Dumb cycling questions

goggle

Ok, so I want to start cycling again so I dragged the bike out of the shed - it's not been used for maybe a year (this may be important)
The front tyre looks fine & feels firm - the rear tire looks flat. It's missing the valve cap which may be the prob? I tried to pump it up with one of the old fashioned pumps that screws on, but I can't actually pump with this pump - it's not allowing air into the tyre at all. I wonder if it's not depressing the little nodule thing in the valve?

Anyone got a recommendation for a pump I can buy from Halfords or Argos (please don't suggest some online bike specialist - I want to get this bike operational this weekend!)
Of course it may be that there is a puncture & I'll go & get a new tube (may be back asking for help in changing it!) but I can't get air into the tyre at the mo & obv if there was a puncture then air would go in (and come out!) ....

Keith

Go to Halfords and buy a "track pump" link

Try Lidl/Aldi first if you want to save a few pounds

Pew_Pew_Pew_Lasers!

If the valve is like the one on your car, its a Schrader valve. If its got a little screwable "hat", its a Presta valve. The two are not interchangeable although most pumps can adapt to either.

A track pump from the supermarket won't cost you more than about £8.

LE3

you might be able to get a cheap pump at a supermarket

sickparrot

Aldi have some mini pumps in at the moment for £3.99 along with a bunch of other cycling stuff.

boliston

goggle wrote: »

Ok, so I want to start cycling again so I dragged the bike out of the shed - it's not been used for maybe a year.......

I'd advise taking it into your local bike shop for a service if it's not been used for a while. They will ensure that everything is adjusted and lubed properly. A bike that has maladjusted gear, brakes etc will not be much fun to ride and could even be hazardous.

Luckily my local bike store does 4 free services per year for life on all bikes purchased and I make use of this as it makes all the difference and i'm too lazy to maintain it myself.

dannymccann

^^ Not a bad deal that, my mountain bike used to be used to go to uni and back 10 miles a day and it cost more than our car to maintain in new tyres, brake pads etc, couldnt believe it, so I bought a motorbike instead :rotfl:

edit - granted I was one of those suicide cyclists you see, popping kerbs, running red lights and cutting through alley ways and car parks to get there 'as the crow flies'

goggle

Thanks all
I have no idea where my "local bike shop" is - unfortunatly I have moved house since I bought the bike & I haven't seen any bike shops in the new locality ...

One of the things that stops me using the wheels more is lack of a bike carrier for the car - anyone got a recommendation for a bike carrier that will work with a hatchback with "top" lights - ie ones that would otherwise be covered by a bike on a carrier. Halfords used to do a low bike carrier, but don't seem to any more

I can't lift the bike onto the roof even if I did want to use a roof carrier & don't want to fit a towbar thingy to this car to enable a lights board to be fitted ...

rev_henry

Wilkinsons is also quite good for bike stuff. They do hand pumps for about £2.50. You don't actually need valve caps to prevent air escaping. They're called dust caps, and that's all they do; keep the valves clean. The valve inside is what lets air in and not out. Either the valve or the pump are broken. Can you pump air through the pump when its not connected to anything?

darich

Have a good look at the tyres.
When the bike is not used for a while, the rubber in the tyres will "harden" and can split or crack. While that won't let the air out (the tube holds the air) it makes the tyres more susceptible to punctures and may have poorer grip if the tyre is starting to degenerate or break down.

Having someone knowledgeable to check the bike is a good idea.
Local bike shop, even Halfords provide a service although I'm reluctant to recommend it because I've never used it.
If the bike is generally ok and just needing a once over, then what about family friend/work colleague/relative etc?