One of "those" days...

[Danneaux]

Hi All!

Nothing major, but I've been having a frustrating morning and awakened with "dangerous hands"...the kind that break whatever they touch. I proved it in practice several times this morning. You don't want me repairing something for you today, or holding a hot cup of tea when it isn't over a saucer.

Though it is raining, now seems a good time for a bike ride to blow off the frustration, so first task: Top-off the Nomad tires.

Oops. Turns out my Schwalbe tubes have removable presta valve cores, which I forgot to remember when I removed the little o-ringed Schraeder adapter I store on the rear valve (and cover with a cap...belt and braces approach in case the primary and secondary carry-pumps fail...Good Desert Touring Practice).

Anyway, the core wasn't tight, so the air fell out as fast as I could hammer it in.

Just a friendly reminder to check for that if you make no progress with the pumping. It might not be the pump, especially when you fully disassemble it and even look at the check valve inside. It might not be a missed puncture or a decapitated valve-to-tube seal even after you demount the tire three times to check. I normally know about and remember to check the removable presta valve cores, but not when I'm being nibbled to death by ducks (aka distracted by a *very* busy and frustrating morning).

All the best,

Dan. (...who is off to test the limits with a ride and hopes the cars and trucks miss him)

[jags]

  ;Dyip funny how you get days like that best thing either go for a good ould spin or find a good western on tv.

anto.

[julk]

Dan,
I hope the day is improving.

I have found the recent Schwalbe tubes that I have purchased and used have loosish valve inners.
I tossed one before realising what the problem was when not finding a slow puncture after several attempts.
I ended up buying the Park tool for valve cores and now all my valve cores are well tight.
Julian

[Neil Jones]

Anto, you're a man after my own heart. 

Neil

[jags]

Dan im hiring a hitman to kill you,you put the jinks on me.I decided. This morning to centry my front mudguard with centre wheel it was off a couple mm.well all was going well until I started fixing the bolt back in unber the fork. You guessed it I crossed the thread made a right tits of it.spent the e ntire morning looking for new bole to go into other hole eventually got it fixed but if it comes loose im goosed no more fixing points .wonder if I used thread lock on the  bolt would it fix it better

[mickeg]

I first learned that some Presta valves had removable cores when I was on a bike tour and wanted to top up my tires with my Lezyne Micro Floor Drive pump.  It threads on to the valve, not clamps on.  I unintentionally unthreaded the valve core on both front and rear tires to disconnect the pump.  Since then I always try to tighten the Presta valve cores slightly with a crescent wrench.

If I suspect a slow leak in a valve core, I put a bit of water (or maybe spit if no water available) on it to check for bubbles to signify a leak, which is a lot easier to do with a Shrader than a presta.  Decades ago when I worked as a bike mechanic, we had a lot of tubes with Shrader valves that had poor valve cores, so I got in the habit of checking that first for slow leaks.  Back then some Shrader valve caps had the tool built in, after having enough of those valve caps get lost when I used them as actual valve caps, I kept my last one in my tool box so I would at least keep that one Shrader valve core tool.

[Paul S]

but not when I'm being nibbled to death by ducks (aka distracted by a *very* busy and frustrating morning).

That is superb

Not so long ago I got to the point of pumping up the tires on Thomas, for the life of me I could not get the pressure beyond 30psi & at 34 degrees C, suffered a bit of a sense of humor failure, tossed my pump into my bike box, borrowed a pump, did the job & went for a short Tuc,Tuc avoiding ride to make sure the rest was working.

Sense of humor restored I thought I should take a look at me pump. There it was in the bottom of the box, with the head 1 foot away up the box

The head must have been clinging onto the end of the hose by the last thread & leaking air like a sieve & there was me trying to inflate the whole of India to 30psi (aka wood for darn trees).

I blame the jetlag. 

[Danneaux]

I hope the day is improving.

Yes, Julien, much better...thanks! 

Sorry for others' misfortune, but it helps to know such things happen more widely. 

All the best,

Dan.