This is a short post showing that even after almost 40 years of riding bikes, I still have a lot to learn....
I started biking with MTBs, 40 odd years ago, 26" wheels, Schrader valves. Back then we actually looked down on Presta valves, they were for the roadies with their skinny tyres.
Years, many years later, now everything is Presta.
Later still with MTBs we also changed to tubeless tyres, I remember quite well, what a pain in the ass they were, extremely hard to get on the wheel, and often or not would stay inflated, with the sealant leaking everywhere, but that's changed now.
2026, I have three bikes, road , gravel and a MTB, all have Presta valves and tubeless tyres on them, Only the road bike with Continental 5000 S TR are a slight pain, give them a couple of days and the will need pumping up, and whatever the tubeless liquid in them.(But that’s the continental GP5000, other makes are better, or so I've read; While my Gravel and MTB tyres stay inflated for yonks.
Anyway back to my reason about writing this post. I've always pumped up my tyres using my foot pump, mostly using my Lezyne Sport Gravel Floor Drive and I've always pumped up the tyres with the Presta valve inserted into the valve stem.
Boy, was I wrong.
Unless you have a tyre that 'seats' easily and correctly, Maxxis for instance. But I've had tyres that I could never get enough pressure to get them seated and so had to use a CO₂ cartridge to get them seated, expensive as you need one cartridge per tyre.
Then the other day I learned that the best was was to remove the valve core completely leaving just the valve stem. Screw the Lezyne pump to the valve stem (after changing the chuck direction for the Lezyne) and pump up the tyre. Low and Behold the tyre pumps up just fine and seats with the proper 'clack clack' noise.
Oh boy did I feel so stupid.
Once the tyre is seated (you did add some soapy water or Schwalbe easy fit liquid around the tyre edge, as this helps the tyre to sit centrally, didn't you ?) Just unscrew the foot pump, screw the valve core back in it's place and pump up the tyre again as normal.
Et voilà, tyres that previously need a compressor or CO₂ cartridge can now be seated correctly with just a foot pump
68 years old and still learning, doh ....