FORM ENDURANCEAcademyEveryday maintenance · 10 MIN
Inspect a tyre and understand inflation for your valve and wheel system.
Identify the valve and tyre system. Before inflation, confirm the exact tyre/rim combination and both manufacturers’ limits; no target pressure is inferred here.
Valve stem. The body that passes through the rim. Support it when attaching the pump.
Original teaching model · simplified geometry, not a manufacturer service model. Clearances may be enlarged.
STEP 1 OF 5
Check the whole tyre, including both sidewalls, for cuts, bulges, exposed casing and damage. Look for an even seating line around both sides of the rim.
Identify whether the tyre uses an inner tube or is tubeless. Do not assume that a visible valve stem proves either system.
The tyre is undamaged, its system is known and it is already seated evenly.
Inspection and topping up an already seated, compatible tyre. Initial tubeless seating, tubular installation and puncture repair are separate procedures.
Source check: September 2026. Use the current manual for your exact component. These lessons do not replace model-specific service instructions.
Check the whole tyre, including both sidewalls, for cuts, bulges, exposed casing and damage. Look for an even seating line around both sides of the rim.
Identify whether the tyre uses an inner tube or is tubeless. Do not assume that a visible valve stem proves either system.
What you’re checking: The tyre is undamaged, its system is known and it is already seated evenly.
Find the tyre and wheel/rim pressure guidance for the actual combination and tyre width. The permitted range must satisfy both; a lower rim maximum takes precedence over a higher tyre maximum.
A maximum is a ceiling, not your recommended riding pressure. Use the manufacturer’s recommendation for your setup and load. If compatibility or limits are unknown—especially for hookless rims—identify them before inflating.
What you’re checking: You have a suitable target pressure inside all applicable limits, in the same units as the gauge.
The illustrations compare standard Presta and Schrader valves. Dunlop, Clik and other systems have different interfaces. Choose your actual type in My bike or consult its instructions.
Support the stem and fit the matching pump head straight, using the pump maker’s locking method. Avoid sideways force. If the head does not fit or air escapes continually, stop and check the interface.
What you’re checking: The pump head matches the valve and is attached without bending the stem.
Add air gradually and watch the gauge. Pause to check that the tyre’s seating line remains even and that no bulge appears. Do not exceed any applicable limit to force a tyre into place.
Stop if seating changes, pressure cannot be retained or the valve leaks. A damaged or displaced tyre needs correction using its manufacturer’s procedure.
What you’re checking: The gauge reaches the chosen pressure and the tyre remains seated evenly.
Disconnect and close your valve using its own instructions.
Check seating and pressure again if there is any doubt. Persistent pressure loss needs investigation. Complete the same inspection on the other wheel using its own tyre and wheel limits.
What you’re checking: Both wheels have passed the checks, with no unresolved leak or seating issue.
Original Form conceptual geometry, version 1. It is simplified and may use enlarged clearances. No manufacturer endorsement is implied.