fun things like ride bikes. i know its' tempting to now want to assume that i deserve to be alone and in pain but i really don't. i really wanted to ride today but i just tried to pump one tire, and my entire body is now covered in sweat and i need to change my clothes. the tire is not safe to ride with because its not pumped up, the other one i havent even gotten to. i know its not this hard for everyone else.

when i pump you can hear the air coming out. i know this isnt supposed to be happening but for the goddamn life of me i have never been able to stop this from happening, and i have spent hours and hours and hours next to my bike with the pump, trying to do it right.

i took it in to a bike shop, i have done this several times. they show me, it makes sense. i try it, do it successfully. they smile, knowing they have taught me well. i smile, thinking i have learned properly. i take the bike home. when i need to pump the tires again, i hook up the pump and hear the whooshing sound of air escaping as i pump, and have the same fateful problem again, and again end up sitting out of breath with beads of sweat coming down my face and body and realizing i won't be going anywhere.

i used to be great, rode at least a couple hrs a day, but dont anymore because i am usually too tired after pumping to go anywhere.

another day ruined by an unbelievably ridiculous problem that i doubt anyone will ever have the patience to help me with. i miss riding. serves me right.

[Biciclista]

Your question isn't dumb. I've had the same problem.
Keep taking it back to the bike shop.
Sometimes i can get it to work right, sometimes I can't.
I don't know why.
But keep going back to the bike shop, they don't care, and it's easy for them.
good luck

[Andrea]

First off- quit putting yourself down.


Next- when you say "I screw that little thing in first," what, exactly are you talking about? The screw on the end of the valve? Something on the pump? Therein may lie your problem.

[maryellen]

Are you taking your pump to the bike shop for the tutorial or are they demonstrating on a different pump?

[Zen]

When I was having a hard time I took my pump into the shop and asked them to show me what I was doing wrong.
Turned out I wasn't doing anything wrong, it was a defective pump.

Here's an instructional video-
http://www.ehow.com/video_4974894_in...bike-tire.html

[inatree]

well you are all being pretty nice considering my little rant there.

the strangest thing just happened. after thinking the above thought, i decided to try again and i just put the nozzle farther out, just to see if it would work, and it worked better. the only problem still is one that i don't think is related to the pump or anything...i have a hard time pushing the handle all the way down, either because i have weak upper body strength or i am small, i don't know. anyone else have this problem? it was still a workout, but at least i have enough air. it's still not the recommended amount tho.

now for the other tire. i'm glad the sun's still out.

[Mr. Bloom]

my iq has been determined to be 139. please no "you are too stupid to post in this forum" mail, thanks!!!!

That's OK, mine is slightly higher...and I can't get it right either Then I think I get it right and voile - I pull the stem out of the tube!

[MartianDestiny]

i have a hard time pushing the handle all the way down, either because i have weak upper body strength or i am small, i don't know. anyone else have this problem?

Normal (well, for us small ladies). I typically have to use my whole body to get the last 20-25psi in my tires (road or mountain, though mainly road). Yes, this means looking ridiculous as I lean over the pump and lift my feet off the ground so all my body weight is on it. You are not alone.

Your pump should be making your life easier by getting a good seal though (you shouldn't hear air escaping). May really be your pump, take it with you to the shop next time and see if they can help you get it to work with yours (rather than their $175 models that, while very very nice, aren't practical for us mere mortals )

Edited for story to make you feel better (or at least not alone):

Two years ago in a bike shop very close to you (Sunnyvale, CA) I was shopping for a mountain bike. A nice young salesman gladly pulled the XXS version out of storage in the back, of course with two flat tires. He then proceeded to try to get a good enough seal to fill the first tire for 10 minutes before finally conceding and sulking off embarrassed to get his manager to help. It then took the manager 5 more minutes to get a seal. YOU ARE NOT ALONE!!! (and yes, I've done the same thing too, finally threw the darned pump (mini pump) against the wall and broke it for good....good riddance!!)

[TrekTheKaty]

Can you give us pics? Do you know if it is presta valve or schrader? I have to give my presta valve a tap, because sometimes it sticks. Is there a fastener you tighten on the hose before pumping? If I turn it the wrong way, air doesn't go in the tire (just fills up the hose). I also pulled out a stem before mastering this simple task.

Floor pumps do make a huge difference--maybe check garage sales or Craigs list for one.

Keep asking for help--don't give up

[Biciclista]

you know if you don't weigh a lot you DO NOT have to put the max. recommended PSI into your tires. I pump up to 100 figuring I will lose 10 psi before I get the valve stem on. I have 25mm tires.

btw, this is TE, we're not going to send you hate mail or put you down because we're women and we've all been there and done that!

[Pedal Wench]

Different pumps "latch" onto the stem in different ways - are you sure you're securing it properly? Some have a lever, some a knob, some twist - make sure you're latching it on.

And, when you unscrew the valve, I hit the valve to release a bit of air - this seems to open up the valve to make that first pump easier.

And finally, some pumps are easier than others. I have to lean all my weight on mine too (and I'm not a very light person!) and I've borrowed pumps that take almost no effort at all.

Edit: Ooops, while I was typing my epic response, Cunninghamair said the same thing, but better!

[shootingstar]

Then I think I get it right and voile - I pull the stem out of the tube!

Brilliant!

Until this problem of whimpus tire pumping was mentioned, I admit I was too embarrassed to even mention it here on TE board.

When my partner was living in Calgary for 2 yrs., and I in Toronto, I had the joy of pumping my tires with my small hand pump for that time. But they did get inflated after...uh half hr.

We have a red happy floor pump...he pumps all our bike tires. I tried and am so discouraged/embarrassed that my upper body strength is crappy. I'm 5'1" at now 97 lbs. (I've lost weight from much cycling now.) and have not tried any floor pushups.

Oh well, at least I know a hand pump works for me if I'm not in a hurry. Or I can go 1 block down to LBS to inflate my tires.

No, I don't have the extra money to buy CO cartridges. It's just me..cheap.

[PamNY]

Definitely take your pump to the bike shop, if you haven't already. It sounds like there might be something wrong with it.

I don't think you need to spend $175. My $40 Joe Blow pump is fairly easy to use, though it does take some strength. It occasionally doesn't hook up right at first and some air escapes, so I try again.

I wouldn't apologize for asking any bike-related question in this group. Overall it's a helpful bunch, and the smartest person can be stymied by the simplest task. It's especially hard if you don't have biking friends to give you in-person advice. I have asked some very basic questions here and gotten lots of help.

Pam

[OakLeaf]

Inside area of a cross-section of the barrel of my floor pump = about one inch.

Pressure I inflate my tires to = 115 PSI.

Do the math. It's not my entire body weight, but it might be yours! It's awkward, more than it really takes strength, with a floor pump. (Think of parallel bars, or a narrow staircase, and you'll realize that you can easily support your body weight with both hands. But with a pump, you have to bend over, have your hands close together and pronated, etc.)

+1 to what Andrea said ... all of it.

[ilima]

Look at Specialized's floor pumps. I've found them to the most reliably easy pumps to use.

I've definitely had some PITA pumps, including a Blackburn that never seemed latch on to my valve properly and a Joe Blow with a head that fell apart just outside the 60 day warranty period.

Specialized's Airtool comes in Sport, Comp and Pro models ($ to $$$). I'd go for the Comp as it has a metal base.

Also, get a CO2 pump to carry with you on rides. And buy extra CO2 cartridges so you can practice.