Free Air for Bike Tires in Alabama

Where Alabama has the most stations

Cities and towns with the most pumps, air stations and repair stations mapped in Alabama. Linked cities have their own page with a station list and map.

How Alabama compares

Alabama ranks #18 of 38 states on this site for public air pumps and holds 1% of the stations mapped across them.

Gas-station air pumps and bike repair stands are roughly balanced in Alabama, so in larger towns you usually have both options.

34 towns and cities in Alabama have at least one station; Birmingham, Mobile, Florence have the most.

What to expect at stations in Alabama

8 stations list their valve types: 8 fit Schrader. Riders with Presta valves should carry a small brass adapter.

Of all stations, 1 have a pressure gauge, 1 are covered, and 1 are lit at night.

27 stations are open 24/7 and 27 have opening hours listed. Air pumps at stores and gas stations follow their opening hours.

Free or paid air in Alabama

27 stations in Alabama carry fee information in OpenStreetMap: 6 are marked free and 21 are marked paid. The rest have no fee tag, so treat them as unknown rather than free.

Example stations in Alabama

• Sunoco

  Executive Drive Northwest, Summit Place, Huntsville

• Arco

  Fairview Avenue, Fays, Prattville

  Paid

• Dev Food Mart

  County Road 44, Jemison

  Paid

• Shell

  South Broad Street, The Village on Broad Street, Scottsboro

• Mapco Air

  Main Street East, Rainsville

  Paid

• Xact Air

  Lemley Drive, Oneonta

  Paid

Using gas station air on a bike tire

The 41 public air pumps mapped in Alabamaare compressors, mostly at gas stations, convenience stores and car washes. Their air chuck is made for car tires, which use Schrader valves, the same valve found on most kids' bikes, cruisers and many mountain bikes. Road and gravel bikes usually have thinner Presta valves; for those, screw a small brass Presta-to-Schrader adapter onto the valve first. Our guide to Presta, Schrader and Dunlop valves shows which one you have.

A compressor fills a bike tire in a second or two, so press the chuck on for short bursts and check the pressure between them. If the pump has a preset gauge, set it to the pressure printed on your tire sidewall before you start. Coin-operated machines often run for a few minutes per payment, which is more than enough for two bike tires. Many stores switch the air on for free if you ask at the counter; the free air guide lists which chains usually do.

FAQ