K, another probably stupid question by me.

My new bike tires (700x32C) take a max 85 PSI...so I ask the guy at the LBS if the air compressors at gas stations are sufficient. He says no way.

Is this true? ...or is he taking advantage of me and trying to sell me something I don't really need?

to the contrary, some gas station compressors are so powerful they can blow your tire & tube to smithereens.

you need to fill your tire very carefully with an air compressor, using only quick little "burbs" of compressed air. don't put the compressor on and hold it for many seconds at a time, there will be an explosion, and you'll pick yourself up off the ground, you may've wet your pants, and you may even get hurt by flying tire fragments.

you do need to have a precise pressure gauge to verify that you are up to 85 psi, this is only a few dollars.

but it's just as easy to buy a floor pump, and skip the gas stations. because you need to inflate tires 1 or 2 times per week to top them off. I rather don't want to go to my gas station that often, it's far from my home

I tried to air my 27" tires at a gas station once. Their compressor maxed out at about 55 psi. Buy yourself a pump. You will probably need it.

Every gas station is different. I've seen everything from 35 psi to 135 psi.

There are some newer models of gas station pump that are computer-controlled and can fill bike tires no problem as long as you have a schraeder valve. This type of pump is specifically labeled with something indicating bicycle use, though.

I've blown up a bike tire at a gas station. Long time ago. I was a rookie.

I think the problem is the volume of air that comes out in such a quick space of time. A car tire may need lower pressures than a bike tire, but a bike tire fills much, much quicker because of the smaller tube.

I bought a quality floor pump somewhere about 10 to 15 years ago and it's still working great, so the expense was easily worth it.

Back in the olden days gas stations used to have a big air compressor that, among other things, powered the car lift. They typically ran on about 125psi air and would blow an 85 psi 27 X 1 1/4 tire right off of the straight sided rim in less time than it took me to type this sentence.

That kind of gas station is pretty much gone. Now we have Convenience Stores that, if you're lucky, may have a dinky little compressor that probably doesn't go up to 100 psi. Bike tires, on the other hand have gotten skinnier and consequently may need higher pressure. A C-store compressure may have the umph that you need and may not.

Modern high pressure bike tires lose a little air pressure over time so it's best to top up your tires before every ride or at least once or twice per week. The most convenient way to do this is to have your own floor pump with a hose and guage.

I don't understand all this anti-compressor talk. When i was a kid thatt is all i used.I rode/walked to the gas station when i wanted/needed air. I don't recall any problems. I now have 2 compressors & i use either one for tire inflation.I do know the gas station chuck with the guage can be woefully inaccurate from being banged around & dropped all the time though.

I never use compressed air from a gas station, I only use boutique compressed air.

I remember when gas stations had an adjustable dial-up air hose that you could set to any pressure up to at least 100 psi. You set the dial, applied air, and it would stop at the desired pressure, indicated by when the bell stopped ringing. I used them a lot and only blew up maybe one tire with one of those.

These days I use a so-so floor pump.

Our local gas stations had similar pumps which I would use on my schrader valved Raleigh 3 speeds. Instead of relying on the bell I'd either do it by tire feel, or use a tire gauge. Never had any problems blowing tubes.


Stacy

Exxon charges $.75 for air around here. Thats rediculous.
I make a point to patronize the only local gas station(when the car needs a fill up) which still offers free air from the shop compressor.

Gas station air can be used, judiciously. Most bike tires take such a low volume of air that it's easy to explode a tire. If you have Presta valves, you'll need a Presta/Schraeder adapter and don't rely on the pressure gauge on the hose to be accurate.

If you own a bicycle, ask yourself if an air pump is something you really don't need?

[QUOTE=legz_mcgee]so I ask the guy at the LBS if the air compressors at gas stations are sufficient. He says no way.
[QUOTE]

Your LBS guy should have given you a more detailed answer! As long as you have a basic understanding of volume and pressure, air from a real service station (if you can find one) is okay in a pinch. The funky little "compressor on a post" at the convenience store will probably max out at 50 psi and it will cost you some change to find out. That is probably why he said 'no way'. I do agree that it is easier on the tube and tire to be inflated slowly with a floor pump than quickly with a high pressure hose, but I would not hesitate to use the hose if that is what I had available. I don't think the LBS guy was trying to sell you something you don't need. After five years of bike riding, I recently purchased a Park floor pump - I should have done it a long time ago! With the built-in guage and quick attach thingy on the hose with openings for either presta or schrader valves, it is faster and more convenient than using the air compressor in my garage, especially when dealing with presta valves.

The pressure bottles available at gas stations here, don't go anywhere near high enough to inflate a bike tyre. Except for the very fattest tyres, perhaps. 40-50 psi is probably the limit. That's about twice the pressure required to fill a regular car tyre.

If the LBS guy was trying to sell you a pump, he's right. Get a floor pump (with a base you can step on), and pay a little extra for one with a built in gauge. You'll thank me.

Ok, here's the last word on pumps - *TOPEAK ROAD MORPH*

It's a frame mounted pump with a hose and gauge built in, it opens out and operates like a floor pump, it's compact, light, and goes all the way to 160psi with ease. It lives on my commuter/tourer and at home I use it in preference to my more expensive floor pump which now just gathers dust. There is NO other pump as far as I'm concerned.

I agree completely! I don't even have another pump! The Topeak Road Morph does a better job than a couple of full-size floor pumps I've used in the past!

And it's fairly cheap too!

Right, I only use the Elite TDF air. It is bottled in Southern France. Down side is that it costs 30 bucks per fill!

No really I've never blown a tire with a big compressor but you do have to know what to look for. Like the tire comming off the rim, tube trapped between the wheel and tire, bubble, etc. I do a blast, then check that the tire is on the wheel correctly, then a few more blasts to fill.

The new 50 cents for 2 minute ones sound about the same as a Coleman 30-50 psi compressor. I hate those damn things. Free air was the best thing about gas stations. I mostly use the floor pumps these days.

I had the pleasure of witnessing a friend blow his tire at a gas station. I couldn't stop laughing.

Or TOPEAK MOUNTAIN MORPH.

Seriously,I learned my lesson. At CM on Fri I tried to help this dude with a flat with my Crank Bros pump. Not fun. Took both of us to hold the wheel/stem/pump and work the pump so it would stay on the valve and not tear it out. Then once we hit 95psi,the pump slipped on the valve and blew everything out. He wound up getting a schrader adapter and going to a gas station,but their compressor wouldn't go much past 40-some psi. He wound up missing the ride.

Took my last couple Performance coupons and upgraded to the Topeak. This thing rocks! Tried it on my Fuji's 125psi tires;took longer than my floor pump,but did the job without any drama. I think the gauge reads a little high,but for roadside repairs it's fine. Only niggle is you have to take the head apart and swap parts around to go from presta to schrader,but if all your bikes use the same valve this is pretty moot.

Question,anyone know if there's any real diff between the Road and Mountain Morphs? I spent 15min in the LBS holding them side-by-side. I think the Mtn might be a little thicker in the barrel than the Road,but otherwise the only diff I could see was the shape of the handle(Mtn was a little beefier,so I went with it). Same price,same weight,same features on the packaging.