Tubes & valves

Quoted message said:

Sorry to sound like a complete cycling novice! Truth is, I live in the
country and only occasionally use the bike for a spot of exercise or
visiting the pubs! (BTW - I invested in a semi-reasonable £200
model... not a Bodgitt & Scarper Halfords job!)

A few weeks ago when I went to put a bit of air in my tube, I ended up
releasing all the air as I could not get the pump to fit neatly on the
valve. Such is my knowledge, I didn't recognise what valve it was - I
just knew it looked different from others I'd seen.

I think I may have broken the valve, but thought hey-ho, I'll get a new
tube probably with a standard valve on it.

My tube is a 700 x 35 / 43c tube and I have since discovered that you
get Presta valves (which I think mine is) and the more common Shrader
valves.

This page shows the two valves
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/presta-schrader.html

Quoted message said:

Question - can I get a new tube with a schrader valve and put it on? Or
do I go for a presta valve and buy a new bicycle pump? Or I have
spotted on ebay for around a quid, some adaptors you put on Presta
valves to make them into Scrader ones.

Most serious cyclists have two pumps. One kept at home - a track,
floor or workshop pump - and one for use when out on the road. The
track pumps are so easy to use and most have adaptable heads to fit
both kinds of valves. Some portable pumps have adaptable heads too.

Track pumps from Wiggle http://tinyurl.com/aquqn

If you don't want to get a track pump get a good road one with a lever
to lock it on like the Blackburn Road Pump - which does have an
adaptable head. Here on Wiggle http://tinyurl.com/dh9ko

Presta valves are slimmer than schrader so if your rim might not have
a big enough hole for a schrader if it has a presta in it now.

Quoted message said:

Is £4 a decent price for a 700 x 35 tube?

Yes that's about the normal price.
--
Phil Cook looking north over the park to the "Westminster Gasworks"

Quoted message said:

Sorry to sound like a complete cycling novice! Truth is, I live in the
country and only occasionally use the bike for a spot of exercise or
visiting the pubs! (BTW - I invested in a semi-reasonable £200
model... not a Bodgitt & Scarper Halfords job!)

A few weeks ago when I went to put a bit of air in my tube, I ended up
releasing all the air as I could not get the pump to fit neatly on the
valve. Such is my knowledge, I didn't recognise what valve it was - I
just knew it looked different from others I'd seen.

I think I may have broken the valve, but thought hey-ho, I'll get a
new tube probably with a standard valve on it.

It's difficult to break the valve or pump, easy sometimes to accidentally
release air by doing the wrong thing or the pump not fitting well.... so
I'm thinking the latter is more likely.

Quoted message said:

My tube is a 700 x 35 / 43c tube and I have since discovered that you
get Presta valves (which I think mine is) and the more common Shrader
valves.

Check that via www.sheldonbrown.com/brandt/presta-schrader.html

Quoted message said:

Question - can I get a new tube with a schrader valve and put it on?

Schrader valves have a larger diameter so only if the hole in your rim is
large enough.

Quoted message said:

Or do I go for a presta valve and buy a new bicycle pump?

It's worth owning a good pump that works well with Presta valves anyway.
Most pumps nowadays have a reversible parts in the head to make it
compatible with either type of valve.

To pump a Presta tube, unscrew the small knurled nut, give the valve a
quick press to unstick it, enage pump. For the pumps with a lever, push
pump on first then open lever to lock it on and create a better seal.

Quoted message said:

Or I have
spotted on ebay for around a quid, some adaptors you put on Presta
valves to make them into Scrader ones.

They don't work as well as real Schader valves, and ones without o-rings
hardly work at all. Useful to carry for emergencies on the road (to use a
grarage when pump is lost/broken) but that's all. www.wiggle.co.uk sell
them and have a free post option.

Quoted message said:

Is £4 a decent price for a 700 x 35 tube?

Yes, though sometimes they're half that when special offer/bulk or from
Wilkinsons.

~PB

in message <[email hidden]>,

(') said:

Sorry to sound like a complete cycling novice! Truth is, I live in the
country and only occasionally use the bike for a spot of exercise or
visiting the pubs! (BTW - I invested in a semi-reasonable £200
model... not a Bodgitt & Scarper Halfords job!)

A few weeks ago when I went to put a bit of air in my tube, I ended up
releasing all the air as I could not get the pump to fit neatly on the
valve. Such is my knowledge, I didn't recognise what valve it was - I
just knew it looked different from others I'd seen.

There are two standards: Schraeder (same as car tyres, frequently on
cheaper mountain bikes and hybrids), and Presta (quite different, small
protruding threaded rod with a knurled locking barrel, on road bikes and
more expensive mountain bikes). Both standards work perfectly well,
although the Schraeder barrel is considerably wider and thus not used
with narrow rims.

A few pumps automatically adapt to both standards; most pumps are
convertible between the two standards but you have to take pieces out or
turn them around or use different adapters.

Quoted message said:

I think I may have broken the valve, but thought hey-ho, I'll get a new
tube probably with a standard valve on it.

My tube is a 700 x 35 / 43c tube and I have since discovered that you
get Presta valves (which I think mine is) and the more common Shrader
valves.

Question - can I get a new tube with a schrader valve and put it on? Or
do I go for a presta valve and buy a new bicycle pump? Or I have
spotted on ebay for around a quid, some adaptors you put on Presta
valves to make them into Scrader ones.

A Schraeder valve may well not fit in your wheel; I'd get the presta and
get someone in the bike shop to show you how to use it. It's not hard,
but if you don't know to loosen the barrel it's not going to work.

Quoted message said:

Is £4 a decent price for a 700 x 35 tube?

You can get them a lot cheaper (half that price) if you buy tens, but I
suspect that's an average price.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

;; I put the 'sexy' in 'dyslexia'