Pump It UP!

"I can't get the thing down"
"It's stuck!"
"Ow, that hurt me!"
"Just press on it harder"
"It's not getting any bigger"
"Put it on tighter"
"It's not working..."
"Ahh, it's a little bigger"
"That'll have to work..."
"Fine! We'll just have to do it like that"
"I don't even want to do it anymore...."

And thus began the afternoon of me, Dave, our bikes and the floor pump.

As we learned in a previous post, you should pump up your tires (inner tubes actually) before every ride -even if - and especially if - you haven't ridden it in awhile. Tires lose air and need to be pumped up again with fresh air. Trust me on this - and if you don't trust me -- go ahead and google "bicycle tires air" - you'll find lots of articles that explain the science behind this phenomenon - something to do with synthetic rubber, molecules and black magic.

So after Dave went on a bike ride with half the tire pressure he should have had in his tires, we went out to buy a pump and ended up buying this Ascent Mega Force:

(It should go without saying at this point that you should just buy a floor pump when you buy your bike. After all another $30 on top of the thousands you are already spending isn't going to put you any deeper in the poor house.)

This pump didn't work right. It was really hard to get on and off the tube's valve. Well, it might have something to do with the people using it, but look - if you are new to this sport and don't know what the hell you are doing - don't make it harder on yourself by using this pump!

After the ordeal of pumping up our tires for the first time, we met our friends for a ride at a park. As we were waiting for everyone to arrive, we saw our friend Sara pull out her pump from her car- and effortlessly - EFFORTLESSLY -fill her bicycle tires with air. It was almost as if she just wiggled her nose a la Bewitched and the tires were deliciously full and ready to be ridden across the roads of Arizona.

Dave & I watched her do this with mouths' half open - spell bound by the ease at which she executed this task that had taken us well over an hour and had been accompanied by some snappish words with one another.

Dave was intrigued and asked Sara what kind of pump she had... Her back was turned toward us, but when she heard the question, she slowly turned around and gave kind of a secret, shy smile and then slowly turned the pump around to face us and slyly said "Why, it's Joe Blow."

Joe. Blow. We went out and bought the Topeak Joe Blow Sport pump immediately. And let me tell you, It works!



(Yes, I know this pump looks just like the Ascent - don't get them confused!)

One thing you should know about Joe Blow and other floor pumps of its kind is that it is constructed to be used with both Schrader and Presta valves. Most road bikes are going to require tubes that have a Presta valve. You can go ahead and google "Schrader and Presta" to get the technical differences between the two...

However, I associate the Schrader valve with my childhood bike "Big Blue" -
the silver and blue sparkly banana seat, the bright blue streamers hanging from the handle bars, the white basket with a flower on it. Yeah, there's some rust on the handlebars but - it's my bike and it gives me freedom! If my tires were ever low, I just stuck the pump on the tube's valve, gave it a couple of swift pumps and away I went, sans helmet, pedaling with sandals on, cruising around the neighborhood 'till the streetlights came on....

The Presta valve is a different story. Once you figure out how to use the damn thing and actually get air in your tires (to the correct psi of course), you get out your "bike shoes" and shove your feet in them, and then you put your helmet on your head - this is of course after you've squeezed yourself into some bike shorts and a jersey. Then once you are actually attempt to get on your bike you have to "clip in," and then you start pedaling, concentrating hard when you have to "clip out," being ever vigilant for vehicles. You make sure you have your water, gatorade and some gels....

You get the picture...the differences between Schrader and Presta go beyond the technical....

Things to remember about the Presta valve include the following --

The Presta valve has a little tiny brass top on it (I call it "the little hat"). Make sure you twist the little hat open when you are trying to put air in your tires. This will allow air to enter your tube as you are pumping. Do not just attach the pump to the inner tube valve without first twisting the little hat open - that is kind of - no really -- stupid. Of course, that's what we did the first time. But seriously! These things don't come with instructions (well, maybe they do - but we didn't read them).

[Our conversation after we attempted to put air in the tire without twisting the little hat open:

D: "There, it's done."
S: "Uh, honey, I don't think any air went in there." (while squeezing the tire, easily smooshing both sides of the tire together)]

So twist the little hat on the tube's valve open, attach the pump (if you are using Joe Blow, you will use the gray skinny side), fold the pump's lever up to lock the valve to the pump and PUMP it UP! Well, pump the tube up to the recommended psi....

So what's the recommended psi? Why, you can find that on your tire's sidewall! My tire's sidewall says "Inflate to 100 PSI/ 7 BAR - 120 PSI 8.5 BAR" - I have no idea what the Bar stuff means, but I believe the psi stuff means that I should pump my tires up to between 100 psi-120 psi max. Joe Blow even has a handy little red arrow on its pressure gauge that tells you about how much air you should be putting in your tires. Note: Check out the pump gauge when you make that first pump stroke on the pump -- it will tell you how much air you initially have in your tire.

One other thing - the tube's valve will initially have a little plastic black top (which I like to call the "Top Hat") on it.

IronShane says to get rid of the Top Hat immediately (well he didn't call it the Top Hat - I think he said something like "this is a useless piece of ...."). Apparently nothing says Newbie like a little black cap on your tube. So if you are pedaling up a hill in your large chain ring and you tip over, make every effort to make sure you are not caught with a little black cap on your tube! It could be the difference between being silently ignored as you lie on the side of the road with your bike on top of you and having empty gel packs thrown at you.

And that's it! Dave and I now happily pump up our tires before every ride with our Topeak Joe Blow Sport Floor Pump.

Now changing a flat, that is an entirely different post, or rather series of posts... Stay tuned...

The Inaugural Ride

On a freezing, windy January morning Dave and I circle around a parking lot on our brand new bikes waiting for Krista, Shane, Melisa and Matt, all very experienced cyclists, to meet up with us. Conditions that day were't ideal for a bike ride, but what did we know? It was our first "real" bike ride and we were very excited.

Our ride is supposed to take place on Pima road, which has a slight incline -- Krista said it would be kind of tough on the way up but pretty easy on the way down. We feel a little nervous, but Krista and Shane told us not to worry, the ride will only take 1:15 and everyone is going to take it easy. I was a little hesitant to go on our first bike ride with people who have been riding for a number of years but we were assured over and over again that they are all “out of shape” and need to go “slow” to stay in their heart rate zones.

The group finally arrives. Dave rides up to them and is so excited to see everyone, he forgets he is clipped in and promptly topples over as a greeting. It is not the first time he’s fallen and it won’t be the last!

Everyone showed great decorum and did not laugh.

Once Dave gets back on his bike, we begin the trek up Pima. Pima is a 50 mph road and is pretty busy. More on this to come in other posts, but a congested road is probably not the best choice for your initial bike rides. I remember warming up pretty quickly but Dave says he just became numb to the wind and cold – (however later in the ride --when the fear kicked in --we both just felt an icy cold trickle of sweat running down the center of our backs). Shane hangs back with us and gives us some good advice and pointers about how to ride and how to take care of our bikes.

As we climb to the top Shane notices that Dave’s back tire looks “really” low.

So Shane asks Dave when he last put air in his tires. Dave responds that it was at the bike shop…..when he bought the bike….about three weeks ago.

I must intersect here that I asked Dave that very morning, THAT VERY MORNING- I asked Dave, “Do you think we should put more air in our tires ?” He said, “No, I think they’re fine.” I said, “Are you sure? I think someone mentioned something at some point - that we need to put air in them before we ride.” He says “Naw - they’re fine.” He even squeezed the tire together -- “See there’s air in there,” he said. Oh okay -whatever. We don’t know how to work the pump we bought anyway.

(As an aside, though I tend to be more cautious we both tend to jump into things and assume that we’ll figure things out as we go along. We always say how bad could it be? Well, more on how bad it can be in later posts…there’s never a dull moment that’s for sure.)

Shane loves this moment in the ride and it was pretty funny -- He used his CO2 cartridge to add a little more air to both of our tires (Dave’s comment after his tire pressure went from 60 psi to a whopping 85 psi “Wow, it is so smooth now! It is like riding on air!) -- however my favorite moment of the day came a little while later…

As we climbed toward our turn around point Shane said, “Well, we are almost near the top and then it is all downhill which is fun and easy. Sometimes we fly down Pima going 35 miles an hour. But don’t worry we won’t do that today ‘cause you guys are with us.”

Wanna know why this is my favorite moment?

Because once we got to the top, everyone TOOK OFF! Matt, Melisa, Krista, Shane - GONE. Dave’s a risk taker through and through -- so he just starting flying down the hill too. Again, as I am more cautious and as I had been on the bike only 2 times prior, it still felt quite foreign beneath me - like I wasn’t quite in control - so I went as fast as I could – but it was definitely outside of my comfort zone. I just tried to keep everyone in sight. All I kept thinking was “Slow? This is slow? What’s fast if this is slow????”

Shane stopped and waited for me at one point - I told him to keep going, that I was fine (“fine” being relative - I was pedaling - I hadn’t fallen - I even switched my gears - so yeah, I was fine!) but he stopped and rode with me – I am assuming out of concern -- and he then said another thing that is emblazoned in my brain:

“Stacey, do you realize you are going 28 mph??!?!”

Let me think about that for a minute. Let’s see no - I didn’t realize I was going 28 mph.

Is that why I feel like I am about to throw up my heart?

So I careen and Shane smoothly rides to the halfway point where the rest of the group has stopped. I check in with Dave -- “are you alright?” “yeah, I’m fine, how are you?” “good, good” “have some water.” I’m trying not to breathe too heavily but at this point I am kind of overcome with a sick feeling of fear and anxiety and stress but I am holding it together. I just spent a couple thousand dollars on this bike and accessories - I’m gonna have fun, gosh darn it!?!?! The fun’s gotta start soon, doesn’t it??? Doesn’t it????

As we regroup Melisa says “Do you want to climb Dynamite?” Everyone protests. This “Dynamite” is apparently a steep hill. Is everyone up for that? What about Stacey and Dave? Can they do it? Everyone is asking us newbies if we can do it - we don’t have to - but we can tell that they really want to go up the hill and we don’t want to ruin anyone’s ride so we say why not? I just went 28 mph down a 50 mph road with semis and rocks and glass and sand flying everywhere, surely I can go up a hill. At least I can stop going downhill for now.

I say that I’d love to but could someone please tell me which of these thingees I have to click to get into an easier gear?

We then go up this Dynamite hill. I manage to get the bike into a workable gear. Shane, our good mentor, rides with Dave. We even passed a guy on the way up.

The ride to the top wasn’t too bad. I like to run hills - so even though I didn’t really know how to ride a bike I liked pushing it to the top. (As for Dave, he was "exhausted" when he reached the top). Phew. The hard part must be over… yeah, right… what goes up must come down and down another hill we must go. Down a road called Happy Valley – which before the day was over in my mind became Happy $%#@ Valley Road.

Everyone, including Dave, takes off (side note: even though Dave kept up with the group, he was gripped by the icy fear of death during his descent as well). No problem - I am a fast learner - this must be what cyclists do. Climb up Big Hill. Go Down Fast. However I don’t really know where I am at and I am not really sure how to change a flat tire – so I need to stay with the group so that I can get back to our truck and off this beast - er bike and back to the safety of my home. The thought crosses my mind that if I lose them I will be stuck out in North Scottsdale riding aimlessly in circles on my bike afraid to clip out of my pedals, dodging traffic and pedestrians until I just fall over from exhaustion, fear and delirium.

Amidst the tempestuous wind, the shoulder that is about as wide as the white line, cars flying by at 90 mph on the left and sand, boulders and cactus to the right, we do our best to keep up. I am pedaling as fast as I can, gripping the handlebars so tightly the veins in my fingers are bulging and pulsating. I wanted to stop or at least slow down but the fear of losing everyone was more overwhelming. SUVs and trucks fly by – I think I even saw a flat bed truck with some chickens and goats in it - gravel and rocks are flying -- I’m dodging holes in the road, and metal grates and steel 2x4s and shattered glass….

Shane waits for me at one point and when he sees me he exclaims “Stacey, I don’t think I’ve ever seen your eyes open that wide! They’re HUGE!”

I must have said something to him - but I don’t remember - because I don’t think I could hear my voice or my thoughts over the hammering of my heart.

Suffice to say, we finally made it back to our truck – in one piece – pumped up with excitement, adrenalin and endorphins. Although it was a crazy and treacherous ride-- we were hooked -- we couldn’t wait to do it again!


Lessons Learned

Put air in your tires before every ride – More on pumping up your tires in future posts

Dress for the weather - More on clothing in future posts

Know the route

Understand how the group rides - Do they drop people? Does everyone stay together? Will they wait at lights? Will they modify their riding style for you? Don’t be afraid to ask for the plan so that you know what to expect.