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My last bike experience was about 56 years ago. I now want to inflate the tyres of my grandchildren's bikes. I have a steel stirrup pump (floor pump) with presta and schrader orifices in the chuck. I'm in the UK, where everything seems to be schrader. I'm assuming the schrader orifice is the hole without a poppet.

Problem: the chuck is too big to enable the lever to be extended when connecting to the valve on the wheel. (For an adult bike, the lever in the neutral position would be at right-angles to the valve. In the working position, it would be inline with the valve.)

Question: I read about "flexible extenders" in relation to kids' bikes. (In the old days, this thing lived inside the handle of a straight pump.) I'm wondering if a schrader flexible extender would do job? For example:

http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/HalfordsProductDetailsLiteView?addToBasket=true&addToBasketSource=1&cmTagValue=8&storeId=10001&langId=-1&catalogId=10151&categoryId=273923&productId=922475&TB_C_ID=productdetails&width=830&height=440&dialogType=AJAX&dialogTitle=Halfords+Schrader+Bike+Pump+Adaptor&openedFrom=Browse+PDP

If the above monster link fails, this link might work:

https://bit.ly/2EW7b4P

If the answer to my question is "yes", do I simply push the left-hand end shown in the link into the schrader hole in the chuck, and extend the lever?

From http://i1.adis.ws/i/washford/357266? from links given by OP

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  • ...and welcome to SE. You obviously have bike experience, please feel free to have a go at any questions that look interesting.
    – Criggie ♦
    Apr 18, 2018 at 10:26
  • Thanks for detailed comments. I'll need to think about all the options. My current feeling is simply to give my neighbour his pump back, and buy one of the straight pumps that has the flexible extender shown in my OP. Especially since I only need 40 psi - according to the instructions on the tyre.
    – OldGrantonian
    Apr 18, 2018 at 12:22

1 Answer 1

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Sadly no - that short hose would have been used on an old-school frame pump, and yes, it would have been stored in the handle. The host/pump thread is not the same size or pitch as a schrader.

http://www.ironweedbp.com/uploads/3/0/8/9/3089502/2248983_orig.jpg

The threads are not opposites, so that hose won't go into a schrader chuck.

Compare the end with these adapters - see how the brassy one looks like another schrader valve, and the topeak one looks larger?

From https://www.bike24.com/p2138551.html https://1554652485.rsc.cdn77.org/i/p/1/5/138551_00_c.jpg

From Amazon https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61HzJkUNqNL._SL1200_.jpg

Your other option is to simply lean the valve stem over a bit, and see if that gives you room to flip the lever. The valve stem may tear off, more likely if its an old tube.

Or since its the same as a car tyre, take the bike down to the local service station and use their air bowser to fill the tyre. Not sure about your location but here most fuel station air pumps would fit fine on any little wheel's valve stem.

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    Yeah, the adapter in the OP's photo is the wrong thing, but there are similar adapters available that will work. Look for an extension hose.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Apr 18, 2018 at 12:04
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    I'm in the UK too and have only seen rare, expensive extension hoses. But I've got one in a pump accessory kit from a supermarket in France,bought for almost exactly this reason.
    – Chris H
    Apr 18, 2018 at 12:18
  • I found one here dx.com/p/…
    – Criggie ♦
    Apr 18, 2018 at 12:58
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    You may get the brass kind from motorcycle shops. But be aware that screwing it off will almost let out as much air as you've manage to get into the tyre. The little stem in the centre of the screw-on head will keep the valve open until the head is nearly fully removed. It may not be important with a motorbike tyre because of the larger volume but a cycle wheel holds much less air.
    – Carel
    Apr 18, 2018 at 15:33

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