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When to pump?

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When to pump?

Old 04-17-07, 06:25 PM
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When to pump?

Search is down, so forgive me if this topic has already been covered. I ride every day. Should I pump my tires before each ride? Is every second or third day just as fine?
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Old 04-17-07, 06:27 PM
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I check before every ride.
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Old 04-17-07, 06:27 PM
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Whenever they need it (i.e., if your tires go up to 120 p.s.i. and they're at 100 p.s.i., you might want to give 'em a little shot).

Don't ride with grossly under-inflated tires. Flats, rim damage, etc...Just use common sense.
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Old 04-17-07, 06:28 PM
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Before every ride.
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Old 04-17-07, 06:28 PM
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Taking for granted that you at least check pressure before very ride.
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Old 04-17-07, 06:28 PM
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I'm anal so I check my tires most every ride. In reality every few days is probably fine.
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Old 04-17-07, 06:31 PM
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Whenever your tires feel squishy to the touch, pump them up.
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Old 04-17-07, 06:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Machka
Whenever your tires feel squishy to the touch, pump them up.
Or when they drop below...in my case, 110psi. Is it that hard to check before you hop on?
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Old 04-17-07, 06:32 PM
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When you say "check" do you mean squeeze the tire? I don't think I could tell the difference between 118psi and 120psi.
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Old 04-17-07, 06:37 PM
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Originally Posted by timmyquest
Or when they drop below...in my case, 110psi. Is it that hard to check before you hop on?
I run my tires between 90 and 100 psi, so mine are ALWAYS below 110 psi. Anything over 100 psi gives too rough a ride.

And yes, a squeeze will tell me if I'm down around 70 psi or so.
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Old 04-17-07, 06:39 PM
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By "check" I mean use a tire gauge.
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Old 04-17-07, 06:41 PM
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I give 'em a pump almost every ride. Why ride at sub-optimal pressure unless you're in a huge hurry?
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Old 04-17-07, 06:42 PM
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every couple of days for me. If I'm pressed for time I'll just skip it. I never go more than 2-3 rides without doing it.
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Old 04-17-07, 06:55 PM
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Originally Posted by massimo
When you say "check" do you mean squeeze the tire? I don't think I could tell the difference between 118psi and 120psi.
The question is does 2 psi make a difference to you?

For me, if I'm going on a short ride the day after I had pumped the tires, I'll just use the thumb check. Most other times I just pump them up to 120 like I prefer.
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Old 04-17-07, 07:05 PM
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squeeze em before every ride.... pump them up regardless every 2 or 3 rides.

The thing about checking pressure is that my only gauge is on my pump, and it takes a noticeable amount of air to fill the hose. This means that by the time i've checked the pressure, the tires are already a few PSI lower than they would have been otherwise....
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Old 04-17-07, 07:23 PM
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I never "check" my tires, I just automatically pump them before every ride. The thing is, I pump them THE NIGHT BEFORE every ride. This way, if it turns out I have a flat -- or, if in the course of my diligent pumping routine I manage to instigate a flat -- I've still got 8 or 12 hours to hunt around for a new tube or patch or tire and repair it before the ride.
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Old 04-17-07, 07:55 PM
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I pump up the road bike before every ride. For the commuter(s), I pump them up the night before and just give em a squeeze in the morning and after work.
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Old 04-17-07, 07:56 PM
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IME, once per ~48 hours is enough on regular butyl tubes

if you are using regular, non-latex (i.e. butyl), good quality tubes (such as Michelin Ultralight? Vittoria?) and using 700*23C or 700*25C tyres and this is for training and commuting, as opposed to racing, then I pump once in 48 hours. Always check (squeeze) before you ride. On wider tyres such as 700*28C and wider I think you can leave it even longer, I suspect.

IME, I pump them on the night before I ride to ~105psi (7bar) and they are good for next 2 days. If I ride on the third/fourth day then I pump them again but often they feel just as hard on 3rd day so this is more precaution, I feel.

Latex tubes tend to leak air by design so I suggest you avoid them.
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Old 05-24-07, 05:50 AM
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Originally Posted by Bob Ross
The thing is, I pump them THE NIGHT BEFORE every ride. This way, if it turns out I have a flat -- or, if in the course of my diligent pumping routine I manage to instigate a flat -- I've still got 8 or 12 hours to hunt around for a new tube or patch or tire and repair it before the ride.
That's a great idea. I was wondering how often to pump my tires. I would always check the tire first, then pump it up before I go out. But I like your routine, pumping them the night before (or hours before you ride) to ensure there are no leaks.
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Old 05-24-07, 06:17 AM
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When you are climbing that hill and keep looking at your tires thinking "are my tires flat?" They probably need it. lol
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Old 05-24-07, 06:25 AM
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Originally Posted by oboeguy
I give 'em a pump almost every ride. Why ride at sub-optimal pressure unless you're in a huge hurry?

Then again, the higher rolling resistance of an under-inflated tire will slow you down, so it makes sense to pump them up ESPECIALLY if you are in a huge hurry

OP - every couple of days is fine, in your case. I, personally, check before every ride, but that's only because i don't ride every day. Give them a squeeze-if they feel firm, your fine. Air pressure doesn't drop that fast. I say - twice a week.
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Old 05-24-07, 06:28 AM
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I pump mine every 2nd ride if the rides are on consecutive days....Basically I pump every 2nd day. I find that my tires have only lost about 10psi when I go pump them up. I figure that since I weigh only 140lbs, and I start with the tires at 110psi, that I'm ok with them being in the 100psi range.
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Old 05-24-07, 07:27 AM
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Before every ride always have and always will.
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Old 05-24-07, 07:30 AM
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I pump up to pressure twice a week, and never check pressure beyond just pinching.
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Old 05-24-07, 07:34 AM
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is it really that difficult to check your tires before every ride? especially considering the number of incidents that people post here every day, that may have been avoidable if they did a quick check of their bike before the ride...

before every ride + 1000...
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