Mountain Biking - Should i let the 55lbs out of my tires if i wont be riding it for awhile??

well its simple, its -18 degrees outside and it wont be warm for awhile...should the pressure come out of my tires in the meantime??

no

it will do so slowly by itself anyway

But more importantly, so what it's -18 out. cowboy up and get a pair

see i would cowboy up, but im afraid i wont have a pair when i get back...they would prob be on the trail somewhere

Like Curt said, don't worry about it. The air will slowly find it's way out on it's own.

1) i don't let the air out of my tires because a) if a sudden warmfront moves in you will have to air up the tires before heading out. and b) my tires stay filled for a very long time. they usually only need a top-off after being idle for several weeks.

2) riding in the cold isn't that bad. you don't want to overdress because getting sweaty can make you colder than staying dry. so the initial start is awfully cold. but ride hard for a few minutes to warm up then take it easy to keep from getting all sweaty.
Clothes: i wear neoprene gloves, north face apex jacket and a nike dri-fit tshirt, thermal tights and jeans. if its raining then thermal tights and rain pants, if its raining and very cold i wear thermal tights and jeans and the rain pants. oh and goretex smartwool socks in any temp under 40. we don't get -18 here but i rode in 10F and it was just fine.

I would kill for 18 and no ice. I'm attempting to fab ice tires but as of yet, no time. Sealskins socks work great for vapor loc effect. They are supposed to be breathable but not for me. I just wear a summer weight wool sock to absorb sweat.

I would kill for 18 and no ice. I'm attempting to fab ice tires but as of yet, no time. Sealskins socks work great for vapor loc effect. They are supposed to be breathable but not for me. I just wear a summer weight wool sock to absorb sweat.

He said it was negative 18. That's pretty damn cold in Fahrenheit or in Celsius.

Just curious, but you say you want to let 55 lbs out of your tires. How much pressure are you running in them? I've seen people run 55 lbs when they're using them as commuters on pavement but for trails that's a lot of pressure. I regularly run my USTs down to low 30's.

Just a thought. Also, not having a pair of balls after a super frigid ride isn't a problem if your married. All I have to do is ask the wife to lock them up at home for me, like she normally does when I step foot out of the house to go anywhere without her.

1) i don't let the air out of my tires because a) if a sudden warmfront moves in you will have to air up the tires before heading out.

I suppose if a sudden warm front moves in fast enough that you don't have warning time to pump up your tires, it could leave fast enough that those 45 seconds mean the difference in your ride :p

If you do let the air out store it elevated or when you pump them back up you'll have a wobbly tire.. I just leave all air in mine if I haven't rode for a month I'll go turn the wheels.

That must be why all new tires are wobbly when mounted up for the first time.

new ones don't have a bike sitting on top of one part of them for an extended period of time.. look at a bike that's been sitting with a flat for a while say a year .. you'll have a bump in the tire for a while.

those are rolled pretty symmetrical, but I have several that are just wadded up with no problems. there is no external pressure on a new tire .. I know older bikes I've found have this problem when you inflate the tire that's been flat on the bike.. Some of the problem may be the tube as well or the tire/tube angled off to one side. Set a brick on a section of new tire and leave it for a couple of years I bet it won't be straight.

I'm sure there are several factors that contribute to the bump, just take a pump into the local thrift store and see how many tires air up perfectly round.

p.s. I've seen plenty of bikes that have been stored, "unelevated," with flat tires and when the tires are pumped back up, they aren't wobbly. I've never seen the opposite.

I should have taken a picture of the schwinn I picked up at the junk store.. Maybe this is more a problem with vintage equipment. After something rubber / soft plastic has been one shape for a while it's nature is to resist change.