koo6064

I just bought a bike from a resale shop for $15.00. Everything works on it. It is a 3 spreed and it's quite old. The tires are whitewalls and it is a foreign bike. The problem that I have is I don't know how much air to put in the tires. on the side of the tires it says 3.5 killagram to the cubic square centimeter. I am so stupid I have no idea what that means. can anybody help. I'm 65 years old and I just want to ride around my area

cheeseflavor

I come up with 50 PSI using an online conversion utility. Don't take my word for it however, as I'm metrically challenged.

Steve

John E

50 PSI is indeed correct, viz:

3.5 kg / cm^2 * 2.2 lb / kg * 2.54 cm / in * 2.54 cm / in = 49.68.

Blackberry

if you bought a lovely three speed bike for $15, you're anything but stupid. You bought a classic. Enjoy your ride!

GrannyGear

+1 on a great buy! I'd love to have it in my garage. On tire pressure...50lbs. is a place to begin, but if the ride seems a little harsh or "hard", try lowering the pressure 5lbs or so. Your front can be a little softer than your rear tire. Tire pressure depends partly on your weight and the road surfaces you ride. Your English bike will have you sitting fairly upright as bikes go...and your butt will be the main conduit for bumps and your rear wheel. At the same time, much of your weight will be on that rear tire. You'll find your own balance of comfort and wheel-protecting firmness. If the (apparently) skinwall tires are old like the bike, you might keep an eye on them for brittleness.

Enjoy, and come back to the forum here.

koo6064

Thanks everyone. I have one more question. what would be 70 killagram's for the max weight on the tires. It says that on the side also. I looked at the tires and they look good. they have some fine lines in them but they don't appear to be dryrot

John E

70kg * 2.2 lb/kg = 154 lb PER TIRE. This should be safe for anyone weighing up to 220 lbs (plus 30 for the bike, and assuming something like a 40-60 weight distribution front-to-rear).

Blackberry

BTW, it occurs to me that you might be in the market at some point for spare tires, tubes, etc, which the local bike shop may not have. Here's a good source: https://sheldonbrown.com/harris/three.html#tires

sentinel4675

I finally got around to checking my bike out yesterday and when I tried to pump the tires up, the air wouldn't go in despite the tires being low. The pump worked fine off the tube. Any idea what I could possibly be doing wrong?
Also, what is a good degreaser and cleaner forthe chain?

Wil Davis

If the valve is of the Presta type, there will be a tiny knurled nut on the end of the valve; you will need to loosen this (it will unscrew, but it will not come off) before you are able to pump air into the tyre.

If the valve is of the Schrader type (similar to the type used on car tyres), the valve might be sticking; you can check this by pressing down the spring-loaded centre of the valve.

Best chain maintenance; see other threads - use the "search" function.

- Wil

gear

You got a great deal on a bike, why don't you spend a little money on new tires and tubes? The fine lines visable on the tires are a sign of brittle rubber and who knows about hidden the tubes. For the sake of peace of mind why not get some new rubber. It will give you a chance to establish a relationship between your (probably neglected) bike and a LBS mechanic.

CB HI

You probably know this, but a civil engineer at my work did not, so I will mention it - the lever on the pump gets pulled up (not push down) to lock the pump to the valve before pumping.

sentinel4675

The lever should be up when putting it on the stem and then pushed down right? That is the way I have done it for years as both a child and adult. This is the first time I have ever had such a problem with a pump.

gear

just the opposite.

sentinel4675

I'll try it that way, but I don't think that is right