Optimum tyre pressure - Hybrid bike

[jimbo40]

I have a 2010 Ridgeback Flight 02 and the tyres say "max inflation 7.0bar, 102psi".

I put about 90 in six weeks ago and have maybe covered 200 - 300 miles since, and I weigh 16 stones. I checked it today and was surprised that the pressures were only around 30 - 40.

How much should I inflate to and how often should I check them? I left it this long because they felt very firm each time I rode it.

 

[terry_gardener]

i would think 90 would be just fine.

check it once a week to be on the save side or before any long journeys.

 

[Paul_L]

just out of interest how did you check it after 6 weeks? If you used a track pump don't forget as soon as you fit the pump the tyre discharges into the pump cylinder, so your reading of 30 to 40 psi doesn't reflect the true pressure loss of the tyre.

 

[Paulus]

You should inflate the tyre to near the maximum stated on the tyre. This will be found on the sidewall. It does not matter what kind of bike it is. I check my tyres every few days.

 

[wiggydiggy]

My Hybrid has relatively cheap tyres so only 60psi which suits me fine when on the road, but as I'm not exclusively road so when I'm on the tracks/trails/etc I think a little softer is better?

 

[gaz]

You should inflate the tyre to near the maximum stated on the tyre. This will be found on the sidewall. It does not matter what kind of bike it is. I check my tyres every few days.

Not strictly true, on another thread someone had tyres which maximum pressure was 145psi. Using such a high pressure on our lovely british roads would certainly rattle your fillings out.

 

[albion]

Very untrue with it being a hybrid.Anywhere near the maximum for off-road is way OTT

 

[Jimbo Xiii]

I only got a pump with a gauge in it yesterday so got my tyres up to there "optimum" pressure (58 psi), almost shock my bones to bits on the cycle to work this morning

 

[jimbo40]

just out of interest how did you check it after 6 weeks? If you used a track pump don't forget as soon as you fit the pump the tyre discharges into the pump cylinder, so your reading of 30 to 40 psi doesn't reflect the true pressure loss of the tyre.

Thank you, thats very interesting!!
I did use a track pump, but didn't know that the pressure discharges into the pump. I'm sure that explains why the pressures were so low, as they felt fine when I pressed them with my fingers before going out.
Should I buy a pressure gauge to check them? If so are they easily available.

 

[Jan Ullrich]

I pump them up every time i go out , less chance of getting a puncture

 

[Mad at urage]

Unlikely to drop from 90 to 30 / 40 psi by "discharging into the pump": Try pumping them up to 90, removing the pump, put the pump back on and see what it reads. That is the drop you expect from putting the pump (off and) on.

6 weeks is a long time for cheap bike tyres and tubes, I'd expect to have to pump them up after that time. Personally I prefer to check weekly on a bike I'm using, or before I use it, for the spare ones.

 

[cloggsy]

I check/re-inflate my tyres before every trip!

 

[AhThisFeckinThing]

Just an add-on to this, I have a Specialized Tricross, with the bog standard tyres, and was checking them today. I pumped them to about 3.5 to 4.00 bar. The tyres seemed like rock. On the side of the tyre it does state 3.5 - 7.0 bar. Is it right to assume I can put a lot more pressure into what already seems a rock. Would the higher pressure benefit a longer ride, hopefully going on a 40 mile ride around the county tomorrow.

 

[Ace Demon]

Just an add-on to this, I have a Specialized Tricross, with the bog standard tyres, and was checking them today. I pumped them to about 3.5 to 4.00 bar. The tyres seemed like rock. On the side of the tyre it does state 3.5 - 7.0 bar. Is it right to assume I can put a lot more pressure into what already seems a rock. Would the higher pressure benefit a longer ride, hopefully going on a 40 mile ride around the county tomorrow.

A search for Specialised Tricross shows it has 32mm tyres. 5.5 bar (80psi) was always considered to give decent balance between ride and resistance. The rims may have a sticker showing different max pressures for different tyre widths. (A 50mm tyre at 3.5 bar puts the same loading on a rim as a 25mm tyre at 7 bar.)

 

[MrHappyCyclist]

I try to keep mine (700x32C) at the maximum (6.5 bar) for road use. I find it handles all the potholes and broken tarmac (the ones I fail to avoid and hit at speed) best at this pressure. For dirt tracks, I drop them down to about 5.0 to 5.5 bar.