Warning: Bike geekery via painter’s tape. On Mission at 23rd. Ask the folks at Valencia Cycles to show you how it’s done.
8 Responses to “The Latest Development in Bicycle Frame Pump Technology”
Allan Hough (7858)
Brittany Janis & Katie Cruz (104)
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Reader question: When I was a kid, my bike tire pressure lasted all summer. Now they seem to lose air quickly and require constant pumping. I attest it to a vast chinese manufacturing conspiracy of cheap valves. Comments?
I know what you mean. Its probably the difference between using a Schrader (what you see on road bike tubes) and Presta (what we had on our kid bikes) valve.
Opps, I swapped those around…what Jonas said.
More weight?!
Schrader valves are typically found on child bicycles. Most decent road bikes rims come with Presta valves. I don’t think that the lack of pressure is due to manufacturing differences, but possibly a climate difference.
You can still get some pressure for months. But now you notice if it’s down 10lbs or so.
more likely it’s the difference in volume and pressure. Kid’s balloon tires have more volume at lower pressure, IIFRC, you only pump them up to 30 some odd PSI. That fairly low, whereas an adult bike with 700c tires is very little air at 90 PSI. So a little leak means a great deal with skinny tires as with skinny jeans.
But what happens if you don’t do skinny jeans and wear spandex?