Adjusting your bicycle pump so it works is usually a one-time affair. Once you have the process down, you will be able to devote just a few seconds to properly inflating your tires. Pump them up every two weeks or more frequently, recommend the mechanics at the Intown Bicycle in Atlanta; unlike car tires, the valves are subject to slow leaks. A firmly inflated tire will minimize tire wear and reduce your risk of a puncture from road debris or rim damage.
Step 1
Adjust the air chuck so that it fits your tire valve, which will be either a Schrader or Presta valve. A Schrader features an 8 mm, rubber-coated valve stem resembling a car tire's valve; a Presta is a 6 mm, threaded metal stem with a knurled nut at the top.
Step 2
Inspect the air chuck opening visually; you will see a gasket just behind the chuck cap. If its opening is the same width as a Schrader valve, and you ride a standard road, hybrid or mountain bike using Schrader valves, no adjustment to the air chuck is necessary.
Step 3
Unscrew the chuck cap and remove the gasket if you ride a high-end road bike with Presta valves. Reverse the gasket so its more narrow opening faces up and the wider opening faces down. Drop the gasket back in the chuck cap and screw on the cap.
Step 4
Double-check your technique in attaching the air chuck to the valve stem. Loosen the nut at the top if you are working with a Presta valve. Flip the lever on top of the chuck in the down position to relax the gasket and make it easy to slide over the tire valve stem, either Presta or Schrader.
Step 5
Wiggle the chuck onto the valve stem as far as it will go and gently hold it in place so the chuck is aligned perfectly with the valve stem. Flip the lever up with your thumb and begin inflating the tire. If you hear hissing, escaping air, flip the lever down, remove the chuck and try again.
Step 6
Tighten the valve nut after inflation if you are inflating a Presta valve.
Tips and Warnings
- If you have a fleet of bicycles, some with Schrader and others with Presta valves, purchase a bicycle pump with a dual air chuck, featuring a built-in wide opening for the Schraders and a thinner opening for the Prestas. Alternatively, purchase a Presta adapter, a tiny threaded brass-colored device, that allows a Schrader pump to worker on Prestas.
Things You'll Need
- Presta adapter
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