bicycle valves at petrol stations?

paky

do the pumps at petrol stations have valves for racer wheels?

manwithaplan

paky wrote: »

do the pumps at petrol stations have valves for racer wheels?

No. They fit schrader valves rather than the presta valves found on road bikes. You can't really run a road bike without having a floor pump at home.

paky

manwithaplan wrote: »

No. They fit schrader valves rather than the presta valves found on road bikes. You can't really run a road bike without having a floor pump at home.

fcuk that

bad2dabone

paky wrote: »

fcuk that

Nice response.

Floor pumps are not expensive and pretty much essential.

CJhaughey

You can buy a little brass adaptor that turns a Presta into a Schrader valve.
Cost F.A.

mmclo

€1.50 in Cycleways...I keep loosing them so it's burned in to m memory

Wishbone Ash

Most filling stations compressors only go to 60psi so they are not suitable for road bikes.

doozerie

I still remember the time I was filling my car with petrol as a kid nearby was inflating his BMX tyre with the car air pump. I'm not entirely sure that my ears have stopped ringing from the resulting explosion, even several years later. Tricky things, compressors, when paired with inaccurate gauges.

paky

CJhaughey wrote: »

You can buy a little brass adaptor that turns a Presta into a Schrader valve.
Cost F.A.

mmclo wrote: »

€1.50 in Cycleways...I keep loosing them so it's burned in to m memory

nice, would u guys use the petrol station pumps often? im sure if your doing a long journey it would be necessary

victorcarrera

mmclo wrote: »

€1.50 in Cycleways...I keep loosing them so it's burned in to m memory

Leave the next one you buy attached to the valve!

CRC sell small portable pumps that will inflate to 110 psi.

Be careful with the forecourt compressors especially those garages that repair punctures as well. Some of these can produce up to 150 psi in order to inflate truck an bus tires.

penexpers

paky wrote: »

nice, would u guys use the petrol station pumps often? im sure if your doing a long journey it would be necessary

I'd never use petrol station pumps.

I have this for home

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=4949

and this for the road

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11315

The Morph can get up to 85psi with no problems (I use 28mm tires)

el tel

paky wrote: »

nice, would u guys use the petrol station pumps often? im sure if your doing a long journey it would be necessary

I use a petrol station pump any time I wish to have my bike tyre explode in my face, which is literally never.

seamus

I used to use the petrol station pumps when I was a kid, but now the track pump is the biz. I even use it on my car tyres. Couldn't be bothered driving around trying to find a petrol station that;

a. has a pump
b. has one that works
c. has one that is free, and
d. has one without a queue.

Idleater

seamus wrote: »

a. has a pump
b. has one that works
c. has one that is free, and
d. has one without a queue.

Completely off topic, but I have rarely found any stations with a pump not working or with a queue. Most near me now require the shopping trolley €1 and I have my own guage that I use in the glovebox of the car.

Now, The hassle I had trying to find a bloody pump in France during the summer...

BostonB

Personally I find most garage pumps are not working properly.

Most people must never check their car tyres.

Lumen

seamus wrote: »

I used to use the petrol station pumps when I was a kid, but now the track pump is the biz. I even use it on my car tyres.

Doesn't that take ages?

seamus

Lumen wrote: »

Doesn't that take ages?

Well I really only use it to top them up and check the pressure. Takes about 30 seconds to add 5psi to the wheel (as opposed to a road wheel which does 120psi in about 10 seconds), but it still works out quicker than taking a detour to hunt around for a petrol station.

Completely off topic, but I have rarely found any stations with a pump not working or with a queue. Most near me now require the shopping trolley €1 and I have my own guage that I use in the glovebox of the car.

I'll admit that I stopped using garage pumps about five years ago. But I never seemed to be able to find one where someone wasn't already using it, or parked in front of it. The ones that were available were either not working at all, or the gauge was broken.

droidus

I blew up a tube with one of these years back, and that was a big MTB tube. There's no way in hell Id risk it again with anything below 32.

funkyjebus

Jesus, just buy a pump.

Your petrol station and adaptor are going to be f.a. use when you get a puncture in no mans land.

Btw you probably need to learn how to change a tube as well, Im sure you thinking nah, no need, but there will be a point when you're on the side of a road, flat type in one hand, adaptor in the other wondering how many miles back that petrol station is, thinking damn that guy on boards.....he had the right of it.


And somewhere far far away for reasons I wont understand at the time a smile will appear on my face!

devotional1993

this is what happens using the garage pump

seamus

No, that's what happens when you don't reseat your tyre correctly

snailsong

Everyone should have a pump but there is an emergency procedure which I've used in the past at garages:
1. Remove the dust cap from the valve and cut the top off it about one third way down with your pocket knife (you all carry one I'm sure)

2.open the valve

3. thread the cap back on upside down, the plastic is usually soft enough that it will self thread. You need to screw it just far enough that the wide end is now protecting the valve.

4. inflate very carefully.

You won't get much pressure but in my student days I used this trick once or twice to avoid a long walk.