Bit of general stuff and a question...

nosedive

New to this cycling lark and findin it hard work bit really enjoying it. Aiming to Lap the Lough at the end of August. Wondering why drivers seem to make a sport of seeing how close they can brush by you without making contact. This evening for instance I slowed up behind a car which had stopped and pulled right into the ditch for a horse coming the other way. As the horse passed I put the hammer down and passed the car before she pulled out to continue but a few hundred metres up the road she passed me at bout 40mph with giving me an inch!?! The mentality is just baffling.

Anyway this question's really goons make me sound like an empty head so I'll ask it annoymously here rather than be sniggered at in the cycle shop; I have a manual pump I bring on the bike which will do 2 valve sizes ('normal' and the smaller one for the bike). I can only get the pump to put pressure through the regular fitting and not the smaller one fir the bike - am I missing a trick here??

uberwolf

nosedive wrote: »

I can only get the pump to put pressure through the regular fitting and not the smaller one fir the bike - am I missing a trick here??

tubes typically come in one of two valve types. Presta (screwy up down bit & narrow) or schrader (car type & wider)

so only one fitting will work with either type

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schrader_valve

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presta

penexpers

nosedive wrote: »

New to this cycling lark and findin it hard work bit really enjoying it. Aiming to Lap the Lough at the end of August. Wondering why drivers seem to make a sport of seeing how close they can brush by you without making contact. This evening for instance I slowed up behind a car which had stopped and pulled right into the ditch for a horse coming the other way. As the horse passed I put the hammer down and passed the car before she pulled out to continue but a few hundred metres up the road she passed me at bout 40mph with giving me an inch!?! The mentality is just baffling.

In fairness, I would have hung back behind the car until it pulled off.

Moflojo

nosedive wrote: »

This evening for instance I slowed up behind a car which had stopped and pulled right into the ditch for a horse coming the other way. As the horse passed I put the hammer down and passed the car before she pulled out to continue but a few hundred metres up the road she passed me at bout 40mph with giving me an inch!?! The mentality is just baffling.

Without condoning the car passing you so closely, you really should not have overtaken the car while it was pulled in imho. Try to act the same way on the bike as you would in a car, obeying the rules of the road and giving due respect and courtesy to other road users. If you were driving a car would you have overtaken another car that had pulled in to allow a horse to pass by? Same goes at places like traffic lights where there is no cycle lane, don't pass inside a bunch of cars that have already passed you only to make them have to pass you again. It's a little rude and can really irk drivers.

nosedive

They're the valve types alright - the pump's even got S and P
beside the relevant outlet and it's obviously intended to do both types but I can only get air out of the Schrader outlet.

nosedive

Point taken about passing but she was hanging about and there was plenty of time and space - I'd probably have waited I was in the car given it's a much bigger item and I decided by the time I stopped and got going agin it was easier to pass while I was still barely rolling and was sitting waiting (both hands fixing her hair).

Moflojo

When pumping a presta tyre, unscrew the valve and press down on it briefly, this releases a little air but also ensures that the valve is not stuck, as can sometimes happen. Prestas can be a little tricky to get the hang of if you are only used to dealing with Schraeders but stick with it and try not to break too many valves in the process!

petethedrummer

nosedive wrote: »

Anyway this question's really goons make me sound like an empty head so I'll ask it annoymously here rather than be sniggered at in the cycle shop; I have a manual pump I bring on the bike which will do 2 valve sizes ('normal' and the smaller one for the bike). I can only get the pump to put pressure through the regular fitting and not the smaller one fir the bike - am I missing a trick here??

http://boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=66339311&postcount=4

Edit: I re-read your post, this won't help. do what Moflojo said

kumate_champ07

you need to screw the adaptor onto the tube valve tight and then connect the pump tightly to the adaptor