How to inflate Presta valve?

Every bike rider can easily be in a situation where your tires are flat, and you have already left home or are far from home, what is the right thing to do in such a situation? After all, you don’t want to spoil a promising trip for yourself, but continue the ride. Perhaps while you were driving to your destination, you could see the gas station, where the pumper is also located. If you have seen such a place, then your trip is saved, and you will not have to return home. Or not?

How to inflate Presta valve in general?

Now that you’ve reached the gas station, a new problem has caught up with you. Gas stations have pumps that are designed for car tires, but not for bike tires. If you’re new to cycling, chances are you don’t know about such a thing as a Presta valve. And what to do now?

Basic information about Presta valves and what about mountain bike tires?

If you have just discovered cycling, then you do not know about such a feature as Presta valve, because car valves are commonly found, since this is a known type among all people. But the bottom line is that a bicycle tire and a car tire have completely different valves, in a car it is called a Schrader valves. This valve in small diameter can be compared to a pencil, where in the center there is a small button that is responsible to release air or vice versa. Also, this valve allows you to maintain a uniform air pressure.

The first difference between the Presta valve is the diameter of the valve, it is much smaller, and there is also no button. Instead of a button located on the tip, there is a screw mechanism. When this mechanism is completely closed, the air that is pumped into the bike tire remains there. If unscrew this mechanism, the air can be released or pumped.

In terms of the prevalence of these valves, Presta valves are the most common type used on most types of mountain bikes. Among professional racers, Presta valves are the most convenient and popular option. Such valves can be used not only for bicycles with a high-end mountain bikes, but also for the lower or middle price segment.

Many may wonder why use such a complex and non-standard Presta valve, if there is a standard and well-known car Schrader valves?

Why do cyclists choose Presta valve over Schrader valve?

Of course, a bike tire needs a reliable valve, and it needs to keep the tire pressure strong and for a long time. Compared to the previously mentioned automotive valves, these valves begin to lose tire pressure faster, because of this, you need to use Schrader pumps much more often to maintain a constant pressure. If there is a valve cap, then this process of air loss may be slower, but it still will not guarantee that the tire pressure will be at the same level for a long time.

If you ride at normal speeds, you may not notice a gradual decrease in tire pressure, such as during normal mountain biking. But in the event that you prefer road bikes and high-speed riding on them, then a problem may arise. If the pressure is not kept constant, then this directly affects the speed and safety of the ride.

Thanks to the screw mechanism, the Presta valve cap is not needed and therefore the Presta valve without cap is a most known type of valve. Only a mechanical tire puncture can reduce the pressure in the bike tire.

How to inflate Presta valve of bike tire at a gas station?

If you happen to be at a gas station and need to inflate tires, you can still do it. An air compressor or regular air pump can help with this. But there is one caveat in all this, this is a Presta valve adapter, this adapter is small in size, but it is important, since you cannot inflate bicycle tires without an adapter.

Therefore, in order to inflate a Presta valve with an air pump or an air compressor, several steps must be followed.

1. Firstly, unscrew the Presta valve, it is the screw on the tip of the tube.

2. After that, you need to take a special adapter for Presta valves and attach it to the tip of the valve.

3. Now you can pump up the bike tire to the high pressure you need.

4. After that, you need to remove the Presta valve adapter from the Presta valve and screw the valve back.

From this, we can conclude that it is very easy to use a Presta valve.

Due to the fact that Presta valves became more popular among cyclists, more and more mountain bikes are being produced with this valve. Because of this, most bike pumps can be different, that is, universal type and suitable for inflating bicycles and inflate a Presta valve, as well as for car valves, that is, for a Schrader valve. There are also variants of bike pumps that have two different adapters for inflating the Presta valve and the Schrader valve.

But it is worth remembering that there may not always be a bike pump that has the ability to inflate bicycle tires. Therefore, it is worth carrying an adapter with you when you are going on a bike ride.

How can I buy an adapter for Presta valves?

This tire valve is not big, it is very small and will fit in your pocket. But remember, it is very easy to lose it because of its size. Even if you lose this Presta valve adapter, there is nothing to worry about since it is not so expensive. Often the best option is to buy several Presta valve adapter at the same time, since you can not transfer the same adapter from the garage to your pocket and so on, but put several adapters in different places.

Finding this device is very easy, you can go to any local bike shop. You will definitely find this adapter in the bike store, and you can also sometimes find this device in usual stores. You can also order in the web store, it can save your time.

How to inflate a bike tire when you don’t have an adapter?

You may find yourself in a situation where you do not have a universal bike pump, but still need to pump up bike tires. To do this, you need to change the cap of the tube.

The following steps must be followed:

1. You need to remove the cap from the valve.

2. Find on the valve cap the place where this valve becomes smaller.

3. Now you need to make a cut with something sharp in this place.

4. Now you need to unscrew the valve on the bike tires.

5. After that, you need to take the modified cap and twist it on the tip.

6. After the above steps, you can inflate the tire with a mini pump or other pump to normalize air pressure in the tire.

7. Screw back the valve.

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