# Pumping up tyres - how do people achieve 100psi ?



## mikeyw (13 Jan 2009)

I recall when collecting my new Trek 1.2 the guy in the shop saying the tyres are likely to leak air quite quickly as they need to run at 100psi 

I have noticed the pressures have dropped over the past week and so have tried inflating them, 1st I used a standard mtb pump....not a chance struggled to get any more air in. Next up was a pump compressor I use on the car.....the attachment that best fits the presto wasn't ideal but did seem to put some air in although at about 60psi it could really get any more in.

How do other people go about this ?......is a £25 foot pump the only option ?

TIA,
Mike.


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## Pearson72 (13 Jan 2009)

Buy a track pump!


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## ianrauk (13 Jan 2009)

a £25 track pump is a good investment, though you will be able to find cheaper through Wiggle, Halfords (where I got mine) etc. An essential piece of kit imvho..


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## wafflycat (13 Jan 2009)

Track pump for when I'm at home. Out on the road, a Cyclaire Plus pump.


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## PaulSB (13 Jan 2009)

Get a track pump for £25-£30 and you'll wonder why you didn't buy one years ago. I also quite like the pumps that fold out into a "track pump style" which you can acrry on the bike.


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## Cranky (13 Jan 2009)

Yep, a track pump for home and - in my case - a Topeak Mountain Morph on the bike (the Road Morph is basically the same).

With some presta-type tubes it helps to let some air out first before you pump any in as they can stick shut after a while.


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## swee'pea99 (13 Jan 2009)

Cranky said:


> it helps to let some air out first before you pump any in as they can stick shut after a while.


Ie, loosen the valve and tap it. One brief Pfffsht is all you need.

+1 for a track pump. Check ebay.


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## LLB (13 Jan 2009)

Another +1 for a track pump

Make sure it is a metal bodied one - you get what you pay for.


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## swee'pea99 (13 Jan 2009)

Yeah yeah, they always say that! I got a resin one off ebay for £15 incl del three years ago - it's been fine.


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## gratts (13 Jan 2009)

+1 on all the other +1s for track pump.
Got a lovely aluminum one for £20 from my LBS!


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## MajorMantra (13 Jan 2009)

+1 for track pump, but you needn't even spend £25 (though you'll get a better one if you do). If you live near a big Tesco (Extra) they do one for around £13 or so, sometimes less. While your there you can pick up the Cree torches that you know you really want.

Matthew


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## peanut (13 Jan 2009)

LLB said:


> Another +1 for a track pump
> 
> Make sure it is a metal bodied one - you get what you pay for.



its not the body that needs to be metal necessarily Its the pump piston rod and top T handle that needs to be metal/robust.
I'd recommend the Wrench Force track pump .It has a solid metal pump piston rod and handle which are unbreakable and costs about £10.00 





http://www.bionicsports.com/acatalog/floor_pumps.html
shop around as these go for £10.00 on ebay and other places


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## LLB (13 Jan 2009)

peanut said:


> its not the body that needs to be metal necessarily Its the pump piston rod and top T handle that needs to be metal/robust.
> I'd recommend the Wrench Force track pump .It has a solid metal pump piston rod and handle which are unbreakable and costs about £10.00



Stand corrected and agree with this. Mine is one of the Red steel ones from Halfords for about £20.


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## byegad (13 Jan 2009)

Cranky said:


> Yep, a track pump for home and - in my case - a Topeak Mountain Morph on the bike (the Road Morph is basically the same).
> 
> With some presta-type tubes it helps to let some air out first before you pump any in as they can stick shut after a while.


To the above I add a CO2 inflator. Hard tyres away from home in seconds and no sweat.


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## peanut (13 Jan 2009)

LLB said:


> Stand corrected and agree with this. Mine is one of the Red steel ones from Halfords for about £20.



A veritable bargin LLB 

My last pump broke after 2 months  you get what you pay for I guess


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## peanut (13 Jan 2009)

byegad said:


> To the above I add a CO2 inflator. Hard tyres away from home in seconds and no sweat.



I've still got two I bought in 1994 and never used 

where do you stick yours / in the handlebar ends ?


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## BIGSESAL (13 Jan 2009)

User3143 said:


> Trusty track pump or if you are out on the road one of the Topeak morph pumps



+1 for a topeak. Some come with a pressure gauge on them. It isn't very accurate but gives you a rough idea if you get a puncture when on the road.


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## Over The Hill (13 Jan 2009)

Am I the only one who does not like rock hard tyres? 

I especially keep the front one a little bit off solid as it seems to then not transfer all the vibration from the road into my arms. Back one needs a bit more in as it has most of my weight on it.


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## swee'pea99 (13 Jan 2009)

Over The Hill said:


> Am I the only one who does not like rock hard tyres?
> 
> I especially keep the front one a little bit off solid as it seems to then not transfer all the vibration from the road into my arms. Back one needs a bit more in as it has most of my weight on it.


Without wishing to put the hex on, my probs with You Know Who dropped off considerably after someone on here said '120 rear, 100 front'. I've checked/adjusted every weekend ever since.


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## Calum (13 Jan 2009)

I pump both up to 120, but it's a bit smoother if you leave the front tyre at 100.


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## Amanda P (13 Jan 2009)

I've had a track pump in the past, but since it packed up, I've used a single-barrelled car tyre footpump. It gets 120 psi quite easily.

I've also tried those electric tyre compressors, and they're useless. My truck's tyres need 65 psi, and although the compressor says it can do 100 psi, it's never managed more than about 50. Maybe OK for car tyres that only need 30-odd psi though.

Incidentally, I've also used a track pump to pump car tyres. Hard work.

In short, if you have a car and a bike, and you can only afford one workshop pump, get a single-barrelled car pump.


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## Randochap (13 Jan 2009)

Over The Hill said:


> Am I the only one who does not like rock hard tyres?



No, And contrary to popular wisdom, they'll slow you down on anything but the smoothest surface and give less traction in the corners.


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## Amanda P (13 Jan 2009)

Over The Hill said:


> Am I the only one who does not like rock hard tyres?



No. On regular bikes, I keep 'em a bit soft for comfort. On my Moulton, though, the suspension provides the comfort and road-holding, and the little tyres roll much better if they're rock-hard.

That's one of the cornerstones of Moulton design. Normal frames have to be a compromise between being stiff so that your energy goes into propelling you, not flexing them, and between being flexible enough not to shake your teeth out. Ditto wheels, and ditto tyres (and that's why we like them less than rock-hard).

On a Moulton, these compromises aren't necessary - the suspension gives you the comfort and road-holding, so the frame and wheels can be as stiff as possible for efficiency. 

Regular wheels are 26 - 28 inches partly to allow them to roll over bumps in the road rather than fall into them. But that large size comes with a weight penalty - rims and (especially) tyres are heavy, and it's rotating weight. 

Make the wheels smaller and you cut down this weight. As long as the tyres are high pressure, the increased rolling resistance is neglible down to wheels of about 16". And with suspension, only the wheel falls into holes and out again, rather than the whole bike and rider moving up and down. Alex Moulton worked this out empirically in the 1960s; recently MIT confirmed it more scientifically .


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## swee'pea99 (13 Jan 2009)

Randochap said:


> No, And contrary to popular wisdom, they'll slow you down on anything but the smoothest surface and give less traction in the corners.


Cobblers. Next!


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## jay clock (13 Jan 2009)

+another for a track pump. I hve a trek 1.2 and get the tyres to that pressure in a few strokes. Mine is a Joe Blow Sport. Excellent bit of kit


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## BentMikey (13 Jan 2009)

I have the Specialized Air Tool Pro track pump, reviewed in this month's C+. It's lovely, just works and feels very good.


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## ianrauk (13 Jan 2009)

Over The Hill said:


> Am I the only one who does not like rock hard tyres?
> 
> I especially keep the front one a little bit off solid as it seems to then not transfer all the vibration from the road into my arms. Back one needs a bit more in as it has most of my weight on it.



+1 
my front tyre is 10psi less then rear tyre


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## mikeyw (13 Jan 2009)

Thanks Guys - some good info here....anyone know of any good offers on pumps anywhere ??


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## dodgy (13 Jan 2009)

If you have a road bike, you *need* a track pump. I don't even think it's a luxury.


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## MajorMantra (13 Jan 2009)

mikeyw said:


> Thanks Guys - some good info here....anyone know of any good offers on pumps anywhere ??



Tesco!


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## Randochap (13 Jan 2009)

A quick look around the Internets sez you can get a Beto track pump over there for about 15 quid.

Had mine for 3 years of good service pumping tyres on my 3 bikes, visitors and including a trip to PBP, in '07, where the whole motel full of randonneurs used it.


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## MajorMantra (14 Jan 2009)

Randochap said:


> A quick look around the Internets sez you can get a Beto track pump over there for about 15 quid.



That's the one I have and it works fine. It's physically pretty well identical to the slightly cheaper Tesco one though, I suspect many of these pumps may come from the same source.

Matthew


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## GrahamG (14 Jan 2009)

Uncle Phil said:


> Incidentally, I've also used a track pump to pump car tyres. Hard work.
> 
> In short, if you have a car and a bike, and you can only afford one workshop pump, get a single-barrelled car pump.



That's crazy, a foot pump has a tiny chamber and takes ages to get any air into larger tyres, and I find the track pump great for doing the car tyres too - of course that might be my erm.. 'bulk' .


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## Iainj837 (14 Jan 2009)

peanut said:


> its not the body that needs to be metal necessarily Its the pump piston rod and top T handle that needs to be metal/robust.
> I'd recommend the Wrench Force track pump .It has a solid metal pump piston rod and handle which are unbreakable and costs about £10.00
> 
> 
> ...



I agree I have one simlier to this one mine was £14 from Asda I think.
I have a mini pump for out on the road but could do with one that is easy to use thakes ages and I can never get 100 psi


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## Over The Hill (14 Jan 2009)

swee said:


> Not had a visit from You Know Who for about 1500 miles - mostly on fairly rough back lanes with pot holes and gravel on them, so I may be lucky or it may not make a difference!
> 
> The flex of the rubber may throw off stuck-on grit or sharps.


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## Amanda P (15 Jan 2009)

GrahamG said:


> That's crazy, a foot pump has a tiny chamber and takes ages to get any air into larger tyres, and I find the track pump great for doing the car tyres too - of course that might be my erm.. 'bulk' .



Agreed - when the tyre is a 4x4 truck tyre, it takes ages.

When it's a bike tyre, it's no problem at all. In fact, the chamber is about the same diameter as a track pump, just a bit shorter. I find it easier to pump using my big cycling muscles than with my rather weedy arms and shoulders!

We have a double-barelled car pump at work. Funnily enough, it pumps up truck tyres at twice the speed, but it's bloody hard work getting a bike tyre up to 120 psi with it!


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## jimboalee (15 Jan 2009)

A track pump is the best bet for getting the tyres to pressure when you are starting off from somewhere where it can be locked away while you are riding ( home; or the car at Audax starts ), but a Zefal HP micro pump with a sliding gauge is the jobbie for your PRK.


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