The expression “reinvent the wheel” has a negative connotation in Russian and means engaging in an unnecessary business that complicates life. A modern bike is a complex high-tech product, its design contains many details that honor the human imagination and engineering talent.
The bicycle nipple is the device from which part of automotive history began. The first rubber-wheeled vehicle was a bicycle.
First tire
Once, veterinarian John Boyd Dunlop, a Scottish-born man who lived in Ireland, in 1887 watched his little son ride a tricycle with metal wheels on a cobblestone bridge. He came up with the idea to reduce the unmerciful shaking that he was experiencing by fitting an elastic tube inflated with air onto the wheels. The first version of a wheel with a tire was wooden, with a gut glued to the disk (either cow or pig - his profession affected). In the future, a more successful option was a rubber tube.
To inflate a pneumatic tire, he invented a special adapter with a thin rubber tube that held the air in the tire, playing the role of a check valve or a one-way valve. The design of this temporary connection to the pump was broadly applied to the production of bicycle tires, which was handled by a small factory organized by an inventive veterinarian with his brother. Dunlop's bicycle nipple, along with the idea of rubber tires, was also used by automakers, making his surname famous among motorists.
Origin of the term
The word "nipple" is formed from the English nipple (nipple) and denotes a special kind of tube, usually equipped with a valve, for connecting to the pipeline, or - in the case of a bicycle or car wheel - with a rubber chamber or tire. In English, this part of the design is now called valve. The bicycle nipple is also a special nut that secures the spoke and wheel rim.
The nipple bearing the name of Dunlop, sometimes called the English, or the Woods valve, after the inventor who made his 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, a special bicycle nipple for racing and road cars appeared, more lightweight than a car one, called the Presta valve.
Nipple dunlop
The inlet in the rim, in the place where this obsolete valve is glued into the chamber, has a diameter of 8 mm. By design, it is a metal tube with an external thread and a diameter slightly smaller than the hole in the rim, into which a thinner metal fitting is inserted - a spool with two holes. Above is the inlet through which air flows from the pump. It is protected from dirt with a special cap on the thread. Another hole in the fitting, the outlet, is located on the side and is closed by a segment of a thin rubber tube - actually a nipple, playing the role of a one-way valve. The fitting is fixed to the inlet pipe with a round nut.
In order to inflate such a tire, an adapter for a bicycle nipple with an output diameter of 3 mm, or a standard retro-hose, which is screwed onto a spool, is required. A modern pump with an adapter for the Presta nipple is also suitable.
Schröder valve
This invention of the American August Schroeder (there are reading options: Schrader or Schrader) was patented in 1893 in the United States. Therefore, otherwise this valve is called American, but more often it is called simply automobile - the vast majority of the wheels of modern cars and motorcycles are equipped with such a device.
It is also used in many refrigeration and air conditioning systems where refrigerant charge is required and in other systems as a unit for venting excess air pressure or process liquids.
The design of the Schroeder nipple consists of a tube into which the working assembly is screwed - the core, which is a poppet valve that closes the air outlet from the chamber under the influence of a spring. By adjusting the height of the protruding shaft of the spool, you can control the air pressure in the chamber. The spool is screwed in 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 monitoring sensors.
Presta Valve
This pneumatic device is sometimes called French. Presta Valve tires are more commonly used for narrower rim wheels 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 the strength. Therefore, you should not adapt cameras with a car valve for sports bike wheels. This is technically possible, but will require an increase in the hole to 8 mm.
The device of the Presta type bicycle nipple differs from the American Schroeder valve in the presence of a lock nut fixing the spool and the absence of a spring locking the valve. In order to bleed air, you need to unscrew the protective cap and just press on the top of the valve - there is no need to unscrew the middle working element, like a car nipple. The valve is locked under air pressure from the tire. This makes it easy to fill the chamber with air even with a hand pump with a small displacement.
Using a hand pump
How to pump up a bicycle nipple using 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 only need to turn the head to the desired position, open, if necessary, the locking 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 working element of the connector from dirt and dust. The Presta valve is particularly susceptible to contamination, which can easily fail due to the smaller diameter of the air passage hole and the absence of a spring.
Download with a compressor
Can I 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 construction and adapters are unified and fit any vehicle, regardless of the number of wheels. For nipples of other varieties, adapters of the right size will be required.
In countries where they attach great importance to the development of bicycle transport - in Germany, the Netherlands, and in Scandinavia - there are common points for pumping bicycle wheels equipped with compressors of lower capacity than automobile ones. The main thing here is to take into account the small volume of cycle chambers and the recommended air pressure so as not to overdo it and not damage the wheel.
Reliability and comfort
The environmental friendliness of two-wheeled transport, the healing nature of riding a bike make the bike more and more popular not only in the countryside, but also among residents of megacities. The use of new materials and more advanced technologies in modern models makes cycling a real pleasure.
All types of bicycle nipples used today do not reduce comfort. In any situation, the preparation of two wheels for movement does not require a long time or extra effort.