Old 03-23-12, 03:07 AM
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snafu21
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What's the max pressure of your tyres? It's written on the sidewalls.

High pressure tyres, over about 60 psi tax the arm muscles; larger foot actuated pumps help. Medium pressure tyres (about 40 psi) can be inflated with almost anything. The physics are that fatter pumps with a longer stroke pump more air, taking less strokes to get the beasties up to pressure and reducing arm-ache. Small-tube pumps with sharp handles hurt the hand, as more strokes are needed and the sharp bit digs into the paw.

I have a ten year old Topeak still running. It's a small MTB pump with an illegible guage.

My road bike, and the Mezzo run 110 psi, I use a cheap electric car pump to get the blighters up to pressure, then take the Topeak to deal with flats. I use the car pump more than the others.

Re pressures; I'm of the single opinion that pumping the tyres up to the max sidewall pressure reduces punctures. I have no scientific evidence to back this up.

I also have a CO2 pump on the MTB, when you run out of CO2 cartridges you run out of bicyling, but that and a spare tube save the faff of silly sticky patches, misplaced beliefs in the properties of modern adhesives, and spit.

I haven't had a puncture for a couple of years now. It cannot last.

Last edited by snafu21; 03-23-12 at 03:22 AM.
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