have never pumped a tire properly. HELP

[tantrumbean]

Another observation, do road bikes lose pressure in the tyres faster than mtb? Both my bikes have presta valves, the mtb gets a top up every couple of weeks (and is used regularly during the week for communting), the road bike seems to lose about 20-30 psi in a week, even when not used. They are the stock tubes it came with and it did this before I even went on my first ride, so definitely no punctures...

[Biciclista]

the more pressure you put into a tube, the faster it's going to figure out how to get out.
If your MTB tire is at 50psi and your Road bike tire is at 150psi, there will be a dramatic diff. as to how much air is lost in time.

That's part of why i think you gals should check to see if you aren't overinflating the tires for your weight specs.

and my DH taught me a cool trick. make sure the valve is at the TOP of the wheel when you attach it to the pump. SO when you are ready to stop and pull it off you are pulling/pushing DOWN; so it's easier.

[tantrumbean]

The mtb is mainly ridden on the road, so the tyres are semi-slicks run at 70psi...the roadie is between 100 - 110, which seems to work fine (apart from losing air rather quickly). I weigh about 65-67kg, so maybe I could get away with a bit less, but I'm a bit worried about pinch flats, etc.

[Mr. Bloom]

I pump mine to 140psi...and the next day, they're 110.

[tantrumbean]

That's ok then, it's clearly not just me!!!

[Grog]

That's ok then, it's clearly not just me!!!

Definitely not.

On my road bike, the front tire loses about 10 psi overnight after pumping to 100, and the back tire only about 3-4 psi (same starting point). The front tire's tube seems to have a problem with it.

Even if I pump them to 110, it's pretty much the same result after a day or two.

I am not heavy (120 lbs) but I just can't ride my road bike on tires with pressure under 90 psi. It's pretty around here and tire pressure makes a world of difference.

[RolliePollie]

Great thread! Isn't it crazy that putting air in a tire causes all of us so much grief?!?!

I used to always have bloody gashes all over my knuckles from hitting my spokes when I fought to pull the pump off the valve. It would suddenly release and wham, another bloody gash. So I have a thick fleece winter glove that I put on before I pull the pump off. But I don't carry the glove with me on the bike, so this is only for at-home tire pumping.

My LBS gave me a great tip for getting a good seal on a presta valve. Spit on the valve or into the pump...yes, this is gross, but I swear it helps. I'm sure you could also use water. It seems to help the rubber gasket inside the pump seal to the valve.

[featuretile]

I have a Planet Bike floor pump. It costs $26.49 on Amazon. Here is the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Bike-10...8964041&sr=8-1
It has both presta and schraeder options. I am a small woman and have no problems pumping up my tires. I have no relation to Planet Bike, but I like their products and philosophy. I think they started off in a garage and make quality products at reasonable prices, and donate some of their money to bike causes. Don't let low tires stop you from biking!

[mekira]

This is a great thread I usually totally deflated my tires before I can get them pumped I'm also small and getting them pumped to 110 is hard. I'm going to try getting some air out before I pump to see if it helps....

[spazzdog]

WE should have a NoCal TE pump party...

Meet in a parking lot somewhere and each person demonstrate our tire inflating method... then set the whole thing to music and submit it to you-tube.

I have a floor pump with the dealies you stand on (so the pump doesn't travel). When I pump I end up doing these wacked out plee-ays (ballet help here) because my legs are long and the pump is short.

I'm 125 lbs and pump to psi 130... unless its wet outside.

spazz

(the champion of dumb questions )

[sundial]

Another observation, do road bikes lose pressure in the tyres faster than mtb?

Mtb tubes are usually heavier and hold air longer.

Oh the joys of pumping up the volume. I once sat alongside a trail trying to use my Blackburn pump on my mtb tire and broke the presta valve clean off. It continued to hold air but I learned to rethink hand pumps on the trail.

Then there are those darn floor pumps that don't want to latch on correctly. Or leak air. Or don't pump easily.

I use a Specialized floor pump that automatically fits both presta and schrader valves. I also have a small air compressor to air up my tires and that's the easiest and quickest method. I use it to air up my tubeless tires when I am converting them to Stan's.