Bicycle Mechanics - How much air pressure to put in tire? and

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On my new Raleigh Comfort bike, SC40 I have Kenda kevlar protected tires. The shop where
I bought the beast said they didn't put very much air pressure in the tires (Kenda recommends
40-65#'s) because if I rode it on a hot day I could get a flat.

Well so fair I have taken it out on hot days in the 90s and haven't noticed the tire pressure
increasing very much at all on two hour rides on pavement. From the looks of the tire they
must have put around 40-45 #'s in, so it would seem safe to me to go up to around 55-60 #'s?

What kind of oil is recommeded for the Chain? and how often should I oil it?

norsseman.....near Spokane, Washington

I'd put 65psi in unless you are a very light weight person then a little less may give better handling (there are charts for this http://www.precisiontandems.com/photos_files/tirechart.jpg ) or unless you want a softer ride at expense of pedaling ease.

I pump up my 80psi max tires to 80psi when its 80deg in the AM and ride home when its 105deg in the afternoon with no problems. Sure pressure in the tire increases with temp, but these max pressure ratings do have a safety factor built in.

Al

Thanks Noisebeam. When I lived in Tempe, AZ I used the maximum pressure
and never had a problem.

The rising temp won't have enough of an effect to blow the tire out. Go to the max pressuer on the sidewall of the tire. There is MORE than enough safety margin built into that number already. As for chain lube, I prefer a dry Teflon based lube like Finish Line. Clean and lube the chain when it looks dirty or feels dry and gritty. A properly lubed chain should feel smooth, and slippery, but not covered in a lot of greasy gunk, which will just attract more dirt. Clean with a rag soaked in Simple Green or other degreaser, rinse with a wet rag, let it dry, then spray with lube, let it sit for a few minutes to work into the rollers of the chain, then wipe the excess off with a clean rag.

As for the tires, just do what the other posters have said -you've got nothing to worry about.High pressure for the road, lower pressure for rougher terrain/dirt.

As for chain lube, I've really been liking Pedro's Extra Dry chain lube on both my road and mountain bikes. It's personal preference mostly, unless you ride in very wet or very dusty areas. Here's a link to a thread with a lot of recommendations just to get an idea: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=56224 .


-Moab