Spring is traditionally the season when the bike is brought out of hibernation, cleaned of dust and cobwebs and prepared for the first tours. As a rule, a simple visual inspection is sufficient to determine where action needs to be taken. The tires are usually included. If the valves are not 100 percent tight, a little bit of air escapes over the winter. The tire can lose up to one bar of pressure per month. With a mountain bike tire, the air can be completely gone after the winter. Checking the tire pressure on the bike should therefore be the first official act before the maiden voyage in early summer.
In this article you can read why tire pressure is important, how much air the tires on mountain bikes, road bikes and city bikes can take and which air pumps are best suited for use at home and on the go.
Anyone who has ever bumped home on the rim knows why tire pressure is important on a bicycle. The wheels can only carry the bike and its rider with the appropriate tire pressure. It seems that cyclists in this country are more careful with the air pump. That means you drive more often with less tire pressure. This has advantages and disadvantages. Because the tire can be compressed more easily under the weight, the contact surface on the ground and therefore the rolling resistance is greater. This means you have to expend more energy (especially on the road) to move quickly. In addition, broken glass and sharp stones are offered a larger surface to attack. You can pierce through the jacket more easily and damage the hose. If you are constantly driving with under-inflated tires, you will also accelerate tire wear. The profile suffers and, in the worst case, dangerous cracks form in the sidewall.
Advantages
Disadvantages
good grip
higher risk of puncture
more comfortable driving experience
lower stability
solid off-road performance
On the other hand, tires with slightly less tire pressure are very comfortable to drive because shocks and waves are well cushioned. Basically, wider tires tolerate less air pressure better than, for example, narrow tires that are mounted on racing bikes or cross bikes. The same applies to so-called tubeless tires. The principle of tubeless tires is simply based on the fact that the air is pumped directly into the cavity between the rim and the casing, instead of into a tube that lies in the tire.
Advantages
Disadvantages
good stability
rather uncomfortable
low risk of breakdown
higher rolling resistance on off-road tours
less grip
In contrast to tires that are driven with too little air, tires with high pressure offer significantly more driving stability, but also require greater driving skills because they are less forgiving of driving errors. And comfort is not at the top of the checklist with high tire pressure either. There is a significantly lower risk of breakdowns. Above all, punctures (also known as snake bites) are rather unlikely with very high tire pressure. On the other hand, hard inflated tires are not ideal for off-road tours, because the narrow contact surface means that you hardly have any grip and therefore far less control than with slightly softer inflated tyres. Finally, a plus point: Because of the low rolling resistance, hard inflated tires wear out more slowly than their soft counterparts.
You can read a current bicycle pump test here.
There is no general answer to the question of the optimum tire pressure. Too many factors play a role in this. In addition to the weight of the cyclist, the planned route and the type of tire, there are also personal preferences. In principle, however, it is always worth taking a look at the coat, because there you will find a first clue. A target corridor is usually specified, which the manufacturer of the cover recommends for his product or better: for which the tire is permitted. For example: 3.4 – 5.1 bar (indication on a city or mountain bike tire). The first is the minimum pressure and the second value should not be exceeded if possible. Basically, the following applies: the narrower the tire, the greater the pressure. With a driver’s weight of 75 kilograms and the appropriate tire width, the following guideline values are recommended.
An ordinary air pump has no display to check and adjust the air pressure. A floor pump with a pressure gauge that spits out the air pressure digitally or with a small pointer in bar and PSI helps here. The dial is usually located in the area of the base or can be folded out at the top end of the pump cylinder. Theoretically, eleven bar and more can be pressed into a tire with these floor pumps. However, these values are mainly achieved in road cycling or triathlon.
The craftsman saying “What doesn’t fit will be made to fit” is not helpful in the case of air pumps and bicycle valves. No one in the world can get air into a tire with a car valve (also known as a Schrader) if they only have an ordinary pump with a Presta attachment at hand. Conversely, this attempt also fizzles out. Therefore, pay attention to which valve your tires are equipped with before you buy an air pump. Or even better: get a pump with a pressure gauge and interchangeable attachments for all types of valves. Mini bicycle pumps are ideal for on the go. These are now also available with interchangeable adapters. In case of doubt, the tire pressure cannot be checked here – but for the way home it is always sufficient if the tire is inflated by hand according to gut feeling.
Sources: schwalbe.com; Fahrradmagazin.net
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