That’s Becoming A Wheel Problem

A pleasant lady walked into the bike store I work at:

Customer: “Can you help me take my daughter’s bike out of the car? It isn’t riding as well as it had been when I got it.”

I stride over to her minivan and lug out a beautiful, spotless blue Bianchi. It looked like it had been ridden maybe twice. I start testing parts of the bike:

Me: “Hmm, brakes are snappy. The chain has zero rust and zero stretch. This bike is basically good as new.”

Then I look down.

Me: “Oh! There’s the issue. The tires are empty. When did you or your daughter fill them last?”

Customer: “You have to fill them?”

Me: “Uh… yes. Just like car tires.”

Customer: “Wait, car tires are filled too? Filled with what?”

Me: “Air.”

Customer: “But there’s so much air outside! Why can’t it just, like, seep into the tire?”

Me: “Here, lemme pump these up for you…”

It was quicker and easier to pump them up instead of explaining why tires need air. I casually glanced at the tires to her minivan too, just to make sure…