I can't inflate my tires enough.. ? help

[ShooterJ07]

I bought my first road bike... the tires say min 73 PSI, max 103. The guy at the store told me to keep it about 100.

Well.. sorry to say, I had never seen a presta valve before, and didn't notice it had those until I got home from the store.

I bought a floor pump (from Wal-Mart - yikes) with a pressure gauge attached to it. I bought a presta adaptor. I screwed on the adaptor and attached the pump. When I start pumping, I can't seem to get more than 60 PSI in the tires (assuming the pump is measuring correctly). I can't really tell if the gauge on the pump is measure properly or not. This whole presta valve thing threw me for a loop.

When it says 60 PSI, I simply can't pump any more air in to the tire. The pump will squeek as the air escapes from it (through the handle/pump, not the cord where it attaches to the bike). It is also very hard to pump anyway, and I'm afraid it isn't measure correctly and I already have too much air in the tire.

Help a new guy out. Is it SUPPOSED to be really hard to pump up? What can I get to reliably check the pressure?

 

[tfstrum]

Make sure you're opening the presta valve. There's a plunger that needs to be screwed open.

A friend of mine that had never used Presta valves recently mentioned the same thing before a guy at the LBS clued him in.

http://www.matthewsbikes.com/techcorner/prestavalve.htm

 

[ShooterJ07]

Thanks for the help, but I did have enough sense to figure that much out. The valve is all the way open. I let the tire go completely flat and pumped it back up so that it feels hard to me, but only registering 60PSI on the gauge.

Make sure you're opening the presta valve. There's a plunger that needs to be screwed open.

A friend of mine that had never used Presta valves recently mentioned the same thing before a guy at the LBS clued him in.

http://www.matthewsbikes.com/techcorner/prestavalve.htm

 

[tfstrum]

Do you know anyone with a better pump or are you near a bike shop? It's time to try someone else's gear...

 

[kdelong]

My recommendation is that you get a pump for a presta valve. Topeak makes a very good pump with a guage and a dual use head that goes for about $25.00. Your adapters could be part of your problem.

 

[ShooterJ07]

Thanks.. didn't know they made such a thing. I'll take this junker back to walmart & pick up a different pump tomorrow.

My recommendation is that you get a pump for a presta valve. Topeak makes a very good pump with a guage and a dual use head that goes for about $25.00. Your adapters could be part of your problem.

 

[cheapie]

when i first got a road bike i did the same thing. tried to inflate the tire to 100+ and blew up the pump.

much easier once i bought a decent floor pump from my lbs.

 

[oldbobcat]

much easier once i bought a decent floor pump from my lbs.

A decent floor pump is an investment. The Silca track pump I bought over 30 years ago is still going strong. Over the years I've had to replace gaskets, washers, and the hose, but it still works as well as the day I bought it.

 

[Cycler6n]

did you let the air out of the tire first?

 

[gclark8]

My recommendation is that you get a pump for a presta valve. Topeak makes a very good pump with a guage and a dual use head that goes for about $25.00. Your adapters could be part of your problem.

I recently bought the PRO (Shimano) Track Pump, brass head, presta only!

 

[kdelong]

I recently bought the PRO (Shimano) Track Pump, brass head, presta only!

The reason I bought the dual head pump is because my MTB and my girlfreind's Univega both have Shrader Valves while all my Ralieghs have Presta Valves. A dual head pump is more economical than two complete pumps.

 

[tt1106]

I've got an ascent. 26 bucks. Inflates to 120 psi easy.

 

[mongooseboy]

i have a wrench force that i bought when i bought my Allez road bike...it was a $30 pump they took 25% off for it being after season.

pumps up to 120psi on the gague, and i bet will go well beyond that if you try. its all plastic, so it might not last 30 years like a silca will but its got HUGE volume and doesnt take long to inflate mtb tires.

If i could buy a silca, I would

previously i had a cheap "bell" brand from walmart, it would go up to about 80 psi after checking with an air gauge....it worked for years till i got a road bike