The other day I rode my bike down to the nearby gas station. I had noticed that my back tire was getting low, and I needed to pump some air into it. I have a small travel pump, but it doesn't seem to work very well. I needed something more powerful.
I ran into my neighbor while I was there. He was picking up several bags of ice for a family trip to the lake. He helped me with the pump. There are spaces on the machine to insert six quarters, but there is also a sign that says, "For free air, ask inside." He went in and they told him just to press the button. It's on the left hand side. I pressed it, the machine fired up, and the air came whooshing out through the nozzle.
He filled the back tire for me, and I added some air to the front one. It was quick and easy, and boy did it make a difference! I hadn't realized that you need to add air to your bicycle tires on a regular basis. I have spent so much money having the inner tubes replaced and adding tuff tube, maybe this is all that I needed to do. Well, except for things that cause punctures, like thorns and nails. It makes me shake my head. I need to make it a habit. Even if your bike is just sitting in the garage, the tires can go flat.
My neighbor mentioned that he has a compressor pump if I ever need to use it. He's so nice. I usually stop and chat with his wife when I am out walking the dog. I came home and oiled the chain. The owner of the local bike shop always reminds me that I need to do that whenever it gets dry.
When the tires have plenty of air in them, the ride feels completely different. You have support. It's the opposite of that feeling when your tires deflated or getting low. I am excited to be more proactive about this part of bicycle maintenance. How is your tire situation?
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You have to work a lot harder when your tire pressure is low. I finally put fix a flat in the tires of my old bike - worked wonders.
ReplyDeleteI'll have to look that up, Lady Locust. The tires feel brand new when they are pumped.
DeleteHow nice of your neighbour to help. We no longer use bikes, but I remember the hours spent maintaining them for the children.
ReplyDeleteHi mm, Yes, we had our own pumps when we were kids. We rode our bikes everywhere.
DeleteYou did well to check on your bicycle tires and put more air in them. I regularly check my car tires, but there is also a little light that lights up on the dashboard if a tire has low pressure.
ReplyDeleteThanks Bless. I need to remember to rotate the tires on my car regularly.
DeleteYour neighbour sounds very kind.I check my tires whenever I'm going out for a ride. It makes such a difference if they are inflated correctly. X
ReplyDeleteIt sure does, Jules. I will be doing the same thing now.
DeleteI remember pumping up my bike tires when I was a girl. Our sons used to ride their bikes everywhere when they were boys. I was always amused with how much time they both spent working on their bikes-they were so intense! It seemed Steve ended up teaching every boy in the neighborhood how to ride a 2 wheeler back in the day.
ReplyDeleteThat's sweet, Anita. My brothers and I rode our bikes to school every morning. It gave us a real sense of independence. I rode to the theater each evening for work when I lived in Berlin.
DeleteThey don’t take much air, do they?
ReplyDeleteNo, Akasha. Very little. A short blast does the trick.
DeleteWe have a pump that plugs into the cigarette lighter in our vehicles. We can pump our bicycle tires or car or truck tires. AAA and hardware stores sell them. I think they start around $30. We use ours a lot and actually keep one in each vehicle for emergencies. I highly recommend. Bobi
ReplyDeleteOh, thanks for the info, Bobi. I belong to AAA. That's a good price, too.
ReplyDelete