about getting from point A to point B in the most interesting ways possible

If you're a large woman in America, your whole life is an opportunity to feel self-conscious, embarrassed, resentful and way too big. You can hide in the corner or on the couch, you can go to therapy, or you can put on your lycra bike shorts and get out there and move.
—Jayne Williams, Slow Fat Triathlete

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April 27, 2005

on tires and valves and gauges permalink

My pursuit of the right tools is bordering on ridiculous. Last night, on the way to mat pilates, I stopped at the Bike Gallery and got a bicycle gauge. As I was writing the check for it, I noticed that it was for Schrader valves, or maybe for Presto, I don't know, but suddenly the element of doubt was introduced. This is how much a poseur I am -- I have no idea which type of valves I have. Or what the diff is between the two.

I got to pilates a few minutes late, but I worked really hard, and having done pilates the day before, my abs were just not all that happy about it. Oh well.

So, I get home, get all my crap out onto the back porch including the bike, and the ever-so-helpful dog, who is being a real pest because it's getting close to his dinner time. I take the gauge carefully out of its packaging, approaching the bike, while Echo tries to smell the gauge. I unscrew the valve cap, and of course, the gauge doesn't fit! Of course. Echo is now busy smelling the tire, and the tire valve, and then as I move across the back porch, the gauge, my hand, etc. So, I bring over the pump... and it doesn't fit the valve either. Sheesh!

Now this is sweetie's pump, which he bought with his bicycle. I shudder to think how much he spent at the bike shop that day, but it was quite a bit. He was explicit about not having bicycled recently. Why didn't someone say, that pump won't work with your bike tires? I mean, if someone is spending your take-home for the month, wouldn't it be worth it to make sure he gets the right stuff? At least so the next time he darkens your door, he'll be happy?

I thought about going to Fred's to pick up a generic bike pump, there where they are dealing with pedestrian bicycles, but it just required energy that I didn't have. My becoming a bike jock would have to wait another day.

Posted at April 27, 2005

Comments

hey girl -

most bike hand-pumps work with both presta and schrader. double-check, but i bet there's a screw-off end that you turn around for the other type of valve...

ps. presta is the skinny valve that you unscrew to unlock the sticky-outy needle-thingy (when you push the needle-thingie, air comes out). schrader is the standard, fatter type that often has a plastic cap that you unscrew. presta is usually on road bikes (narrow wheels), schrader on mountain bikes, cruisers, commute bikes (fatter wheels).

oh, lookie what i found!

- bike jockette :-)

Posted by: tszuj at April 27, 2005 10:01 AM

i realize that even though i said "hand pump" (which i would ordinarily use to refer to a frame pump - one that fits on the bike), i was thinking "floor pump" (one that you hold down with your foot and pump with both hands). which is it? the former is less likely to work with both types of valves, the latter is more likely to have that reversible cap.

- not so jocky

Posted by: tszuj at April 27, 2005 10:39 AM

my floor put goes both ways....plus has a gauge so you don't need a hand gauge...check it out on your pump ( i have a road bike & 2 mtbs)...plus make sure any CO2s you get for your seat bag will fit your value stem.

Posted by: Oldman at May 26, 2005 1:37 PM