Tire pressure for the bike: How to find the optimal air pressure

wheel check
Tire pressure: How to find the optimal value for your bike

03/15/2022, 10:20 am

5 min reading time

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 into spring.

In this article you can read why tire pressure is important, how much air the tires on mountain bikes, racing bikes and city bikes can take and which air pumps are best suited for use at home and on the go.

Why is bike tire pressure so important?

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 feels like cyclists in this country are more careful with the air pump around. That means you drive more often with less tire pressure. That has Advantages and disadvantages. Because the tire can be compressed more easily under the weight, the contact surface is on the ground and thus the greater rolling resistance. This means you have to expend more energy (especially on the road) to move quickly. In addition, one offers broken glass and sharp stones a larger attack surface. she can pierce through the jacket more easily and damage the hose. If you are constantly driving with insufficient tire pressure, accelerated moreover the wear of the tire. The profile suffers and, in the worst case, dangerous cracks form in the sidewall.

1. Low tire pressure

On the other hand, tires can be driven with slightly less tire pressure very comfortable, 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.

2. High tire pressure

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 have hardly 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.

a current one bicycle pump test read here.

Which tire pressure is the right one?

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, however: 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.

How to check tire pressure?

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. With these floor pumps theoretically eleven bars and more can be pressed into a tire. However, these values ​​are mainly achieved in road cycling or triathlon.

Autoventil or Sclaverand – the big question?

The craftsman saying “What doesn’t fit will be made to fit” is not helpful in the case of air pumps and bicycle valves. Nobody 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 Sclaverand attachment (Presta) at hand. Conversely, this attempt also fizzles out. Therefore, pay attention to the 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. For on the go Mini Bike Pumps at. 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.

Swell: schwalbe.com; Fahrradmagazin.net

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