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Tricycle tire pressure

Old 05-29-21, 10:23 AM
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cuyd
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Tricycle tire pressure

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 4 BAR while two other tires say 6 PSI 6 BAR. Now I wonder, is it how it should be or perhaps 4 PSI 4 BAR tire should go to front? Perhaps I should just inflate every tire to 4 PSI 4 BAR?

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Old 05-29-21, 10:31 AM
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Tire PSI is a Personal Choice Item.

Lower PSI equals Softer Ride.
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Last edited by 10 Wheels; 05-29-21 at 10:37 AM. Reason: add
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Old 05-29-21, 10:51 AM
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Originally Posted by 10 Wheels
Tire PSI is a Personal Choice Item.

Lower PSI equals Softer Ride.
Yes, but the thing is - how bike turns. I was wondering didn't they put uneven pressure on rear tires purposefully because there's just one drive-side and on this kind of tricycles turning to other side is harder.
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Old 05-29-21, 10:52 AM
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Nope
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Old 05-30-21, 01:39 PM
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Four and six PSI sounds like a very low pressure for a tire. 10 Wheels and I have very similar recumbent trikes. Looking just at the 20" front tires the Tioga Powerblock 20 X 1.4" tire recommends 35-80 PSI and the Primo Comet 20 X 1.35 recommends 100 PSI. If I ran my recumbent trike at 6 PSI the tires would self destruct and the trike would be exceedingly hard to pedal (like pedaling with a flat tire). A sign of underinflated tires is getting pinch flats and another is the trike is way harder to pedal.
Maybe your trike is hard to turn because the tires are underinflated at the pressures listed on the sidewall.
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Old 05-30-21, 01:59 PM
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Is that some kind of "FAT" tire trike?

I'd put the same pressure in at least the two rear tires. There could be arguments to put a different pressure in the front. Probably more weight to the rear, but only one tire up front.

Sidewall markings are put on by the tire manufacturer, unless there is something very distinctive painted on the tires.

I tend to like higher pressure in my tires.
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Old 05-30-21, 03:28 PM
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Atmospheres, not PSI?

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.
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Old 05-31-21, 01:09 AM
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I am really sorry. I didn't mean 4/6 PSI but 4/6 BAR. I don't know how could I make such mistake. Thanks for answers.
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Old 08-03-21, 03:32 AM
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The bicycle is a human powered vehicle, powered by a drive train comprised of at least two gears, one large, one small. The gears are generally connected by means of a compatible chain which is propelled by turning a crankset with the arms or legs; usually the legs. The crankset is attached to the bigger gear (the chain wheel). A bicycle can have anywhere from one to 24 gears. They come with brakes but also without. Tire pressure ranges from 30 pounds to 120 pounds.

There at least twelve different types of bicycles, not including unicycles and tricycles. All manner of sizes and quality.
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