Pumping bicycle tyres, help!

A question about : Pumping bicycle tyres, help!

OK so I've never had a bike before. And therefore I've never needed to pump tyres before.

I use my bicycle as transport to work. I am now stuck having let all the air out of my tyres trying to get it to pump up

I don't really know what I did wrong. I took of the black plastic cap and it revealed a silver screw bit with a smaller copper screw bit inside. I unscrewed the copper bit, and it revealed the valve (I think). Pressing down on this copper bit let the air out, but when it was unpressed the air stayed in.

I pushed the pump nozzle part of my hand pump against the copper bit. And all the air came out. There was no way to make it seal against it and the two didn't sit flush or anything. So now my transport to work has zero air in the tyres

The tyres are Schwalbe Road Cruiser 26 Ч 1.75, Cream.
The pump is this Mini Dual G Bike Pump with Gauge

Are they somehow not compatible? Am I missing something huge?

It seemed to me like if I could get the copper bit out then I could stick this thing in and get a proper seal. This pump has a tiny plastic crosshair bit inside it. So when the copper bit went in it didn't click or seal in any way I expected it to.

Help!

Best answers:

• There are two different types of valve for bike tyres. One is Schrader, which look like the valve on car tyres - a pin in the middle releases the air when pressed. The other is Presta, which is narrower and has a metal screw clamp on the top of the valve pin.
  Does the pump seem like it fits the valve properly? If not, you're probably using a Schrader pump with a Presta valve.
  If you unscrew the light-grey ring at the end of the pump, and tap the contents out into your hand, you should see two pieces of plastic. Pull them apart, turn both upside down and push them together. Then put them back in the end of the pump and screw the light-grey ring back on.
  Hey Presta, you've converted your Schrader pump into a Presta one! Hopefully you can then pump the tyres back up!
• Hi there,
  Have looked at pictures, yes it seems I have a Presta valve.
  There is no way to get the pump as it is to attach in any way.
  I've unscrewed the light grey ring on the pump part. It reveals the same sort of thing. No way to attach it still.
  The listing on the Halfords website I have sent says it's possible to work on both types of those valves, but it didn't come with instructions as to how.
  Also when I unscrewed it it seems to just take the cap part off. No "two pieces of plastic". There is this little crosshair piece of plastic in there but no way to remove it.
  Also when I remove the plastic cap part, the clip on the back of the pump becomes loose and can no longer be manouvered (it just flops around). Is that right? I still cannot see any way to get the pump to attach to that valve.
  Also the one in the pic seems every so slightly different. Mine looks like this: https://www.topeak.com/mediafiles/products/3934/
• Website link: https://www.topeak.com/products/Pumps/Mini
  On right hand of page, there's another link to "How to change internal pump head parts" - https://www.topeak.com/news/showUsers...try_code=en_XX which is a popup with video.
• 'Pumped them up enough' is basically - pump till it's rock hard. I spent years riding round on semi-deflated tyres and when my OH showed me the difference it made having them properly inflated I didn't look back! Much easier (and faster) to ride on fully inflated tyres, even on mountain-bike tyres.
• Then just a bit more air in will do nicely, till no squidge at all. Of course, if they go 'pop', that's just a bit too far.
• If you are using your bike to get to work it might be worth getting a CO2 pump. They are great for emergencies and have you back on the road really quickly. I always have one and a spare canister tucked in my saddle bag.
  Agree with the above re tyre pressure too. If you go to your local bike shop they will show you how your tyres should be inflated. It should say on the side of the tyre but you need a decent gauge, a track pump at home helps.
  If your tyres are not at the correct pressure you are more at risk of getting a puncture.
• it sounds like you are not pumping up the tyres enough.
  road tyres can feel hard at 30-40psi, whereas they are best at being 100+.
  ideally, u'll need a decent track pump. The mini pumps are very difficult to get to 100psi
  althou the hybrid tyres dont need to be quite so high
• It will say on the sidewall of the tyres what pressure they should be pumped to. Eg my hybrid tyres say something like 60-90psi. I like to ride them at 80psi.
  If you don't pump them up to the minimum recommended pressure you risk getting pinch punctures.
  If you're using it daily it's well worth getting a track pump with a gauge to use at home. I top my tyres up weekly as they lose pressure with use.
  I got this one because the gauge is at the top of the pump:
  https://www.halfords.com/cycling/tool...ump-with-gauge
  Most have the gauge at the bottom (by your feet) which I find harder to read. Most people don't mind though and you can get cheaper pumps if you're not as fussy as me!
  Also like mine because it works on both Schraeder and Presta valves without anything being altered on it - handy as I have one type and hubby has the other. You just take the dust cap off the valve, put the pump head on and open the lever.
  I also have a mini pocket pump that I carry with me for puncture repairs, but it's more physical effort to pump with than my track pump and doesn't have a pressure gauge.
• https://www.evanscycles.com/products/...1#BVRRWidgetID
  Get this its very good and its unbelievable the difference it makes having your tyres pumped up properly makes.
• The correct pressure for your tyre is 50psi, which will be easily compressible with your thumb, hard as nails is far too much for a tyre that wide. If you overinflate, the bead may come off the rim.