How hard should my tires be?
This might seem like a silly question to seasoned cyclists, but I am a relative neophyte when it comes to the subject of properly inflating a bicycle tube.
I checked the recommendation on my bicycle tire and noted that it said to inflate to 60 - 85 psi. When attempting to inflate the tire using a no-name bicycle pump that I purchased from Target for $12.00, I can't get much more than 65 psi before it becomes difficult to push down on the pump.
I would chalk this up to a cheap pump, but my tires feel quite stiff. I've measured the pressure with one of those Schrader valve gauges that you would use for your automobile and it reads close to 65. The gauge goes up to 100 psi.
Considering that the gauge reads 65 psi, the tire feels stiff, and the pump is difficult to operate, should I continue to inflate the tire if I can manage the pump? Or, should I just purchase a better pump with a built-in gauge and be done with it?
Thank you for the advice.