I have a schwalbe 3 wheeler racing bike. I got at an auction. and I think I got scammed?

Question

I called the local bike shop, and said, I was having trouble putting air in my tires. It has a skinny valve.  I did not know I was supposed to unscrew the head of the stem.  When I got to the bike shop the sales guy talked for 15 minutes trying to say his bike is better.  I said, I need to go, and he showed me how to put air in the tire. he unscrewed the valve head, and took air out of a tire, and refilled it. At check out, he said, his pump will also work on regular bikes. It got me thinking, if I knew to unscrew the head of the valve, why would not my $20 Target pump work.  The bike shop salesman said I need this pump.  My target pump won;t work. Anyone know about schwalbe racing bikes with skinny stems, and does a regular.  pump work on them.

Pearl L · Accepted Answer

just bring it back and get your money back

Anonymous · Answer

You have been ripped off, my friend.

? · Answer

Schwalbe is mostly known for making bicycle tires and tubes. Don’t think I’ve ever seen a Schwalbe bicycle. 
Maybe you mean Schwinn?
And I don’t know what the nozzle of your Target pump looks like.Apart from knowing how to operate a Presta (skinny) valve, you ALSO need a pump nozzle that fits. Does your Target pump nozzle have two holes?If it only has a hole for the bigger Schräder(car type) valve, do you have  a Schräder-to-Presta adapter?Also, skinny tire bikes need high pressures. It can be very helpful for rookie riders to have a pump with a pressure gauge. Does your Target pump have that?Pumps can be made with different volume-per-stroke. Pumps with big volume-per-stroke will fill a tire faster, but will require more force to push the plunger down when building pressure. I’ve seen people simply unable to inflate road bike tires when using pumps made for MTBs. What’s the intended use of your Target pump?

So, at the end of it - I Can’t Tell From Here. 
Maybe your Target pump has a dual nozzle. 
In which case you CAN use it.
Maybe it has a pressure gauge. Or maybe you get lucky setting a rideable pressure by feel.

If it doesn’t have a dual nozzle, then the guy was entirely correct in selling you a new pump. Although he might have settled for selling you a Schräder-to-Presta adapter.

I have a schwalbe 3 wheeler racing bike. I got at an auction. and I think I got scammed?

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