New to Biking--Problem inflating tire
 

Hello all--

I acquired my first road bike in September last year, and enjoyed riding until the winter set in. Upon returning to school from winter vacation, I have encountered a frustrating problem. When I try to inflate my front tire, it's like there's something obstructing the pump--no air moves through the pump or into the tire (or anywhere else, for that matter).

I tried the same pump on a different tube (the back tire), and it works fine. I then tried putting a different tube into the front tire, and it didn't work. I tried inflating both the new tube and the old (front) tube with my mini pump, and I was able to inflate them both, though not up to the pressure that I need. I am baffled (and frustrated). The tubes have presta valves, and the floor pump is one of the Specialized pumps with the head that works for both schrader and presta (supposedly).

The weather is so (relatively) warm this weekend, and I wish I could be outside--please help!

Make sure the valve is all the way open. Try unseating it by pushing it open incase it is stuck.

When you put a new tube in the front what happened that you state it didn't work.

Thanks Bobatin--I'm sure it's going to be something simple like this,

but,

The valve definitely seems to be opening--from clamping and unclamping the pump so many times what was a tire-in--need-of-a-little-bit-of-air is now a completely-flat-tire. I can inflate the tire with the mini-pump, which would seem to indicate that the problem is not in the tube itself.

The problem seems to be in the way that the pump hose is interacting with the tube valve.

jimbud--

When I put a new tube in the front tire, I encountered the same problem as before, namely, the pump seems to clamp on to the valve just fine, but when I go to inflate the tire, the pump feels like someone has stuck their finger into the pump hose--I push very hard on the pump, the air pressure indicator rockets to the top of its scale, and no air goes into the tire.

I may be that the floor pump is not working well.

it may be that the head on the pump is not getting seated on the valve. Push it on firmly. Use your thumb to press the back of the valve through the tire so that the valve doesn't sink into the rim as you push the pump head on.

I am hoping that it's not a problem with the pump, as I have hardly used it at all since purchasing it this fall. I have used my thumb to make sure that it is as far on as I can get it. Fearing that my problem came from putting the head too far on I have tried various intermediate positions on the valve, but in vain.

Thanks for the replies--I've just been worried that I had damaged something in the process of trying to inflate the tire (nothing is too difficult for a newcomer to mess up).

Hmm. I'd suggest a basic troubleshooting routine.

• First of all, make sure the valve is unscrewed all the way.
• If you still had pressure in the tire, the next step would be to tap on the valve stem and make sure it was free. Mine often get sticky and when I attach the pump, no air will go in. If I tap the stem before applying the pump, I release a little air (bad) but I free the sticky valve (good!) If you're unable to free up a sticky valve, the next step would be to get another tube. (Since you say you've tried more than one tube, I'm guessing it's not a sticky valve.)
• Don't forget to try another pump - one that you know works. It seems unlikely that a bad pump would be the problem, but it would be easy to find out by trying someone else's pump.
• You might also just go to a local bike shop. The guys I've met are very willing to help newbies, especially with problems that are obvious to someone with more experience. I've never been laughed at or felt condescended to. They're usually willing to do basic checks for free. Your gratitude might translate into your becoming a loyal customer.

Thanks to everyone for your responses to this mundane but frustrating problem. I tried it again this evening, and succeeded in inflating the tire. What was the difference? I don't really know. I did mash on the valve a little bit harder than I had been--maybe that made the difference.

Hopefully my next issue will be more interesting. In the meantime, I am excited to ride (once the rain stops).

Thanks!

I have this issue with my Topeak upright pump and Conti tube valve combo (incidental). Two solutions I've discovered,

1) Deflate the tyre a bit before connecting to the pump.
2) Work the pump to around the desired pressure, a gentle tap to the valve connector solves the problem. You'll hear this little "bling" as the valve opens.

No idea what the issue is, but it's no big deal using the second method. Works every time but YMMV.