Inflating your tyres off your bike battery

103Alex1

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 29, 2012
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Just a thought ... could you use something like this plugged into a 12V charging socket on your bike to pump your tyres up :

Halfords | Halfords 12v Tyre Inflator 2009

Have an old-style similar thing for car tyres which plugs into cigarette lighter socket. If you had a charging socket like that and compatible valves on your inner tubes, presumably you could just plug inflator into socket and away you go ?
 

SRS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 30, 2012
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South Coast
Yes, will work fine as long as you have schrader car type valves of and adaptor if presta valves.

You will however find it flattens your battery somewhat and you have to pedal home without the motor.
 

103Alex1

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 29, 2012
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Wonder how much Ah/hr it would draw though. I'm thinking of using it at home off the bike when no cars around as donors so you could recharge quickly... and not much to inflate in a bicycle tyre compared to a car tyre.
 

SRS

Esteemed Pedelecer
Nov 30, 2012
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South Coast
Being realistic, probably takes 4-5 amps as the pressure gets up. So actually a quick pump up wouldn't take much. As you say, volume on a cycle is very small.
 

103Alex1

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Sep 29, 2012
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neptune

Esteemed Pedelecer
Jan 30, 2012
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Boston lincs
For years, I have always kept an old car battery on the shelf in the garage. I have a 12 volt compressor that I connect to it for inflating the tyres of my bike, my ebike, and the bikes of any visitors that need inflating. Of course I carry a normal bike pump when out and about. I no longer own a car. I also have a couple of 12 volt inspection lamps with crocodile clips that I can use in the home in case of power cuts. When your car needs a new battery, keep the old one for these purposes. Give it a maintenance charge every couple of months. A battery that will no longer give enough amps to start an engine will do these jobs for years.
 

103Alex1

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 29, 2012
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Main Man powered :D
:rolleyes: .... and there's me trying to find free and easy ways of avoiding all that pumping or faffing about with CO2 cartridges lol.
 

103Alex1

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 29, 2012
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For years, I have always kept an old car battery on the shelf in the garage. I have a 12 volt compressor that I connect to it for inflating the tyres of my bike, my ebike, and the bikes of any visitors that need inflating. Of course I carry a normal bike pump when out and about. I no longer own a car. I also have a couple of 12 volt inspection lamps with crocodile clips that I can use in the home in case of power cuts. When your car needs a new battery, keep the old one for these purposes. Give it a maintenance charge every couple of months. A battery that will no longer give enough amps to start an engine will do these jobs for years.
So .... let's say you have one like this :

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B005GNT9IA/ref=asc_df_B005GNT9IA11922244?smid=A3P5ROKL5A1OLE&tag=hydra0b-21&linkCode=asn&creative=22206&creativeASIN=B005GNT9IA&hvpos=1o3&hvexid=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=790102651750203284&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=

... how do you connect it to the car battery terminals ? :confused: Sorry for being dense but I am conditioned to consumer reflexes and slowly being enlightened on such mysteries :)
 

Old_Dave

Esteemed Pedelecer
Sep 15, 2012
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Dumfries & Galloway
Cut the cig lighter plug off of the cable and attach a couple of croc clips.... 1 red and 1 black



Or use one of these...