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There Really is no use for a Tire Guage.

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There Really is no use for a Tire Guage.

Old 06-23-16, 07:52 AM
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precision air pressures seem totally unnecessary...

for me, as long as there's 90-100 psi showing on the gauge, it's good enough to ride.
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Old 06-23-16, 09:06 AM
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Originally Posted by 12strings
Correct...no need at all... Squeeze the side of the tire, if it feels too soft, add air.
+1
Yep - how does one know what pressure to put in anyway other than what they like and purpose. Normally determined by feel and experience.

TBH - everyone in the family that rides (3) has a preferred feel and pressure and weight. I tend to pump all 6 tires before the rides. It is quicker to know everyone's preferred pressure and just pump to that. But we all arrived at that number on feel and guesswork in the first place.
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Old 06-23-16, 11:45 AM
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Originally Posted by Doge
+1
Yep - how does one know what pressure to put in anyway other than what they like and purpose. Normally determined by feel and experience.

TBH - everyone in the family that rides (3) has a preferred feel and pressure and weight. I tend to pump all 6 tires before the rides. It is quicker to know everyone's preferred pressure and just pump to that. But we all arrived at that number on feel and guesswork in the first place.

Exactly.

It doesn't matter what the real pressure is as long as the pump is precise. If it is precise, readings are reasonably repeatable and you will start to associate preference to a PSI value.

For that matter, as long as you take off the pump from the valve and 'lose' about the same amount, it doesn't matter what the real pressure is as long as you have a way to replicate it. If your pump sticks or is difficult to remove in a repeatable fashion, maybe you should shop for a new head that can be removed more quickly and repeatably. Makes hitting a value easier.

If you do not trust your pump, pop on and off your gauge as your last step so you lose about the same amount of air there and again you will associate the value read with the performance and feel you desire.


In this case, quantification is not necessary. This is not a scientific investigation. You only need a repeatable method that loses a reasonably consistent amount of air.

Now, since there is nothing in the Presta head to open the valve, it is air pressure that opens the valve. As soon as a change in pressure is felt, the valve will either open or close. If the pump hose has more pressure, the valve will open. If you decrease the hose pressure by removal or leakage(some have buttons to drop hose pressure), the valve will seal closed. Once close, air will not come out of the tire. Same is true for gauges except gauges hold so little air that the amount of pressure drop from a reading should be minimal if even detectable.

Since a gauge does not produce air pressure to open the valve, it has a pin to depress the valve. On my Topeak, it has 2 settings, one for Shraider and one for Presta. I find the Presta setting too low and it leaks out too much air so I leave the gauge, if I recall correctly, on the Shraider setting so the pin is further inside and depresses the valve closer to contact. This has helped me get more accurate and repeatable readings.



best of luck.

Last edited by Fly2High; 06-23-16 at 11:48 AM.
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