How often do you check your tire pressure?
11-08-16, 09:09 AM
#2
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Tire pressure
Every ride. A complete system check will prevent many troubles out in bike world. Chain, seat, nuts, bearings, brakes and bolts. Water bottle mounts. Just takes a minute.
11-08-16, 09:12 AM
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I used to every day/every ride, but then switched from 25mm tires to 32mm tires. Now I check them every week (just a thumb test) and add pressure every two or three weeks.
11-08-16, 09:12 AM
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I squeeze the tires before every ride. Actually put a gauge on them? Depends on how they feel to my fingers. Maybe once or twice a month.
11-08-16, 09:18 AM
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Whenever it feels too low, which is at least a week, sometimes a couple of weeks. Checking and airing up is the same thing, since I've never put the pump on that it didn't need at least 10 or 15 pounds.
But I check by feel every morning before riding to work and usually again before riding home so by that measure, twice daily.
But I check by feel every morning before riding to work and usually again before riding home so by that measure, twice daily.
11-08-16, 09:19 AM
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I pump my tires before every ride.
-Tim-
-Tim-
11-08-16, 09:24 AM
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Before every ride.
11-08-16, 09:24 AM
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On my flat commute ... I squeeze test them. Anywhere between 80-110 psi is OK with me.
For mountain rides on weekends, I not only check the tire pressure ... I inspect the tires for cuts and other damage.
For mountain rides on weekends, I not only check the tire pressure ... I inspect the tires for cuts and other damage.
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11-08-16, 09:26 AM
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the rate of bleed-down between tubes is pretty variable.
some require daily top-offs, some can go several days without a serious loss of pressure.
the thumb test is just a gross estimate. if you pinch-flat after passing the thumb test, then it's worthless...
so, my question is why is a thread about tire pressure posted in an age-related forum...?
some require daily top-offs, some can go several days without a serious loss of pressure.
the thumb test is just a gross estimate. if you pinch-flat after passing the thumb test, then it's worthless...
so, my question is why is a thread about tire pressure posted in an age-related forum...?
11-08-16, 09:31 AM
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Back in the olden days I used to top up my bike tires to 120 psi before every single ride because I thought that would make me go faster. At some point I cut my air pressure back to 90 front/ 100 rear. My bike felt more comfortable and I didn't seem to lose any speed at all. Also, my tires lost less air between rides so less pumping.
Today I ride a Catrike so I have 3 wheels. I'm too lazy to top up 3 wheels every ride so I just give them a finger squeeze and top them up (to 70 psi) every other week or so. I don't feel like I've lost any speed but I'm not racing anybody either so I really don't know. If anything, I'm thinking I might be better off topping my tires to only about 60 psi.
I still think that air pressure matters but not as much as many people seem to think.
Today I ride a Catrike so I have 3 wheels. I'm too lazy to top up 3 wheels every ride so I just give them a finger squeeze and top them up (to 70 psi) every other week or so. I don't feel like I've lost any speed but I'm not racing anybody either so I really don't know. If anything, I'm thinking I might be better off topping my tires to only about 60 psi.
I still think that air pressure matters but not as much as many people seem to think.
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11-08-16, 09:45 AM
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the rate of bleed-down between tubes is pretty variable.
some require daily top-offs, some can go several days without a serious loss of pressure.
the thumb test is just a gross estimate. if you pinch-flat after passing the thumb test, then it's worthless...
so, my question is why is a thread about tire pressure posted in an age-related forum...?
some require daily top-offs, some can go several days without a serious loss of pressure.
the thumb test is just a gross estimate. if you pinch-flat after passing the thumb test, then it's worthless...
so, my question is why is a thread about tire pressure posted in an age-related forum...?
11-08-16, 09:51 AM
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With a decent floor pump w/guage, before every ride if it's a road bike. My vintage MTBs get a quick squeeze of the tires. 
11-08-16, 11:18 AM
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Pinching a tire is not a pressure check.
Five seconds rolling on a tire tells more about the tire pressure than any finger ever can.
-Tim-
Five seconds rolling on a tire tells more about the tire pressure than any finger ever can.
-Tim-
11-08-16, 12:16 PM
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I pump my tires before every ride . . . unless I'm doing two rides in one day; like commuting to/from work. For commuting, only once in the morning.
Having said that, missing a day is certainly not tragic or overly invitational to pinch flats. I've arrived at a ride start and realized I'd forgotten the floor pump but since I'd pumped the tires the day before I just rode it anyway . . . and no problems.
Rick / OCRR
Having said that, missing a day is certainly not tragic or overly invitational to pinch flats. I've arrived at a ride start and realized I'd forgotten the floor pump but since I'd pumped the tires the day before I just rode it anyway . . . and no problems.
Rick / OCRR
11-08-16, 01:10 PM
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I pump up my tires before each ride, even if its only been 24 hours since my last ride.
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11-08-16, 01:14 PM
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11-08-16, 01:17 PM
#19
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I ride Schwalbe Big Apple balloon tires, so the mushier they get, the better the ride feels to me. Having ridden bikes for more than fifty years now, I just "know" when it's time to check and adjust the air pressure, and I am right almost all the time.
Someone once told me that tires lose about 1psi per day just sitting in the garage. I don't know if that's universally true, but it seems to be accurate for my tires, so if you're trying to stay within a certain range, you can probably use this as a guideline.
Someone once told me that tires lose about 1psi per day just sitting in the garage. I don't know if that's universally true, but it seems to be accurate for my tires, so if you're trying to stay within a certain range, you can probably use this as a guideline.
11-08-16, 01:52 PM
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11-08-16, 03:25 PM
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11-08-16, 03:26 PM
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I give 'em a squeeze before every ride, and sometimes on pauses during rides. I usually run moderate pressure, around 50 psi, on 700x40 or so tires, and these have a distinctive feel when squeezed, so it's close enough within 10 psi up or down.
With fully inflated hard road tires I can't tell whether the inflation is correct by squeezing, so I wouldn't rely on that trick for a road bike with skinny tires. Not much margin for error.
Otherwise, I use a gauge every other ride or once a week, unless a tire or tube has been giving me trouble.
Recently a slow leak turned out to be a loose valve core. Snugged it up. Then another leak was due to the tube extruding into the nipple holes, through the thin rubber rim strip -- it began as tiny cracks in the extruded parts of the tube. Then it just split and whooshed out while I was watching TV. Replaced the rim strip with cloth.
With fully inflated hard road tires I can't tell whether the inflation is correct by squeezing, so I wouldn't rely on that trick for a road bike with skinny tires. Not much margin for error.
Otherwise, I use a gauge every other ride or once a week, unless a tire or tube has been giving me trouble.
Recently a slow leak turned out to be a loose valve core. Snugged it up. Then another leak was due to the tube extruding into the nipple holes, through the thin rubber rim strip -- it began as tiny cracks in the extruded parts of the tube. Then it just split and whooshed out while I was watching TV. Replaced the rim strip with cloth.
11-08-16, 04:54 PM
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700C x 40C tires. I give 'em a thumb test every ride day to make sure I haven't got a flat, actually get the floor pump out about once a week.