What are your options if your mountain bike uses presta valve tubes, but all you have is a regular bicycle pump (with a tip like the kind used on cars)?
Well, first of all you can by a presta-valve pump from a specialty bicycle shop. This will set you back about $30 - $50 bucks -- maybe more.

Another option is to buy an adapter online. These presta valve adatptors will convert a normal schrader valve pump into a presta valve style pump.

Lastly, you can just switch the tube out. Be careful though, because the presta valve has a smaller diameter, and the tip of the schrader valve won't fit through the hole in your wheel rim. In that case you need to drill it out, which can significantly weaken your rim.

Woot! My bike has new Shimano breaks and gear changers. They must have lubed up the bike to a little, because it was totally a pleasure to ride again. I took my son around the neighborhood and we went off-roading a bit too.

I'll try to post pictures soon.

The shop called and said that my break wires were rusted out. Same with the gear shift wires. Ugh. Gonna be like $120 to fix the bike. Can't be worth it.

The saga of the mountain bike repair continues. I dropped it off about 10 days ago because the gears weren't switching smoothly. I missed the phone message when the shop talked to my wife -- she says she okayed about 80 dollars in parts, which were then ordered.

I never heard back though. Finally, they called back to tell me the parts have arrived and the repairs should be complete by Thursday. Woot!

So I got invited by a neighbor to go mountain biking. I just completed my first marathon, and I have a bike -- I should totally to it!

But my gear changing thing busted (good excuse). I dropped the bike off at the shop. So, maybe next week I'll be walking my fancy bike up the hills :)

Wish me luck.