What do I do if my bike won't pump with an air pump at all?
What kind of valve do you have?



If you have Presta valves then you need to unscrew that little knobbie thing on top until the knobbie is all the way unscrewed against the bump on the end of the shaft it rides on.

With either Presta or Schrader you can have a problem with the pump if you do not press the pump chuck all the way onto the valve.  Especially with Schrader there is a pin in the chuck that needs to depress a pin inside the valve to open it up.  And sometimes you need to adjust the chuck by screwing the collar on the business end of the chuck on or off a turn or two, so that the chuck will go on and seat tightly.

(When you're finished inflating a Presta valve, don't forget to turn the knobbie the other way, so that it helps hold the valve closed.  Don't wrench it tight, but just get it snug.)