What is the difference between a Presta and a Schrader valve?

A Schrader valve is the wide one, the same fitting as a car tyre, and is found on most mountain bikes, folding bikes and children's bikes. A Presta valve is narrower with a small knurled nut at the tip that you unscrew before inflating and tighten afterwards, and is usual on road and hybrid bikes. Pumps often take both, but the tube must match your rim.

Which Rolson inner tube size do I need?

Read the sidewall of the tyre already on the bike. It will carry something like 700 x 35C or 26 x 2.0. Match that to the range printed on the tube listing, and match the valve type to the hole in your rim. We stock 700 x 28 to 38C in Presta, and 20 inch and 26 inch sizes in Schrader. If in doubt, photograph the sidewall before ordering.

Is a foot pump better than a mini pump?

For home use, yes. A double cylinder foot pump moves far more air per stroke and gets a road tyre to full pressure in a fraction of the time and effort. A mini pump is not trying to compete on that: it is trying to be small enough that you actually carry it. Most riders end up owning both, one in the shed and one in the saddlebag.

Can I repair a puncture at the roadside or should I replace the tube?

Replacing the tube is faster and far more reliable in cold or wet conditions, since patch glue needs a clean dry surface and a few minutes to cure. Carry a spare tube for the ride and patch the punctured one at home in the warm. The Rolson puncture repair kit is better thought of as a workshop task than a roadside one.

What pressure should my bike tyres be?

Always follow the range moulded into the tyre sidewall, since that is the only figure specific to your tyre. As a rough guide, road tyres sit around eighty to a hundred psi, hybrids fifty to seventy and mountain bike tyres thirty to fifty. Check with a gauge rather than by squeezing, and top up weekly, because all tubes lose pressure slowly.

What is the difference between a Presta and a Schrader valve?

A Schrader valve is the wide one, the same fitting as a car tyre, and is found on most mountain bikes, folding bikes and children's bikes. A Presta valve is narrower with a small knurled nut at the tip that you unscrew before inflating and tighten afterwards, and is usual on road and hybrid bikes. Pumps often take both, but the tube must match your rim.

Which Rolson inner tube size do I need?

Read the sidewall of the tyre already on the bike. It will carry something like 700 x 35C or 26 x 2.0. Match that to the range printed on the tube listing, and match the valve type to the hole in your rim. We stock 700 x 28 to 38C in Presta, and 20 inch and 26 inch sizes in Schrader. If in doubt, photograph the sidewall before ordering.

Is a foot pump better than a mini pump?

For home use, yes. A double cylinder foot pump moves far more air per stroke and gets a road tyre to full pressure in a fraction of the time and effort. A mini pump is not trying to compete on that: it is trying to be small enough that you actually carry it. Most riders end up owning both, one in the shed and one in the saddlebag.

Can I repair a puncture at the roadside or should I replace the tube?

Replacing the tube is faster and far more reliable in cold or wet conditions, since patch glue needs a clean dry surface and a few minutes to cure. Carry a spare tube for the ride and patch the punctured one at home in the warm. The Rolson puncture repair kit is better thought of as a workshop task than a roadside one.

What pressure should my bike tyres be?

Always follow the range moulded into the tyre sidewall, since that is the only figure specific to your tyre. As a rough guide, road tyres sit around eighty to a hundred psi, hybrids fifty to seventy and mountain bike tyres thirty to fifty. Check with a gauge rather than by squeezing, and top up weekly, because all tubes lose pressure slowly.

Pumps & Tyres

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Rolson Bike Pumps and Puncture Repair Kits

Every product on this page is genuine Rolson Tools stock, which is the point: bike pumps and puncture repair kits are exactly the sort of thing where an unbranded bargain fails on the roadside. The range covers a two piece bicycle pump and repair kit, a standalone puncture repair kit, mini and hand pumps for carrying, single and double cylinder foot pumps for the shed, three tyre pressure gauges and a rechargeable mini air compressor. The wider Rolson catalogue sits in our Rolson Tools range, with security in Rolson padlocks and door locks. All of it carries a Rolson part number, so if you need a replacement head or a matching gauge in a year the specification is traceable rather than guesswork.

Foot Pumps, Mini Pumps and the Rechargeable Compressor

Match the pump to where you will use it. A double cylinder foot pump moves the most air per stroke and is the fastest way to bring a flat tyre back up to pressure at home, so it earns its place in a shed or a garage. The single cylinder version is lighter and cheaper. A mini bicycle pump or hand pump is what actually goes in the saddlebag, and it is worth accepting that it will take a hundred strokes or more, because the alternative is a long walk. The rechargeable mini air compressor splits the difference for anyone who commutes by car and bike. A foot pump with a built in gauge is the single best value purchase in this range for anyone who owns more than one bike, since it removes the excuse not to check pressures.

Inner Tubes: Presta, Schrader and Getting the Size Right

Inner tubes cause more wasted orders than anything else in this category, so read the sidewall of your existing tyre before buying. We stock a 700 by 28 to 38C tube with a Presta valve for road and hybrid bikes, a 20 inch by 1.75 to 2.12 inch Schrader tube for folding bikes and children's bikes, and a 26 inch by 2.1 to 2.5 inch Schrader tube for older mountain bikes. Presta valves are the narrow ones with a knurled locknut you unscrew before inflating. Schrader valves are the wider car type. Carrying a spare tube is faster than patching on a cold verge. Keep the spare tube in its box rather than loose in a saddlebag, because a tube rubbing against tools and keys will develop a pinhole long before you ever fit it.

Pressure Gauges and Roadside Repairs

Pressure is where most riders lose speed and comfort without realising. A road tyre at eighty to a hundred psi, a hybrid at fifty to seventy and a mountain bike at thirty to fifty are reasonable starting points, but the printed range on your tyre sidewall always wins. The digital and dial Rolson tyre pressure gauges take the guesswork out and are worth keeping with the foot pump. For riding after dark, our Rolson rechargeable LED torches and the LED worklights and bulbs range cover visibility and shed lighting. Underinflation is also the main cause of pinch punctures, so a weekly check with a gauge does more to prevent flats than any amount of puncture resistant tyre marketing.