Air Lines for Bikes

J. Chisholm said:

No, I don't mean those things that take you to sunnier climes and create
tons of CO2.

Would it not be a lot safer and cheaper to leave a track pump
behind the counter at the village shop, and put a suitably
eye-catching sign outside? Chain a heavy weight to it.
The village shop (pub) gets the inevitable extra business from hungry
cyclists.
Remember that a road bike tyre takes 100+psi.
This will be confirmed by other respondents, but I don't think it is
at all safe to blow them up with a compressor.

If you are determined to do this, go to the Wiggle website and
search for a Smarthead.
As I say, an ordinary track pump would cost as much as this, and probably
be a darn sight safer.

J. Chisholm said:

No, I don't mean those things that take you to sunnier climes and
create tons of CO2.

When in cycling in Denmark last year I saw several public air lines for
use by cyclists to blow up their tyres.

I'm hoping to get permission for a similar air line in my village S of
Cambridge where hundreds of people cycle.

One component I've failed to find is a 'T' adaptor that has fittings for
'Presto' & 'Schrader' valves at each end and operates simply by pushing
onto valve. I'll just use direct 12v compressor with relatively low
safety pressure with most of works hidden from vandals.

I just need to find a supplier if the 'T' adaptor. Any Ideas?

Jim Chisholm

Topeak sell the hose with an even easier universal head as a separate item.

--
Tony

"I did make a mistake once - I thought I'd made a mistake but I hadn't"
Anon

John Hearns said:

J. Chisholm said:

No, I don't mean those things that take you to sunnier climes and create
tons of CO2.

Would it not be a lot safer and cheaper to leave a track pump
behind the counter at the village shop, and put a suitably
eye-catching sign outside? Chain a heavy weight to it.
The village shop (pub) gets the inevitable extra business from hungry
cyclists.

We had a track pump chained up in bike shed at work, but because of the
'adapter' a number of people let their tyres down! It also failed.
Remember I'm trying to attract the sort of user who never pumps up their
tyres!

Quoted message said:

Remember that a road bike tyre takes 100+psi.

I'd use a small low volume device set to a max of about 70psi /5bar. I'd
expect serious cyclists to have a track pump at home!

Quoted message said:

This will be confirmed by other respondents, but I don't think it is
at all safe to blow them up with a compressor.

I've seen bike tyres go BANG, and no doubt children will play, but I'm
not talking of a device like those used to blow up car tyres!

Quoted message said:

If you are determined to do this, go to the Wiggle website and
search for a Smarthead.

I'm not sure the smarthead is robust enough. The ones I saw in Denmark,
being all metal, would stand up to much abuse, and it would be difficult
for a naive user to let down their tyres in error!

Quoted message said:

As I say, an ordinary track pump would cost as much as this, and probably
be a darn sight safer.

I want it to be very easy for all to use, and if they are safe in
Denmark why aren't they safe here?

Jim Chisholm

On Tue, 14 Jun 2005 10:50:46 +0100, John Hearns <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Remember that a road bike tyre takes 100+psi.
This will be confirmed by other respondents, but I don't think it is
at all safe to blow them up with a compressor.

It's perfectly safe as long as the air delivery is appropriate for
bicycle tyres. They have compressed air lines for cyclists in
Switzerland too, I saw them in bike-parks at train stations etc. It's
a damn fine idea in my view.

Picture it.... loads of bike parking at your local train station, much
of it under cover and enclosed. With free compressed air hoses for top
ups and punctures. And bike theft unheard of. And ample trains that
run on time. And have whole carriages for throwing bikes and trailers
and tandems and recumbents in.

And... and... and...

Heaven really is a place on earth. Of course, the down side is Phil
Collins as a neighbor, but you can't have everything.

"Bob"
--

http://www.pledgebank.com/refuse

"I will refuse to register for an ID card and will donate £10
to a legal defence fund but only if 10,000 other people will
also make this same pledge."

http://www.pledgebank.com/faq

Email address is spam trapped, to reply directly remove the beverage.

J. Chisholm said:

No, I don't mean those things that take you to sunnier climes and
create tons of CO2.

When in cycling in Denmark last year I saw several public air lines for
use by cyclists to blow up their tyres.

FWIW, those have been around for a very long time. I got my first
bike[1] as a child in Sweden in 1971, and everyone just took those
air lines for granted.

[1] Or rather, my uncle and aunt bought me a bike. It was a
small-wheeled, heavy-framed folding effort, which was far too
naff for a ten-year-old. But they were right: once I'd accepted
it, it could grow with me by raising the seat and bars. OTOH
I never took to cycling in England until my Cambridge days, when
I upgraded to something much nicer to ride.

--
Nick Kew

Call me Bob said:

Picture it.... loads of bike parking at your local train station, much of
it under cover and enclosed. With free compressed air hoses for top ups
and punctures. And bike theft unheard of. And ample trains that run on
time. And have whole carriages for throwing bikes and trailers and tandems
and recumbents in.

And... and... and...

Heaven really is a place on earth. Of course, the down side is Phil
Collins as a neighbor, but you can't have everything.

Or being unable to wash your car on a Sunday (*)
or flush the toilet late at night.

(*) The car washing is an old canard - it only applies to Zurich if I'm
not wrong.

Call me Bob said:

It's perfectly safe as long as the air delivery is appropriate for
bicycle tyres. They have compressed air lines for cyclists in
Switzerland too, I saw them in bike-parks at train stations etc. It's
a damn fine idea in my view.

Sandy Morton should be able to tell you everything you need to know.
IIRC he uses an air line in his shop.

--
Dave...

In article <[email hidden]>, J. Chisholm

Quoted message said:

One component I've failed to find is a 'T' adaptor that has
fittings for 'Presto' & 'Schrader' valves at each end and operates
simply by pushing onto valve. I'll just use direct 12v compressor
with relatively low safety pressure with most of works hidden from
vandals.

Quoted message said:

I just need to find a supplier if the 'T' adaptor. Any Ideas?

I don't have a T adapter but I'll send you a screw on one if you want
- longer body than the ones you can buy and fits both narrow valves
easily.

--
A T (Sandy) Morton
on the Bicycle Island
In the Global Village
http://www.millport.net

J. Chisholm said:

I'm not sure the smarthead is robust enough. The ones I saw in
Denmark, being all metal, would stand up to much abuse, and it would
be difficult for a naive user to let down their tyres in error!

Things don't have to be made of metal to be robust. I've got a Smarthead
and it seems extremely robust to me -- very tough plastic indeed (with
metal end and lever). Of course I've not tried doing this, but I bet it
would stand being smashed onto concrete quite violently. How tough does
does a pump head it need to be, for goodness sake?

A downside, however: the stiff lever snaps back viciously when you release
it. Very painful if it lands on your finger! Might bruise a child's
finger.

Topeak do double-ended hoses, though. Rig up one of those and attach a
diagam to indicate which head suits which type of valve.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

As I say, an ordinary track pump would cost as much as this, and
probably be a darn sight safer.

I want it to be very easy for all to use, and if they are safe in
Denmark why aren't they safe here?

Might be safe but I think a good track pump would be more suitable
anyway--might actually be quicker and easier to use. Silca Super Pista is
robust one with a big and long barrel to make pumping physically easy,
relatively. You might want to change the head or hose.

~PB

J. Chisholm said:

I'd use a small low volume device set to a max of about 70psi /5bar.
I'd expect serious cyclists to have a track pump at home!

70 psi is not enough even for many "non serious" cyclists. A 90 psi limit
(or a track pump) would be more useful, IMO.

~PB

Nick Kew said:

J. Chisholm said:

No, I don't mean those things that take you to sunnier climes and
create tons of CO2.

When in cycling in Denmark last year I saw several public air lines for
use by cyclists to blow up their tyres.

FWIW, those have been around for a very long time. I got my first
bike[1] as a child in Sweden in 1971, and everyone just took those
air lines for granted.

So why have I NEVER seen a public one in the UK?

Jim

Sandy Morton said:

I don't have a T adapter but I'll send you a screw on one if you want
- longer body than the ones you can buy and fits both narrow valves
easily.

Thanks for the offer, but if I can't find one like the one I saw, I
think I'll make one!

I'm sure I've got enough bits of pipe, springs, rubber washers, taps&
dies etc in all those boxes of junk in my garage to improvise a prototype!

Then it's just a matter of going into production!

My experience of helping people pump up tyres both at work and at 'Dr
Bike' sessions shows that screw on or clip on ones fool some of the
people most of the time.

Jim Chisholm

Quoted message said:

70 psi is not enough even for many "non serious" cyclists. A 90 psi
limit (or a track pump) would be more useful, IMO.

Or maybe a cunning adjustable limit setter thingy.

In article <[email hidden]>,

dkahn400 said:

Sandy Morton should be able to tell you everything you need to know.
IIRC he uses an air line in his shop.

Everything is a very big word!

I do use a compressor with a switch, not one with a reservoir. It is
set to lift at 45psi since this is about right for most bikes these
days (mountain type with large section tyres) but can be adjusted if
necessary - it will go to 150psi!!

Air line is about 60 feet long and can cope with bikes anywhere in
the yard. End connector fits schraeder valves only since 99.9% of the
blow ups use this type of connector - for others I use a very simple
screw on adapter (see other post) which copes perfectly.

I do NOT blow up tubes for free although that could be seen as being
admirable - I do ask for a donation to the RNLI (sensible on an
island?) and nobody has ever disagreed. Donations vary between 5p
and £20-00 but I do collect around £300 per season.

If anyone wants one of my adapters I will be happy to make some more
and post them to any UK address for no charge but a donation of at
least £1-00 would be appreciated - in the first RNLI box you come
across. If anyone wants a more specialised one then send me a
description - extended schraeder ones are also used for deep v rims -
donation will be a wee bit more!

The RNLI pulled by best pal out of the sea and without them he would
have drowned - OK?

--
A T (Sandy) Morton
on the Bicycle Island
In the Global Village
http://www.millport.net

J. Chisholm said:

Nick Kew said:

J. Chisholm said:

No, I don't mean those things that take you to sunnier climes and
create tons of CO2.

When in cycling in Denmark last year I saw several public air lines for
use by cyclists to blow up their tyres.

FWIW, those have been around for a very long time. I got my first
bike[1] as a child in Sweden in 1971, and everyone just took those
air lines for granted.

So why have I NEVER seen a public one in the UK?

Jim

Pass! My LBS in exile (Lucca, Italy) has one outside for general use. A
couple of times I've seen people using it to inflate footballs too.

Julesh

Graeme said:

No explanation needed. The RNLI were one of the few charity boxes I ever
put any money in back in the UK. The situations they put themselves in to
save other people would have most people hiding under the covers.

Really? All respect to the volunteers who do heroic rescues,
but how much of their work is done on behalf of idiots who should
take more responsibility for themselves? And - erm - idiots who
are a great deal richer than I shall ever be.

In other words, why the **** isn't RNLI funded by insurance companies?

--
Nick Kew

Nick Kew said:

Graeme said:

No explanation needed. The RNLI were one of the few charity boxes I ever
put any money in back in the UK. The situations they put themselves in to
save other people would have most people hiding under the covers.

Really? All respect to the volunteers who do heroic rescues,
but how much of their work is done on behalf of idiots who should
take more responsibility for themselves? And - erm - idiots who
are a great deal richer than I shall ever be.

But, is it worth condemning working boat people to death, just to
avoid saving a rich idiot? I personally would rather the RNLI existed
and also saved idiots than didn't exist.

Quoted message said:

In other words, why the **** isn't RNLI funded by insurance companies?

Probably for teh same reason it isn't funded by government - it has
more freedom acting as it is.

regards, Ian SMith
--
|\ /| no .sig
|o o|
|/ \|

in message <[email hidden]>, Nick Kew

(') said:

Graeme said:

No explanation needed. The RNLI were one of the few charity boxes I
ever put any money in back in the UK. The situations they put
themselves in to save other people would have most people hiding
under the covers.

Really? All respect to the volunteers who do heroic rescues,
but how much of their work is done on behalf of idiots who should
take more responsibility for themselves? And - erm - idiots who
are a great deal richer than I shall ever be.

In other words, why the **** isn't RNLI funded by insurance companies?

I think because it chooses not to be. I agree that many people who get
into trouble at sea should have known better, but I don't think that
reduces one iota the courage of the lifeboatmen.

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

<p>Schroedinger's cat is <blink><strong>NOT</strong></blink> dead.</p>

Nick Kew <[email hidden]> wrote in news:saf5o2-du6.ln1
@asgard.webthing.com:

Quoted message said:

All respect to the volunteers who do heroic rescues,
but how much of their work is done on behalf of idiots who should
take more responsibility for themselves?

I don't know, but I'm sure it would be a reasonable proportion.

Quoted message said:

And - erm - idiots who
are a great deal richer than I shall ever be.

So, because they're richer than you they a) are idiots and b) don't deserve
rescued? Do you want salt and vinegar with that chip on your shoulder?

The only people I know with boats aren't particularly rich, mind you, that
may be because they have boats 🙂

Graeme