Pumping up your tyres at a gas station

[Pogo2]

Bit of a noob question - no doubt been asked before so feel free to redirect me if you so wish!

Try to pump up my tyres at a gas station today using the standard fittings - what a fruitless mission that was. Couldn't get the connector on to the valve squarely due to the disc rotor etc being in the way.

Is there some sort of adaptor needed to allow this to happen or do I take some pipe benders to the station next time and "modify" the fitting when the attendent is not looking.

If there is a special adaptor, any idea where I can get one.

Cheers in advance for any assistance

[p.dath]

Perhaps trying rotating the tyre around a little bit and then try again.

You can get right angle adaptors (about $13 from Cycletreads in Takapuna) to make it easier, but only use them while inflating your tyre (take them off the rest of the time).

[Leyton]

Hey Pogo

Not sure you are know, some gas stations have some real crap preasure readings.

I bought a preasure gauge from supercheep, little digital one, cost me all of $20 and is very accurate when compaired to other gauges :) So when you finally get some air in their :P Should be all good.

I end up usally sticking the entire stalky bit with the valve on the end right into the wheel, on the inside of the brake disk and just pump until I think it is right, then check it with more tire gauge, Pick up a small stone and let the air out until it is right :)

Leyton

[UberRhys]

Perhaps trying rotating the tyre around a little bit and then try again.

You can get right angle adaptors (about $13 from Cycletreads in Takapuna) to make it easier, but only use them while inflating your tyre (take them off the rest of the time).

I have heard stories of people leaving the adapter in the tyre for this very reason and later discovering the flat as a result.

Replace the valve with a right angle one if you can (can you get these?) or stick a tube in there which has a right angle valve would be my fix... or maybe carry one of the adaptors in the tool kit like p.darth has noted. :-)

[Murray]

Go to repco and get a small footpump (comes with attached gauge) Cost me about $35 and is accurate. Dont trust any gauges at petrol stations. Check tyres regularly and before going on any big rides

cheers

[p.dath]

Go to repco and get a small footpump (comes with attached gauge) Cost me about $35 and is accurate. Dont trust any gauges at petrol stations. Check tyres regularly and before going on any big rides

cheers

Unless you can check the guage against some other known good source, the only thing in common with be the inflation error each time. Lets face it, every guage has an error - the trick is knowing how big the error is.

I got a tiny little footpump from Cycletreads during their boxing day sale (as well as a puncture repair kit) that is small enough to fit under the bike seat. Sure, I might turn blue with exhaustion if I actually have to use it, but nice to know I have the option of using a portable pump if I am in the middle of nowere.

[p.dath]

Go to repco and get a small footpump (comes with attached gauge) Cost me about $35 and is accurate. Dont trust any gauges at petrol stations. Check tyres regularly and before going on any big rides

cheers

Unless you can check the gauge against some other known good source, the only thing in common with be the inflation error each time. Lets face it, every gauge has an error - the trick is knowing how big the error is.

I got a tiny little footpump from Cycletreads during their boxing day sale (as well as a puncture repair kit) that is small enough to fit under the bike seat. Sure, I might turn blue with exhaustion if I actually have to use it, but nice to know I have the option of using a portable pump if I am in the middle of nowhere.

[vifferman]

Go to repco and get a small footpump (comes with attached gauge) Cost me about $35 and is accurate.
Although accuracy is good, in fact it doesn't actually matter if the gauge is accurate, as long as it's consistent, and you can verify the reading against another of a known standard. Then when you check your tyres, you set them to the pressure that works for you. I have a footump, pencil type gauge and dial type gauge, all of which read the same. I inflate my tyres to 36 front and 40-ish rear according to these gauges, and it works for me.

I changed my valve stems for some Ariete 85-degree ones from Cycletreads, as there's insufficent clearance with the standard ones between the valve stem top and the disks. They were blardy expensive ($49/pair, plus $20 each for fitting), but they look blingy, and mean I can use anything to check the pressures or pump the tyres up when I'm out'n'about.

It used to be that service stations had double-ended nozzles on the air hoses so they fit all sorts of valve stems, but they almost invariably now have the same sort of nozzle that doesn't fit bikes, OR those digital pumps with the straight clip-on doofer (technical term).

[quickbuck]

For me it is pump up the tyres at home using the electric compressor, and pull out the dial gauge I bought about 15 years ago and measure the COLD pressures with that.
I know it is accurate, as it gets tested regularly against a very good source.

I gave up using the servo inflaters as my tyres are somewhere between cold and hot, and my discs are usually HOT! So burnt hands anyway..... Get enough of that at the track!

Now, the Race Bikes we talk about HOT pressures. Easier to measure them hot, as the tyres are on Warmers, and are hot throughout the day.

However OP we could all go on a crusade to "Modify" all the inflation devices around the country until they start taking notice of our requirements.

Viffer, i remember the double ended things too. BUT I think they are useless on 5" rims... without Modification anyway.....

[Pogo2]

Cheers for all of the replies. I do have a foot pump, so I think I will just get a pressure guage and Bob's your uncle!

[CookMySock]

All I do, is put my finger on the rubber valve stem and bend it right over so I can fit the nozzle on. Doesn't seem to hurt it.

If you are filling tyres all the time, get them refitted with a proper lube/sealant so you don't have to dick with them. Tyres shouldn't just "go down" by themselves unless there is something wrong with them.

Steve

[warewolf]

About 1 in 5 front tyres on my Triumph 900 was air-tight, never needing topping up, and maybe 2-3 in 5 rears. That's reasonably consistent with other bikes with tubeless IME. I'd fitted 90 deg valve stems a la Ducati (maybe even Ducati parts) yonks ago, due to the problem with access with compressor fittings. But that made connecting an mtb pump impossible... had to carry one of those right-angle adapters in the repair kit.

Standard tubes leak, and heavy duty tubes leak a heckuva lot more. Possibly one reason why manufacturers don't specify HD tubes as OEM (along with weight and price).

[slofox]

Go to repco and get a small footpump (comes with attached gauge) Cost me about $35 and is accurate. Dont trust any gauges at petrol stations. Check tyres regularly and before going on any big rides

cheers

Or, even more betterer, for around $15 more, you can get a little SCA "Thunder" 12 volt compressor that is quicker and easier to use than a foot pump. I cart mine with me in the seat bag all the time (after needing one once). Super Cheap have them. You will need to sort out a socket to run it from is all. Which is not too hard since even I was able to do it...

[UberRhys]

Or, even more betterer, for around $15 more, you can get a little SCA "Thunder" 12 volt compressor that is quicker and easier to use than a foot pump. I cart mine with me in the seat bag all the time (after needing one once). Super Cheap have them. You will need to sort out a socket to run it from is all. Which is not too hard since even I was able to do it...

An easy fix is to chop the cigi lighter off and replace it with 2 aligator clips and simply clip them onto the battery terminals.