How to Use a Blackburn Bicycle Pump

Blackburn produces a variety of bicycle accessories, including a line of portable bicycle pumps. These cylindrical devices come with mounting brackets that bolt onto your bicycle's frame, allowing you to carry the pump with you as you ride. Blackburn bicycle pumps feature a two-chamber design, which helps to maximize the device's ability to move air; a switch attached to the rear of the pump determines which chamber is active. Depending on the type of valve installed, you may have to reconfigure your Blackburn pump prior to use.

Step 1

Kneel next to the tire that you wish to inflate. Note the recommended pressure level printed on the side of the tire. Locate the valve for the tire's inner tube, then rotate the wheel until the valve is near the ground. Unscrew the cap attached to the end of the valve.

Step 2

Inspect the valve to determine which type the inner tube uses. If the valve remains a consistent diameter throughout its length, the valve is a Schrader valve; if the valve tapers off to a narrow segment, the valve is a Presta valve.

Step 3

Flip open the cap attached to the end of the bicycle pump. Unscrew the pump head cap and inspect the interior of the pump head. If your pump comes equipped with a reversible gasket, flip the gasket so that the exposed end will fit over the valve. If the gasket is not reversible, remove the gasket for use with a Schrader valve, or leave it in place for use with a Presta valve.

Step 4

Replace the pump head cap and screw it back into place. Align the valve with the hole on the pump head, then push the pump head onto the valve; if you are using the pump with a Presta valve, loosen the valve's brass top first. Set the switch located on the rear of the pump to the “Low” setting.

Step 5

Pull out the end of the pump, then push it back into place. Repeat until you have difficulty using the pump, then set the switch to the “High” setting and resume pumping. Periodically remove the pump head and use the pressure gauge to check the current pressure level. Continue until you have inflated the tire to the appropriate level.

Step 6

Pull the pump head free of the valve; tighten the brass top, if inflating a tube with a Presta valve. Replace the gasket if you have removed it from the pump head. Flip closed the cap attached to the end of the bicycle pump.