How do i inflate a presta valve

You'd think inflating a bike tire would be pretty simple. That is, until you take a look at your bike's valve. Enter, intimidation.

The two most common valve types these days are Presta valves and Schrader valves. They use an internal spring to allow inflation while keeping the valve closed. You can inflate this style easily with any regular air pump. Presta valves are a lot narrower and are commonly found on higher end bikes with narrow rims. They are a little trickier to inflate as they use a manual locknut to open the valve for inflation. These can be purchased for about a dollar at your local bike shop.

How do i inflate a presta valve

Log in. Sign up. JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Sort by Oldest first Oldest first Newest first Most reactions. You can use a Presta valve or a Schrader valve. Determine the proper pressure range your tires need to be inflated to. A typical road bike needs 80 psi psi, while a mountain bike needs 25 psi psi. Before inflating your bike, make sure that there are no dust caps or plastic caps around the bike valve. All you need is a road bike pump adapter, especially for tubeless road bike tires that have a Presta valve in them. A Presta valve should be opened briefly before hooking up a pump to check that the valve opens easily and isn't sticking , but should then only open if air pressure is forcing the valve open. So no air is lost when pumping, even with a bad connection.

I have had the same problem with my bike.

The standard type of valve on most modern bike tires is called a "Presta valve" sometimes called a 'French Valve'. Unlike Schrader valves, which are common on some mountain bikes and all car tires, these types of valves are built to handle high-pressure tires, since the narrower valve stem increases the strength of the tube. Presta valves can be a little tricky to figure out when you are first working to fill one of them with air. The first step is to remove the black dust cover from the top of the valve. Set this aside somewhere it won't get lost. Now, grasp the top of the valve and gently unscrew turn to the left -- remember, lefty loosie, righty tighty the brass cap at the top of the valve. This has to be unscrewed it won't come off completely in order to fill your tire with air.

Then, before I had reached the trailhead, I noticed my rear tire was significantly low. I felt like I was riding through mud — on the pavement! Remembering a gas station with an air pump on my way to the trailhead, I figured I could easily pump up my tire without a wasted trip back to my house. The gas station had a standard car pump and, new biker that I was, I forgot my bike tires have a presta valve. All because of a puny little valve.

How do i inflate a presta valve

Have you ever been out for a ride only to find your tire is flat? With these simple steps, inflating your tires will become second nature in no time. So if your bike needs some extra air, just follow along as we teach you all about Presta valves and how to properly use them. Inflating a Presta valve requires some specialized equipment.

Sacred scorpion charm

Flat Repair Tools Latest post 1 week ago. His passions include flatland BMX, unicycles, cycle touring, mountain biking and road riding. The first step is to remove the black dust cover from the top of the valve. You can inflate this style easily with any regular air pump. Do I also need the rim tape? There is another locknut at the bottom of the valve stem. What ends up happening is that the chainring will keep turning, and eve So…when I ordered the new wheels, I also ordered tape. They use an internal spring to allow inflation while keeping the valve closed. You'd think inflating a bike tire would be pretty simple.

You'd think inflating a bike tire would be pretty simple. That is, until you take a look at your bike's valve.

How to Remove and Install Your Wheels. Latest post 5 days ago. I bought it primaraly for bike packing trips as it has ton of mounting points. Meanwhile, I was considering ye olde vulcanised patch repair to the inside of the tyre and superglue to the outside, but I'm thi While most bike pumps are compatible with Presta valves, some aren't. Once the cap is in the top position, press the valve. The usual response as I roll by and ask, "Do you need anything? With used bikes crossing your path you should just expect it to be bad. It appears to be brand new actually. Tip Misplaced your cap or need a new one?