I'm feeling like a bit of a fool asking, but how do I pump up the tyres on DS bike?

[bran]

In my day bike pumps came with a bendy bit that would screw on over the valve on the wheel, but now they're all like this and I have no idea how it works. All I've managed to do so far is to let even more air out of the tyre.

So far I've tried putting the nozzle bit over the valve and lifting up the handle thing (not easy on a small wheel) and I've tried lifting up the handle first then putting the nozzle on the valve and closing the handle.

Does anywhere even sell the old-style pumps anymore?

Hopeful bump

Perhaps I should have posted this on Dadsnet and batted my eyelashes a bit.

bran - I don't know either and was hoping to find the answer.

It depends on what type of valves your son's bike types have.

Most adult bikes have tyres with presta valves - they have a kind of pin sicking out and a valve at the top which you unscrew and then clip the pump over.

Most childrens' bikes (for reasons which escape me) have Schrader valves which do not necessarily work with a normal pump. A Schrader valve looks more like a screw sticking out of the tyre. If it looks like this, you need to make sure that you have a pump compatible with this type of valve.

If in doubt, take the bike along to your local bike shop (or just the inner tube if you can't take the bike).