Nicholas L

This seems like a completely obvious and dumb question, but it's not something I really hear much about in the world of cycling. In the event of a flat, I'd say that you would need some kind of gauge, unless you can do it by feel. So do you take a small pressure gauge with you on your rides? If so, what gauge do you use? I've looked at several on Amazon, but they all seem to have the same issue of either inaccuracy, major air loss when using the gauge, or both. What gauge have you found to be most reliable?

gregf83 

No need for a gauge. Most just shoot in the contents of a 16oz CO2 cartridge or pump until they're tired. Tire pressure doesn't have to be exact.

Gresp15C

On all of my bikes, I develop a sense for how much the tires should pooch out under my weight when it's inflated to my satisfaction. This gets me good enough for dealing with a flat tire while out on a ride.

This also helps me with noticing if a tire is going low.

FBinNY 

I gather you're talking about one day trips. So consider the implications of not having a pressure gauge. \

If you've pumped, gauged and checked your tires by hand a number of times, you probably have a good sense of what right pressure feels like. I'll venture that you also know what low pressure feels like, and probably use a hand check to tell you whether it's time to pump them.

While hand pressure checks aren't precise, they're good enough to get you to the ballpark. So, the worst that can happen on the road is that you finish your ride with a slightly under inflated tire. Depending on how much you trust yourself, and how OCD you are about precise pressure, it's up to you to decide whether carrying a gauge is warranted.

Darth_Firebolt

I lean my weight on the bike and check the tire squish. I only use CO2's in emergencies or foul weather.

Nicholas L

Makes perfect sense. As a new road rider, I think I may be overthinking this. I guess I view road tires as being very fagile, and I don't want to risk getting something wrong when pumping them up. On my mountain bike, I have always just inflated the tires by feel. Shouldn't be any different on a road bike.

sdmc530

I don't carry a gauge, I do the thumb and lean on test. If it seems good, its good. I do then check and proper inflate when I get home though.

close is good enough. You will know very quickly if its not enough pressure.

Sy Reene

Depends on how you inflate your tires. If using CO2 just approximate per the chart below to figure out what size cartridges to bring. If you bring a pump, just get one with an integrated gauge if you don't want to go by hand feel (eg. Lezyne makes a few models).

kcblair

Same here, just empty 16 oz. CO2 into tire and ride on. KB

Retro Grouch 

Short answer is "No."

I used to worry about air pressure a lot more than I do today. In the 80's I thought that my road bike tires had to be 120 psi and I topped them up before every ride. Through the years I gradually cut back on air pressure, eventually inflating my road tires to 90 psi front and 100 psi rear. I still topped them up before every ride. I don't keep records of stuff like that but during that whole period I generally rode with the same group of folks and didn't notice any subjective speed or performance difference. I did definitely notice a road comfort difference after I switched to lower tire air pressures.

I'm riding fatter tire recumbents today and I've gotten lazy. I pump my tires up to 75 psi (or so) and give them a squeeze test with my hand before every ride. When they leak down to about 50 psi (or so** I top them back up. That usually takes around 2 or 3 weeks.

Retro Grouch 

Incidentally, I was interested by Sy Reene's CO2 inflation chart. For years I carried only a CO2 inflator with me - no back up pump. After I started riding recumbents I punctured my 20 X 2.0 front tire on our Screamer tandem. I was shocked to discover how soft the tire felt after inflating it with 16 grams of CO2. I'm guessing that the 48 psi on the chart is accurate. That's when I started carrying a pump again. I'm too cheap to use more than 1 CO2 cartridge per puncture.

DimplePimple

My Crank Brothers Mini pump has a built in pressure gauge. Realistically, I just pump it up until my arm is sore & then fix it at home.

BobbyG

It depends on how you ride.

Here's what I bought for my commuter: https://www.target.com/p/schwinn-fra...p/-/A-14787924
It's an inexpensive Schwinn frame pump with a toe-hold and a gauge. I bought it in-store at Target for $14and it looks like they have it online for $8.

It has lasted me 2-years.

I need a gauge for 2 reasons.

1) My AirZound Airhorn. You can't estimate the PSI by squeezing the cannister, especially the newer metal ones (vs plastic)

2) Studded snow tires. I run them 55-65psi on dry pavement, ~36psi on ice and ~25psi on loose snow. It really makes a difference.

I had originally carried a separate gauge, but that was too much trouble to attach the pump and inflate, remove the pump, use the gauge, attach the pump again, etc. It is so much nicer to just pop on a pump with a built in gauge.

If weight-savings and minimal gear are your thing then CO2 cartridges are for you. If you don't mind adding weight for convenience and versatility, then a frame-pump is for you...and one with a built in gauge of adequate accuracy is much faster and more convenient than a separate gauge.

NTX_Cycler

Cyclingdeal 20X Bike Bicycle Air Pump Inflator 16G Co2 Threaded Cartridges

I bought this package a few weeks back. At $1 a pop, I'll carry 2 or 3 with me. If I were buying CO2 through my LBS or just about anywhere else I can find CO2, I would certainly be more cautious with their use.

Altimis

Less pressure equal to better comfort and speed. Do the experiments. Most road paved is not perfectly smooth flat, there no exact pressure.

If you are not racing, don't bother . . . . gauge it by your hands.

Milton Keynes

I think a tire pressure gauge on a bike would be just extra weight. Not much, but unnecessary. Just air up your tires until they're nice & hard and not squishy any more. And every time you check the air in your tires, you're letting a little air pressure out. On a car-sized tire that's not much air to worry about, but with a bike tire it's a much larger percentage of the air.

jefnvk

My frame pump has one. Easy problem solved.

79pmooney

I've never had a tire gauge except on floor pumps. I just squeeze the tires after inflating to the pressure I want at home. Remembering what that squeeze felt like for the rest of the ride isn't hard. And if I get it wrong it will be obvious very soon. So I just stop and let a little air out or take my frame pump and add a few pounds. (Now it does appear to be popular to sell bikes that are hard to put frame pumps on. I get as an engineer that the time and effort it takes to design that ability into the bike costs money and precious brain time. Still, I see it as just lazy,sloppy, and/or poor engineering not to incorporate the requires 3 grams for a pump peg onto a multi-thousand dollar bike. At least until the day when those manufacturers can offer bikes with tires that are not subject to air pressure loss.)

To the OP - get in the habit of squeezing properly inflated tires. Your fingers will learn what good riding pressures feel like. You will even start appreciating that different tire widths, ride types and tire types want different feels.

Ben

Daniel4

The only pressure gauge I carry is for my fat bike where 1 psi makes a difference between riding on dry pavement and packed snow with ruts and footprints.

For road bikes as long as you feel the tire is hard it'll get you back home where you can adjust the pressure with your floor gauge. You won't likely blow your tire with a hand pump. The heat of the tire chamber may make you take some caution when the tire gets hard.

CliffordK

I usually bring 2 thumbs with me.

They're durable, easy to keep track of, last "forever" and rarely break.

JanMM

Current Road Morph 'G' pump that I carry on all bikes/all rides has a built-in gauge. Don't know how accurate it is, but close enough.

europa

My Road Morph pumps have a gauge so yes, I carry one on my bike. However, I chose those pumps because they're good pumps, not because they have a gauge, the gauge is just a bonus.

One thing, if you're going to carry a gauge, you need to have a pump that can put that amount of pressure in your tyre - the Road Morph can because it converts to a small floor pump but I doubt anything you just hold in your can can.

I wouldn't worry about not having a gauge.

Hardrock23

I use one of these. It's really small, light, no leaks, holds pressure until released, and cheaply priced. I use a Topeak Mini Road Morph pump that doesn't have a gauge. My tires top out at 85psi and I only use between 60-70psi. Finger test doesn't work great for me on my road bike...it was fine on the MTB though.

rumrunn6

I do carry one. I believe it's this one in my bike bag
Milton S-927 Dual Head Truck Tire Gauge
covers the range of 20 to 120 pounds
$9 on Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Milton-S-927-...CSSPEX0BNQX34B

wphamilton

Since I started carrying CO2 on my road bike, several years ago, I've had to use it maybe three times for flats. One of those was helping a random family at the park. So carrying a gauge would be low priority, when it's that rare that I'd even use it.

When I'm carrying a pump on another bike, I'll pump it up until I'm tired and it's full enough not to be squishy, less pressure than I'd likely use with a real pump. So either way, no reason to carry a pressure gauge.