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Bike Pressure Gauges Are a Waste of Time and Money

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Bike Pressure Gauges Are a Waste of Time and Money

Old 05-27-20, 05:28 PM
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kenshireen
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Bike Pressure Gauges Are a Waste of Time and Money

I have a Spin Doctor (Performance) tire gauge. The ONLY problem and the MAJOR problem is when I test my tire I lose significant air when I depress the gauge onto my presta valve,
Is this common for all tire gauges because it really makes it a waste of time.. I pump my tire up to 110 using my pump gauge and then when I want to double check with the tire gauge I lose 5-10 pounds.
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Old 05-27-20, 05:32 PM
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SethAZ 
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You could always just use a floor pump with a built-in pressure gauge. Or just give it one extra pump if you know you're going to lose that little squirt of pressure when you test it.

Out of curiosity, though, why do you believe that the pressure drop you see when pressing the gauge onto the valve is significant?
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Old 05-27-20, 05:33 PM
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GlennR
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110psi, what size tires?
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Old 05-27-20, 05:33 PM
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shelbyfv
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Do you have reason to believe it is more accurate than the gauge on your pump? Does it matter? I agree, it's a waste of time.
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Old 05-27-20, 05:35 PM
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You don't absolutely need to achieve max psi. You inflate it just above your target psi thats under the max rating, & assume a few psi loss during the final checkout of psi.
has worked for me many times. Often I don't need to add psi for a few days unless the squinch test doesn't pass.
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Old 05-27-20, 05:42 PM
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Why the need for both? Why not just use your pump and find what pressure on the pump's gauge inflates the tires to a pressure that works for you, and keep them inflated to that pressure shown on the pump. Tires don't need to be inflated to max. psi, in fact, most roll better if run less than max.
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Old 05-27-20, 05:49 PM
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MadKaw
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110 psi seems like a lot. Even on 23s, I am at 100-105. On my more usual 28s, I'm between 65-70psi.
I weigh 175 lb. (80 kg)
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Old 05-27-20, 06:04 PM
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kenshireen
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It's around 5 psi and that is significance to me. I run my 25's at 120 back and 110 front
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Old 05-27-20, 06:06 PM
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kenshireen
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Originally Posted by GlennR
110psi, what size tires?
Continental 4000 25mm
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Old 05-27-20, 06:11 PM
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Originally Posted by MadKaw
110 psi seems like a lot. Even on 23s, I am at 100-105. On my more usual 28s, I'm between 65-70psi.
I weigh 175 lb. (80 kg)
25. I inflateback to 120 and front to 100... I ride on a smooth trail with no debris
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Old 05-27-20, 06:25 PM
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indyfabz
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Maybe your floor pump gauge is inaccurate.
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Old 05-27-20, 06:27 PM
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I have a Spin Doctor gauge, and had the same problem using the presta valve. I got around that by using a shrader adapter, and checking pressure on the shrader side of the gauge.

No more losing air trying to get the gauge off the stem

​​
​​​
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Old 05-27-20, 06:38 PM
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The pressure gauges on the pumps I have seen are not accurate. I bought a pressure gauge at a cheap price. Then I don't ride bikes with skinny tires.
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Old 05-27-20, 06:50 PM
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The very fact of using a tire pressure gauge to measure tire pressure will change tire pressure. In order to measure the pressure you will have to remove air from the tire thus lowering the pressure inside the tire. Maybe not a big deal for car tires or very wide bike tires, but can be significant for narrow high pressure road bike tires
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Old 05-27-20, 06:54 PM
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TiHabanero
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Every pressure gauge I have ever used, regardless of brand, bleeds off some air when connected to or released from the valve stem. Digital, traditional analog, stick, round gauge, makes no difference. Just inflate X pounds over desired pressure and go forward. (X = known pressure bleed off of gauge)

As an aside I ran all my tires at 120 when racing. Another fella suggested I lower the pressure by 20. That was twenty years ago and have maintained 100 psi across the board on the 25mm tires I run, and 90-100 on the 28mm tires. Comfort level is much better at the lower psi. Interestingly enough I have fewer flats as well. Only run conti tires. The GP is the best riding with grip out there.
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Old 05-27-20, 07:23 PM
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Originally Posted by kenshireen
Continental 4000 25mm
I have the same and run 100 rear and 90 front.
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Old 05-27-20, 08:16 PM
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Originally Posted by kenshireen
25. I inflateback to 120 and front to 100... I ride on a smooth trail with no debris
So I figure you must weigh about 220... Well, whatever works for you, I know you weren't asking my advice, but, hey... it's free! One of the odd things tire scientists have found is that rolling resistance does not necessarily go down as tire pressure goes up. What seems to happen is that a lot of energy is wasted rolling up and down the microscopic roughness in the pavement where with a slightly lower pressure the CG doesn't move and the roughness is absorbed by the tire. I don't remember where I originally came across the studies, but if you won't take my word for it... https://blog.silca.cc/part-4b-rollin...-and-impedance
(Around here surfaces are cr...ummy and I could probably go lower than I do, but I'm too lazy to do the optimization studies, and I don't want to bother changing pressure depending on the particular road I ride, so I guess.)
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Old 05-27-20, 08:40 PM
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This one works pretty good.

I can take a reading ten times in a row with no noticeable pressure loss.

https://www.amazon.com/Accu-Gage-Bic...%2C216&sr=8-36
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Old 05-27-20, 09:27 PM
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I have a a pump with a pressure gauge, double checked it once, plus or minus 1 psi, race quality tire gauge for track day car, 85 rear, 75 front on 700 x 28 tires. The roads suck here, so feels about right. I would never consider 110 psi, unless on a track, even with 700 x 23 tires. Don’t even lose 1 psi checking pressures. You need a new technique, or new pressure gauge.
Tim
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Old 05-27-20, 09:49 PM
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Originally Posted by alcjphil
The very fact of using a tire pressure gauge to measure tire pressure will change tire pressure.
There’s a joke about quantum mechanics somewhere in here but I can’t put my finger on it...
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Old 05-27-20, 09:58 PM
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Originally Posted by Hikebikerun
There’s a joke about quantum mechanics somewhere in here but I can’t put my finger on it...
There probably is such a joke, but it doesn't change the fact that in order to measure tire pressure you have to extract air from the tire to the external tire pressure gauge chamber. There is no other way to do this
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Old 05-28-20, 12:10 AM
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I stopped using a pressure gauge for a bicycle after about 6 uses, for the same reasons. I now only use the educated thumb to feel how hard or soft it feels. I used to use Silca the floor pump gauge, but only to get to the point where I check with my thumb and give it a pump or 2 more of let some air out. Never has a snakebite flat, so it must be working.
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Old 05-28-20, 12:58 AM
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Originally Posted by MadKaw
110 psi seems like a lot. Even on 23s, I am at 100-105. On my more usual 28s, I'm between 65-70psi.
I weigh 175 lb. (80 kg)
Really? I go 8 bar which is 116 on my 25mm and need it. Yesterday I only pumped up the front tire, not the rear, and coming down the hill I just felt odd, at the bottom I quickly stopped to check if everything was ok, yes looked fine, except, the tire when pressing it was noticeably less full of air than I would normally ride, but probably it was still 7 bar which is 101 psi. But the ride just felt unsmooth
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Old 05-28-20, 05:23 AM
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I have a Bontrager pump and It reads about 5 psig high. I’ll set the pressure with a Blackburn pressure gauge. It will drop less than 1/2 psi for each reading. Depends on how squared up it is when I use it.

Edited: Corrected but I may be a Trek pimp.

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Old 05-28-20, 05:53 AM
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Originally Posted by alcjphil
The very fact of using a tire pressure gauge to measure tire pressure will change tire pressure. In order to measure the pressure you will have to remove air from the tire thus lowering the pressure inside the tire. Maybe not a big deal for car tires or very wide bike tires, but can be significant for narrow high pressure road bike tires
Funnily enough.. explained by Science.. (see first para):

OBSERVER EFFECT
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