Tyre pressures

How hard should your tyres be?  Bought a track pump, pumped them up as much as I can, released nozzle and they`re still a bit squiggy.  Should they be rock solid or with a bit of give if you squeeze between finger and thumb.  It seems that when I release the nozzle, loads of the air i`ve just pumped in, comes out. No better than my small hand pump.

 

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Comments

  • Pretty solid.



    Did you undo the valve on your inner tube ?

    I'd let the air out and try again.

    Does the track pump have a gauge on ? I do about 95 psi.
  • I do mine up to 115 psi, is that too much? I've been doing it for over a year and not had any problems. Also the first time I pumped mine up it took me ages to figure out that you have to unscrew the little valve bit on the presta valve.

  • I run mine at 100to 110 psi.

     

  • H0NKH0NK ✭✭✭

    just posting here so I can get everyones opinions as they come along. 

    I changed the tyre back from a turbo training one last night and pumped the tyre up as  best as i could with a hand pump, then got my first puncture 20 minutes out on this mornings ride, I'm convinced the reason was not enough pressure but without a guage I could only guess.

    after a roadside repair I came home and bought a track pump with guage, a quick google suggested 95-100 psi so I went for 100. 

    found i lost a bit of air when removing the nozzle but with a bit of practice it was only a small loss and left the tyres feeling solid. if anyones got any tips for this i'd be glad to hear them.

  • D0MD0M ✭✭✭

    Oh image.  So you undo the screwy bit.  How dumb am I!!!

  • D0MD0M ✭✭✭

    Just done them to about 105.  Now that i`ve done it properly, i now realise i`ve been riding around at about 65 psi image.   Should have a bit more speed on harder tyres tomorrow image.

     

  • Something like 100-105 on the rear, 90-95 on the front.  The rear bears more weight and therefore flattens out more, so you want more pressure in the rear for similar tyre profiles on the road, innit.

    About 120-125 / 110-115 on the track, but that's tubs on super smooth tarmac.   Probably more on boards but they haven't let me on at Stratford yet.  image

    I've read all sorts of things about ''correct'' pressure and I'm not sure there's a correct answer, but generally speaking I think it makes sense to have more in the rear than the front, and also to take into account variables such as tyre size - more pressure in narrower tyres - rider weight, and riding surface.  I'd probably take a few psi out for riding in the wet as well.

  • Dreaming Of Magic wrote (see)

    Just done them to about 105.  Now that i`ve done it properly, i now realise i`ve been riding around at about 65 psi image.   Should have a bit more speed on harder tyres tomorrow image.

     

    On the upside, it is harder to ride at low psi, so you have been training even harder than you thought!

  • Oops. I been going to 120 on my road bike. Note to self, let 10 psi out in the morning.
  • I used to stick 120 in front and rear, use more like 110 now or a bit less because that seems to be the consensus, can't say I notice much difference either way.   

  • I'm putting about 105/110 in mine, using a track pump.

    However I find that the valve doesn't always unstick when I try to put air in. Yes I always unscrew it. Yes, I even give it a little tap to let it off the valve seat. But when I pump up, the pump and line can go to 130 or more before there's a little pop and the true pressure is identified. It seems to drop 10 psi or more in a week.

    If my tyre is as low as 90 it changes shape on bumps, and that's how I got a snakebite puncture.

  • Between 100- 110 for me to, thats the amount I was told by a seasoned bike rider so have pretty much stuck to that.image

  • On my Velocity 23mm wide rims I run 90 on the front and 95 on the rear. I was told by the chaps who built the them (Strada Wheels UK) the wider than normal rim meant I could run a lower than normal pressure which aids comfort without impacting the rolling resistance or upping the risk of pinch flats.
  • When I upgrade my wheels I plan to go to Strada.
  • 110-115 for me.  Optimal tyre pressure depends on your weight, your tyres, the condition of the roads, the weather... so experiment and see what works best.

  • What PSC says. Normally 110 on the racing wheels (23mm tyres), and 90 on my trainng wheels (25mm).

  • 80 bar? 

    I pressume we are talking road tyres Pix, not Moutain bike...  80 is a bit squishy. 

  • don't go to 80 bar - I was pulling your leg - sorry about that!  It will be PSI.  You are more likely to puncture at lower pressures and you will also be working harder too as some of your energy is being absorbed by the squishyness of the tyre..  Hybrid tyres do run at lower pressures, and MTB tyres lower still.  But road tyres need the air in them to work properly.  If you look on the side of the tyre it will probably say something like "max pressure 140 psi".

    What sort of pump is it... the red line maybe there to stop someone pumping their air bed up too hard!! 

    And don't be apologetic for being a bike numpty..  we all were once excpet perhaps a few on here who I reckon were concieved on bikes and therefore know lots about sprockets and stuff. image

  • If their 650s then 80psi may be all that is needed. There is alot less volume in a 650 than a 700.

    What does it say on the side of the tyre for pressure range?

  • I'm pretty sure I do mine to 80 something as well (I'm a bike numpty). I think I did once check the figures on the tyre. I have no idea what 650 vs 700 means so no idea what I have. Like Pixie, mine are very hard and it's an effort to get them to that.



    I'm now intrigued so I'm going to go out and check...
  • interesting article on Sheldon Brown's site... HERE which would indicate that tyre width is more important than wheel diameter.. What is clear is the relationship between pressure and rider weight...  same as a car.  A heavily loaded car needs mre air in the tyres!

    The pump looks fine Pix, but you will probably find that the grey bezel bit outside the dial with the red arrow on it will rotate so that you can use it as an indicator of where you want your pressure to be. 

  • Ooooh, it says min 100 max 120. Oops. Not sure where I got 80 from.
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