Originally Posted by
cuyd
On a tricycle with single sided drive, should tires be inflated to exactly same pressure? I am asking because I've noticed that on stock new bike with three tires the tire installed on the rear drive side was actually inflated to lower pressure. Now, those tires look exactly same except drive-side tire, where sidewall inscription says max 4 PSI while two other tires say 6 PSI. Now I wonder, is it how it should be or perhaps 4 PSI tire should go to front? Perhaps I should just inflate every tire to 4 PSI?
That can't possibly be correct. A little math: let's say you and the trike weigh 180 lbs together. Then each tire must support 60 lbs (assuming the weight is equally distributed). At 4 lbs per square inch, you must have at least 15 square inches of each tire in contact with the road. They would have to be truck tires!
Sometimes tire pressures are given in atmospheres. 4 or 6 atmospheres would be about 60 or 90 pounds per square inch which sounds about right to me.
- Ed
PS - on the original question: unless there is a large excess of weight on one side, I would inflate both rear tires to the same value.