Do you let air out of tires?

Do you let air out of tires?


  • Total voters
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2IT

Everything and everyone suffers in comparisons.
Location
Georgia, USA
Used to let the air out of my tubular tires to help preserve them. Does that still make sense for clinchers? It seems like the tire bleeds enough air overnight that I need to pump them to get back to 100 pounds.

Does letting some air out of the tire between rides extend the life of the tire tube?
 

Smokin Joe

Legendary Member
I don't know how letting the air out of a tyre will help preserve it. In fact let too much out and the sidewalls will crack over time.
 
Location
Loch side.
There's no need to let air out of the tyres overnight or even over-anything. They won't stretch or rot from air.
Tyres can rot/degrade from the outside though, oxygen, ozone and UV light being things to avoid. The stretching story is an old wives' tale.
 

Mile195

Veteran
Location
West Kent
No... They lose pressure perfectly well by themselves - about 10-15 PSI between top ups (which I usually do once a week). That said I'm on 700x23's at 110PSI so I guess it's to be expected.
 
I had a number of tubes blow out last year while leaving the bike in the car all day while i was at work. My theory is that the Vittoria rubber i had on them got soft in the car to the point that the they were no longer able to clinch onto the rims. The tube popped out the side and exploded. In one case i did see the tyre off the rim, on the other case it seemed to pop back on, but the 2 inch slit in the tube where it must have popped out and exploded was evidence enough for me to always reduce the pressure in these circumstances.

Well that's my theory anyway.
 

Dogtrousers

Kilometre nibbler
I let the air out of my spare inner tubes. They wouldn't fit into my toolkit if I didn't.
 

AlanW

Guru
Location
Not to sure?
Yes, but only on my wheels that have Latex tubes fitted, leaving them at full pressure causes them to distort and go out of shape. Oh and my track wheels that have tubs fitted.
 

Tim Hall

Guest
Location
Crawley
Yes, but only on my wheels that have Latex tubes fitted, leaving them at full pressure causes them to distort and go out of shape. Oh and my track wheels that have tubs fitted.
Surely the tyre is responsible for providing the shape of the tube. Where does it distort to?
 
Location
Loch side.
I had a number of tubes blow out last year while leaving the bike in the car all day while i was at work. My theory is that the Vittoria rubber i had on them got soft in the car to the point that the they were no longer able to clinch onto the rims. The tube popped out the side and exploded. In one case i did see the tyre off the rim, on the other case it seemed to pop back on, but the 2 inch slit in the tube where it must have popped out and exploded was evidence enough for me to always reduce the pressure in these circumstances.

Well that's my theory anyway.
Yup, this happens. Your observation is correct. The tyre lifts, the tube herniates and explodes and more often than not, escapes back into the tyre before the tyre has time to settle again. It happens with soft folding beads more than steel beads.
One thing is certain, if you were in the car when that happened you would have been relaying your experience from the psychiatric ward.
 

Profpointy

Legendary Member
Ah my (perfectly valid) schoolboy physics gas laws calc hadn't taken account of.softening or.degrading of the materials in a hot car
 
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