How Does
How Does a Bike Pump Work?
Manual Pump
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A useful piece of equipment for bicycle owners is a manual bike pump. It requires no electricity. You can hook the pump hose to the tire valve stem, and with just a few manual pumps of the piston pump handle, a tire can be quickly inflated.
Parts of the Pump
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A typical bike pump is a narrow, vertical, cylinder device. At the bottom of its narrow tower, a hose is hooked to an outlet valve. At the opposite end of the hose, is a nozzle that attaches to the tire valve, when in use. Inside the pump's tower is a piston that moves up and down. The top of the piston protrudes out of the top of the pump's body, and is attached to a handle.
Basic Principle
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When the handle is pushed up and down, it moves the piston up and down inside the body of the pump. The bottom part of the piston forces air downward, and into the air valve that leads to the hose. The air moves down the hose, and into the tire.
Basic Model
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Different models of bike pumps will vary in where their valves are located, and how many they have. A basic bike pump will have an inlet valve near the bottom of the piston, with the outlet valve, at its base, where the hose is attached. When the handle is pulled upwards, pulling the piston out of the device, air is drawn through the body, and then when the handle is pushed down, that air is pushed through the outlet valve, and into the hose.
eHow Article: How Does a Bike Pump Work?
