ivan1347

Hello so recently I tried to fill up my rear back tire. i had no success in doing so, the wheel would not fill up. Does the valve need to be point out of the wheel a lot to be filled up, as in stick out of the wheel? I also just bought the bike, a Schwinn Sidewinder. If the wheel is the problem I may return it. I had filled it up, but the pump of the gas station didn't have a nice fit, I could feel the air not going in the Schrader valve from the bike.

milkbaby

The chuck on the end of the hose needs to both push down on the central pin of a Schrader valve and seal on the end of the valve stem for air to go in. You can try a regular floor pump and see if that works.

Doctor Morbius

YES!

Besides, gas station air is low grade air compared to bicycle air. You want the best, right?

Maelochs

Yeah ... that gas station air is full of gas. Don't use it.

If you want to ride a bike and you don't have a floor pump, get one. You will most often be changing tubes/patching tubes at home, and you won't be able to ride to the gas station for air.

If you want, go back to the station and make really sure that everything is properly inserted and aligned. If the chuck (the end of the hose that goes over the valve) is not at just the right angle, air will leak out faster than it goes in. Also, try the front tire. if the back is defective, it is unlikely both would be ... and if they both are YES, take it back.

Take it back anyway, as I have suggested elsewhere ... ... but if you are dead set on keeping the bike, practice a bit with the air hose. Most likely it is simply not correctly aligned. Most bicycle floor pumps have a lock-on lever so that you put the valve in the chuck and flip a lever holding it in place. At a gas station, you need to hold it in place manually, and even a slight angle will flatten the tire faster than it inflates it.

Do consider buying a floor pump ... and a few new tubes, and a patch kit. Nothing quite like getting up late, hurrying to get ready, heading out to the bike and seeing a flat tire ... and not having a spare tube. (Been there, done that ... no one seems impressed when you say you missed an important appointment or came to work late because you had a flat tire.)

ironwood

What brand of gas does the station sell? Some of the low price gas stations don't have good air.

Maelochs

maybe the station's pump only fit a front back tire, not a rear back tire. You might need a special pump.

We sure can be jerks here, sometimes, but we thing we're funny.

Well ... I think I am funny .....

JohnDThompson 

I've found that many service stations' air chucks have seriously worn gaskets and don't seal well around the valve stem. This is less of a problem for automobile tires since they run at much lower pressure than most bicycle tires.

Retro Grouch 

Probably all that's wrong is the valve isn't sticking out of your rim enough. It may help if you push on the tire from the outer circumference.

If you've been riding for awhile with low air pressure, the valve is probably leaning over. If that's the case, your best bet is to completely deflate the tire and try to scoot it around the rim until the valve stem is straight again (a PITA job). If you don't do that, eventually your inner tube will tear at the base of the valve stem and you'll have to get a new inner tube.

Doctor Morbius

When I used to have a problem with inflation, I went out and bought proprietary front tire and rear tire pumps. Problem solved.

jhazel

I have a compressor at home and a chuck that is in good shape. I never use it for the bicycle. Even a cheap floor pump is easier to use than a compressor. On a completely flat tire, I think it takes an extra 30 - 45 seconds to inflate the tire. A friend taught me to pump up the tires every time I ride so it is always a quick job to add air.

rumrunn6

yes, you should be able to grasp the valve stem with 2 fingers from one hand while you snug the pump chuck securely onto it with your other hand. it's important to line it up and press it on straight and firm. sometimes to get a good fit you have to try a couple of times.

if the valve stem isn't sticking out of the wheel enough try to wiggle it and pull it up out and straight. if you can get it out but it's crooked, then the tube and tire need some attention to move it around a little like another poster said, and that might require deflating the tube enough so both the tube and tire can be adjusted to make the valve point straight and perpendicularly from the wheel

there are rare cases where a gas station chuck is so bad it doesn't make a tight fit on the valve. try another gas station.

but like others have said it's good to have your own pump at home.

ifyou you haven't resolved this on your own yet, take it to your local bike shop and ask advice in person. it helps to have someone right there, with you, showing you this ... good luck! :-)

this is bad but not that bad
https://i.stack.imgur.com/Cp0iV.jpg

this is good
https://i.stack.imgur.com/6QVwE.jpg

indyfabz

If the gas station also has a c-store the air will taste better.

rydabent

I beg to differ with you on that. Most gas stations have water filters on their compressors so the air is dry and you dont get water in your tubes. The do this since most of them have air driven tools, and they dont want water in their tools.

VegasTriker

Yeah, you shouldn't use that gas station pump air that you breath every time you inhale with such deadly consequences that you will eventually die. Instead you should go to a tire shop and have them charge you 2 loonies (Canadian dollars) to to fill the tire with a couple cents worth of compressed nitrogen from a compressed gas cylinder. Makes a lot of economic sense (for the tire station)! Get a floor pump with a gauge on it so you know how much pressure you are putting in the tire. Bet you didn't know about all of the fun accessories ($$) that were going to tempt you once you bought a bike. Prices range from under $20 to the sky's the limit. Examples: Floor Pump | Bike Floor Pump | Bicycle Pumps - Niagara Cycle

79pmooney

OP, if your tire was dead flat, the problem may be as simple as just the valve being pushed so far into the tire that there is not enough left for the pump fitting. Solution is to 1) rotate the valve to the top. 2) press down on the tire with your thumb to press the valve out. Fit pump fitting on and go for it. (Now a gas station fitting may well have a worn gasket as JohnDThompson said in post #7 .)

I have the same issue with my Specialized floor pump with deepish rims and shorter valves. (On some wheels I cheat and start the inflation with a frame pump.)

Ben

TheLibrarian

Has no one suggested you may have a leak or fully exploded tube. Maybe we were thrown off by the fact he knew he had Schrader vlve. If I pump air in my tire and it doesn't go up that's what I 1st think. Tubes can pop easily even on a new bike if not properly inflated to begin with or it could be a cheap tube but even cheap tubes should function. No clue as to the niceness of the Schwinn but replacing a tube even early is no big deal.

Dave Cutter

Was a nice laugh. I enjoyed this thread.

VegasTriker

If the tire was inflated with the schrader valve pushed in and at an angle, you could have separated the valve from the tube and it will never inflate even if restored to the correct position. Several people have suggested that. If you don't want to take the bike back, pull the tube and try to inflate it outside of the tire. You will know immediately if there is a hole in the tube or valve separation. If this is a brand new bike, the person who assembled it may have pinched the tube when they assembled the bike. While this occasionally happens with a competent mechanic at a bike shop, it is a lot more likely if Joe Blow, the bike assembler at the mass merchandiser, assembled the bike. If it is brand new, take the bike back for a free repair.

PatrickGSR94

All kidding aside, gas station air may have a bunch of moisture/water inside it. I prefer using a bike pump with integrated gauge, or my own garage compressor with automatic electronic drain and desiccant drier canister on the air line. Just set the air regulator to the pressure you need in the tires, and hold it on the valve until you hear no more air flowing.

ivan1347

Alright, so I deflated it all the way and had the valve stick out correctly and filled it up with a hAnd pump. It should all be good right?

I-Like-To-Bike

LBS Air = good; Walmart or evil Gasoline Company Air= bad; all Real Serious Cyclists™ know this.

bikecrate

Pfffff...I get my air from Amazon or a UK online store. I have a hose attached to my computer.

Homebrew01

As long as you have enough air, so you don't get pinch flats whet hitting holes, rocks etc...

Retro Grouch 

Being a bit of a weight weenie, I like to use light weight air that has a lot of carbon fiber in it. Rust belt air tends to contain a lot of heavy metals.

HTupolev

To get it as light as possible, you want to fill your tubes with vacuum.