putting air in tires . . . . sigh

[Deanna]

Inflating tires will seem pretty routine, only after you've done it. There's some basic information you need or your going to deflate (or possibly blow up) your tire:

1. What type of valve stem do you have? Schraeder (threaded like a screw, looks similar to the stem of a car's tire) or presta (smooth). This will determine which outlet on the pump you need to use.
2. What type of pump valve do you have? My husband has had a Silca pump for a long time--it works great, but if you don't know you need to take apart the valve and turn the barrel around to switch between presta & schraeder, you're never going to get that tire pumped.
3. Check the sidewall of the tire for minimum and maximum PSI recommended by the manufacturer. This is usually near the brand and may just be listed as "80-120 PSI". Your tire pressure needs to be in this range, but should take into account your riding. If it's too low you could get a pinch flat. Too high and your ride will be BUMPY and, some say, more susceptible to debris flats. Once using an automatic pump I blew up a tube by going over the maximum rating.
4. If you don't have the information above, do not attempt to pump your tire on your own, it will probably just be frustrating. Post back with the tire and the pump type so we can give you more complete directions!