LBS does not realize how utterly clueless I am

[Trek-chick]

You can buy a Schrader tip adapter to fit on a presta valve to fill the tires. I bought one and will only use this to fill tires after snapping off a few presta tips. Have not had it happen once since I now use the Schrader tip. I usually just leave it on one the valve heads so, I always know where it is. I also got one with my new floor pump.

[TigerMom]

I ask my LBS a ton of "stupid" questions. Why? That's the point of a LBS. Otherwise, I would just only shop on the internet. But I try to pay back for the LBS knowledge that they share with me by buying from their shops instead.

[lph]

Hey, you're way Ahead of a lot of People if

(I'm sorry, I have no idea why this stupid stupid keyboard is giving me Capital letters all the time but I'm tired of going back and editing it) ...

if you actually know they're called Schrader and Presta. Most bike riders I know, as opposed to bike enthusiasts, just Call them "you know, the thin little valve" and "those fat valves like on a car" :-) Most pumps should take both valves, but you may have to unscrew the tip and flip it, or something. But then, you have pumps that Lock in different ways, so no, they do not make Things easy for us.

On the other hand, buying vacuum cleaner bags is a major research Project, at least over here, so I Guess the bike industry is not the only one out there trying to confuse us.

(WHY THE RANDOM CAPITALS??)

[szsz]

I did manage to totally flatten the tire fiddling with it

I still do this every once in awhile. I call it "Out with the old air! In with the new!"

You don't want to ride around on stale air, right?

[lgibster]

You can buy a Schrader tip adapter to fit on a presta valve to fill the tires. I bought one and will only use this to fill tires after snapping off a few presta tips. Have not had it happen once since I now use the Schrader tip. I usually just leave it on one the valve heads so, I always know where it is. I also got one with my new floor pump.

+1 on always using the Schrader tip adapter. Also always carry one on the bike with you if something happens just about anyone's pump will fit a Schrader but not every frame pump someone carries with fit a Presta. I throw an adapter in my underseat tool bag and then any pump will fit it. Yes I learned this the hard way when I was a newbie and a guy told me I was low on air but his pump didn't fit a presta.