Bicycle Nipple: Types and Device. How to pump a bicycle nipple

The expression "reinventing a bicycle" carries a negative connotation in Russian and means doing something unnecessary that complicates life. The modern bike is a complex high-tech product, its design contains many details that make an honor of human imagination and engineering talent. The bicycle nipple is the device from which part of the automotive history began. The first vehicle on rubber wheels was a bicycle.

First bus

Once veterinarian John Boyd Dunlop, a Scotsman by birth who lived in Ireland, in 1887, watched as his young son rides a tricycle with metal wheels on a cobblestone roadway. He came up with the idea to reduce the unmerciful shaking that he was experiencing, adapting to the wheels of an elastic tube, inflated with air. The first version of the wheel with the tire was wooden, with a gut sticked onto the disc (either cow's or pig's, his profession was affected). In the future, a more successful option was a rubber tube.

For inflating a pneumatic tire, he invented a special adapter with a thin rubber tube, which held the air in the tire, playing the role of a reverse or one-way valve. The design of this temporary connection to the pump was broadly applied to the production of bicycle tires, which was occupied by a small plant, organized by an inventive veterinarian with his brother. The bicycle nipple of Dunlop, together with the idea of rubber tires, was also used by automakers, making his name famous among motorists.

Origin of the term

The word "nipple" is formed from the English nipple (nipple) and designates a special kind of tube, usually equipped with a valve, for connecting to the pipeline, or - in the case of a bicycle or auto-wheel - with a rubber chamber or tire. In English, this design detail is now called valve - valve. The bicycle nipple is also a special nut that fastens the spoke and rim of the wheel.

A nippel bearing the name Dunlop, sometimes called English, or a Woods valve, named after the inventor who made improvements, is the design that has been used on bicycles for a very long time, especially on everyday bikes and the lowest price category. Today tires with such a valve are a rarity. More modern models have long been equipped with a car valve, bearing the name of its inventor - August Schroeder. Later there was a special bicycle nipple for racing and highway cars, more lightweight than the car, called the Presta valve.

Dunlop Nipple

The inlet in the rim, at the point where this obsolete valve is glued into the chamber, has a diameter of 8 mm. According to the design, it is a metal tube with an external thread and a diameter slightly smaller than the opening in the rim, into which is inserted a thinner metal fitting - a spool with two holes. From the top - this is the inlet, through which air from the pump comes. It is protected from dirt by a special cap on the thread. Another hole in the union, the output, is located on the side and is closed by a piece of a thin rubber tube - actually a nipple, which plays the role of a one-way valve. The fitting is fixed to the inlet tube with a round nut.

In order to pump such a tire, an adapter is required for a bicycle nipple with a 3 mm outlet diameter, or a standard retractor, which is screwed onto the spool. Suitable and modern pump with an adapter for the nipple Presta.

Schroeder Valve

This invention of the American August Schroeder (there are variants of reading: Schrader or Schrader) was patented in 1893 in the USA. Therefore, otherwise this valve is called American, but more often it is called simply a car - a similar device is equipped with the vast majority of wheels of modern cars and motorcycles.

It is also used in many refrigeration and air conditioning systems where refrigerant refueling is required and in other systems as a bleeding unit for excessive air pressure or process fluids.

The Schröder nipple design consists of a tube into which the working assembly is screwed-the core, which is a poppet valve that closes the outlet of air from the chamber under the influence of a spring. By adjusting the height of the protruding spool pin, it is possible to control the air pressure in the chamber. The spool is screwed with a special tool, which is often used as a protective cap - a metal cover with a plastic seal inside. A new word in such a system is built-in pressure sensors.

Valve Presta

This pneumatic device is sometimes called French. Tires with a Presta valve are more often used for wheels with a narrower rim, used on racing, road or hybrid bike models. The diameter of the hole in the wheel rim of this type is 6 mm, which avoids a critical weakening of strength. Therefore, you should not adapt the camera to the car valve for sports bikes. This is technically possible, but will require an opening of up to 8 mm.

The device of the Presta type bicycle nipple differs from the American Schroeder valve by the presence of a lock nut locking the spool and the absence of a spring locking the valve. In order to bleed the air, it is necessary to unscrew the protective cap and simply press the upper part of the valve - there is no need to unscrew the middle working part, as in the car nipple. The valve is locked under the air pressure from the tire. This makes it easier to fill the chamber with air, even with a hand pump with a small working volume.

Using a hand pump

How to pump a bicycle nipple with a hand pump? The main thing is to determine the type of connection. Most modern hand or foot pumps are equipped with heads designed for two main types - American and French, Schreder or Presta. Most often, you just need to turn the headrest into the desired position, open, if you need a fixing lever, push the adapter onto the nipple and lower the lever, fixing the pump on the wheel.

It is important not to lose the protective cap of the valve, which protects the connector body from dirt and dust. The Presta valve is particularly susceptible to contamination, which can easily fail due to the smaller diameter of the air hole and the absence of a spring.

We pump using a compressor

Is it possible to use a compressor instead of a hand pump for two-wheeled vehicles? How to pump a bicycle nipple with a car pump? In the case of the Schroeder valve, this is very simple: all components of the design and adapters are standardized and fit any vehicle, regardless of the number of wheels. For nipples of other varieties, adapters of the correct size are required.

In countries where the development of cycling is of great importance - in Germany, Holland, Scandinavia - there are points of common use for inflating bikes, equipped with compressors of lower power than automotive ones. The main thing at the same time is to take into account the small volume of the bike cameras and the recommended air pressure, so as not to overdo it and damage the wheel.

Reliability and comfort

The ecological nature of two-wheeled vehicles, the healthier nature of the movement on the bike makes the bicycle more popular not only in the countryside, but also among the inhabitants of megacities. The use in modern models of new materials and more advanced technologies make cycling a real pleasure.

Do not reduce comfort and all used today types of bicycle nipples. In any situation, preparing two wheels for movement will not take a long time and unnecessary effort.