Question about my new bike, rear tire
 

Hello,
As i posted earlier, i got my bike today. Well, after dinner tonight, i wanted to go riding, but felt the tires first. The front is fine, but the rear tire is a lot lower. I can easily squeeze the tire. I sat on it and it looked real flat. There is still air in it, but looks to low to ride.

The tires say 41-55 psi. It was filled to 55 when i left the LBS. My question is, are these tires good enough to hold my weight? Is the tire pressure low just because i rode it? Am i going to have to air it up every morning, and again after i ride 6 miles?

My weight was my concern when buying this bike, but i was assured it would be no problem. The Trek navigator was the same price, i considered that bike since the tires were wider.

I am excited to have this bike, but now feel upset. Your advice, is it just the tire, or me? Thanks.

It is a Trek 7100, 700cc tires. No, do not have a pressure guage or pump yet.

Sorry, i weigh 256 pounds, 6 foot.

Tires will leak off over night. You should always air up your tires before each ride. I usually put max pressure in my tires.

You have a leak in the tube.
Get a floor pump with a guage and a another tube.

All bicycle tires lose some air over time, even just sitting, a 55PSI tire, should lose maximum around 2lbs a day or so, some of the 120PSI road tires can lose as much as 10PSI per day. Much more then these numbers and you should check for a leak, it's often chance, one person will get a flat the first ride, someone else rides 5 times a week for 5 years without getting a flat. Since the bike is new, you should probably go back to the shop if you think it's leaking, get them to check it out.

If you can pick up a floor pump with a gauge, that's a start, at some point you will also need a spare tube, a set of tire levers, a bicycle attached pump and a glue on patch kit. I prefer bicycle attached pumps for on road use, you can't forget it, if it's attached to the bicycle. I carry a spare tube, then just swap tubes if I get a flat, then patch it at home.

I inflate my tires to proper pressure before every ride. Some loss over night is expected but if for some reason my 120 psi tires are down to 80 the next tday, I know there is a problem before I go down a mountain road at 40 mph.

Next, the tires on lower end bikes are usually not the best tool for the job. I myslef don't like Bontrager tires. I replace them before the first ride. I've tried the stock "road" tires and they cut very easily. If I were you, I'd get some Specialized (Turbo?)tires with maybe 80 psi rating. I've used them and they are a solid tire at your weight.

Seeing that the pressure is low on your tire, take that as a sign that there is something wrong. Could be something like the rim tape shifted exposing the nipples to the tube setting you up for a big fall on a fast downhill. Take heed, could be a small leak now just wating to split open at the wrong time;).

Get good rim tape (Velox, the surgical type cloth tape works great), don't go cheap or you may pay in the longrun.

GET A PUMP! CARRY A PUMP ON THE BIKE OR YOU'RE GOING TO GET STRANDED.:D

my trek 7300 tires run at 80 psi. Yours are the same size 700c X 35as mine. Seems odd. You'll need a pressure guage and a pump I check my before most rides. I don't think this is you but maybe you picked up a nail or something. Could be the tire/tube was bad. Take the bike back and have the LBS look at it.He should swallow a tube. He should allow you to upgrade to a hardcase tire like mine. Estimated cost $30 trade for both.
Go to Walmart for the pump/guage.

If you check, or have your tubes checked, and it is fine. Then you can pick up some of the thicker tubes that are said to not leak as much air. I believe that Bell makes them, I have seen some at Wal Mart. I bought them for all of the bikes in our house(3) when I ran across them on a clearance sale. I weigh 400 lbs and have had good luck with them. I also run my tires at 65-70 psi. I mainly ride roads but I sometimes end up in some ruff areas with the traffic here (live in a University town). I have a Trek 4500 MTB that I snapped the chain on about 30 miles into it destroying my dropout and rear derailer. Other than that issue which was taken care of by Shimano and my LBS(whom replaced the stock chain with a heavy duty one). I have been blissfully riding whenever I can.

Sounds like a pretty slow leak. A couple weeks ago, my rear tire was losing about 10 psi each night. I was able to pump it up before I left, and get around, but after doing this twice, I replaced the tube. No one wants to get stuck, even if it "only" means changing a tube on the side of the road in 40 degree rain.

Inner tubes and tires will have no trouble holding your weight. But you should pump them up at least twice a week, and ideally more often than that, which is where the floor pump comes in.

Also, it's wise to have a spare when you ride.

Not sure I understand the sequence of events. You seem to be saying that you got your bike on Day 1 and wanted to ride it the evening of Day 1 (i.e., you had never ridden it before) but checked the tire pressure first and found it to be low. But then you ask whether the pressure was low because you rode it.

If you truly did not ride the bike before you found the low pressure, a leak seems unlikely, although you could have rolled over something getting the bike home.

^^ This. (As all the hip young internet kids like to say.)

Hi Jethro,
You are correct about the tire psi, i was going by what the LBS told me, on the tire it does say 60-80. I did buy a floor pump this morning, got back home, aired up the tire and went to the LBS. The owner stated the tubes that come with new bikes are bad, cheap factory tubes. He put in a new tube for me, which i had to swallow by the way. I also bought an extra one too. He only carries Bontrager tubes. This one says thorn resistant, we will see.

When i asked him about hard case tires, he about took my head off! He does not carry them or believe in them in any way, shape or form, and that i would be a fool to get them. All in a loud voice. Wow. Excuse me for asking.

I could not find any 700X35c tubes in walmart, or another store. But found out today that i can get anything 27X1 3/8-1 1/2. Does that sound correct? Thanks.

I rode the bike home from the LBS on day 1, it was filled with air before i left. Later on, i went to go for a ride and the tire was half flat. Morning of day 2, today, it was all the way flat. Thanks.

Find another shop, this guy is full of it. Stock Bontrager tires are junk, upgrading the tires solves the problem. Thorn resistant tubes don't. It's better to have good tires and regular tubes.

Like others mention some air loss is expected and nothing to worry about. However the air loss you experience seems excessive. I think the new tube should help a lot. Also check the rim and the tape to see if there are any problems.

Since you have an air pump with gauge check your tires every now and then and fill them when necessary.

I think the LBS's stupidity of only putting 55 psi of air in the tire ruined the tube. I too wouldn't buy bontrager tires as a replacement. I thought he would allow you to upgrade to what is stock on my 7300. Find the correct size tube. My Walmart has these your's must just be out of stock. 27" tires are from the eighties and earlier. Mr Beanz is a better source for replacement tires when the time comes.

At your weight you really need to fill those tires right to the 80 psi max if not a little bit more like 85. And generally a quick top off on them before each ride doesn't hurt. Ride the stock tires for a bit and see if you have issues and learn the basics. As others said, flats happen, sometimes you go months between them, other times they seem to happen daily! Good luck, enjoy your bike!

Hi MR. Beanz. Can you please advise me on what tires/ namebrand i can upgrade to? Would these be regular tires, or the hard case ones? Thanks!

I posted somewhere above that I like the Specilaized turbo model, worked well for me. Lots of good stuff out there. Continental as well.

But like any tire, there is the low end flat every five mile sell the bike out the door model and the better in reality models. As a rule, IMO, anything under $25'ish is going to be junk. :(

Maybe others wil chime in with favorites. But the Hardcase, Specialized Armadillo, Continetal Gatorskins (not my favorites, I've had bad luck).

Now I actually have good luck with Serfas brand tires from REI at about $24 each. Maybe $30 at a bike shop.

personally armadillos are great at preventing flats but ride like **** because they are so thick and heavy. I'm also about 250 lbs and i ride on 25c gatorskins and I think they are great. the ride is very supple and they can handle higher pressures that us heavy riders need. some lower end tires pressure ratings aren't high enough to allow us big guys to ride on them without risking pinch flats.

I agree with mr. beanz that in most cases stock tires are garbage but it's not always the case. when it comes to clydes, a lot of the time it has to do with whether or not the tires can take enough air to support our weight without pinch flatting and still be comfortable.

why are caught up in gettnig "hardcase" tires, what kind of road conditions do you ride on? in my experience the larger the tire I'm riding on, the less likely i am to get flats. my road bike has 25c tires and flats were a big problem so i went with the gatorskins. when i built up a commuter I found I can use less expensive "regular tires" without flat issues in 35c simply because they are much larger and I typically don't have to totally max out or exceed the max pressure rating on them.

Hello, thanks for your reply. I am new to cycling and still learning. With all the replies, i have learned that the stock tires and tubes on my new bike are not great, as i got a flat 2 hours after leaving the LBS. Was advised on getting better tires rather than better tubes. Which, would lead to fewer flats.

You asked about why hard case tires for me, again, i have read that they will prevent flats, hence, better tire than the stock ones. Like i said, i am new and now that i finally have my bike, i have a lot of questions lol! just looking for advice from experienced people on what to do. I know my bike is an entry level bike, but i am an entry level person right now. Going from couch potato to exercising.

I have asked the owner at my LBS over and over, is the bike i am getting will hold up to my weight, he assured me yes, as others here have confirmed here. I thought of getting the Navigator since the tires were wider, but want the 7100 as it should go faster as i am doing this to lose weight.

I am at the mercy of all here for the advice i need. I greatly appreciate all that have replied with advice, and encouragement. I am simply looking to find what is best for me and my bike. Thanks!

Moto, forgot to say, i will be mainly riding on street. Forgot to answer your question in my reply.

Again, it is all about training! ;) I rode a 25 Armadillo all through 09, 5000 miles without a single flat.

Yes, the Dillo does seem a little heavy but it does not ride like ****. I was tarining for a big ride that year, I did thousand and thousands of feet climbing through the mountains on the tire. Never once did I have to worry about a flat. This included 42 mph descents, winding twisty turns at high speeds, rock, weeds, 100 degree temps, whatever the road through at me. :thumb:

I had a training partner that insisted I use lighter racing tires like his and his high end superlight race machine. I outweighed the guy by a good 40-50 lbs and never once did he come close to keeping up on a climb, descent or the flats. So you wouldn't want to use the tire in a race but it does not ride like ****.


Funny thing is I had to lend him my frame pump to conserve on his liteweight CO2 cartridges everytime he flatted on his sweet riding race tires.:p

IMO, it's like the Deep V. I've had a heard of riders tell me they are too heavy for climbing and how much lighter wheels accelerate/ climb blah blah blah, but they've never slowed me down after some training.

we can agree to disagree on this one, I don't hate armadillos, I would ride them over several other tires, however, in my opinion the gatorskins are equally flat resistant, 250 grams lighter and the same price as armadillos with what feels to me like a softer ride. you may find that they feel different.

Armadillos will certainly last long, they are so meaty and they probably are more flat resistant than gatorskins, i've taken some huge chunks of glass out of them that gouged the tire but didn't penetrate through but i've also never flatted on my gators either.

OP, your initial flat was probably caused by not enough pressure. i believe you said you had it pumped up to 55psi when you left the store, that was DEFINATELY, not enough pressure for you.

Mr. Beanz,
I have 2 deep v's sitting in front of me, waiting on spokes to arrive today. lacing them up to a couple of tiagra hubs. looking forward to having a nice solid set of wheels underneath me.
I'm considering velocity chukkers (essentially a 24mm wide version of the deep v) on my touring/commuter bike.

I think the thread kinda got bogged down into what two very dedicated cyclist prefer in tires.That's what's great about bicycling. There are so many choices. That is also somewhat daunting to us newbies. It's the LBS's fault that you had problems. Not the tires. The bike is solid and will hold your weight. The tires are not the best but they aren't the worst either.They'll take more care than more expensive tires. They won't be as fast as some either.That's why most tires are more expensive. Maybe it's a good thing you had this opportunity to learn about tires this early. You found the problem at home not 10 miles away. Got the problem fixed. Learned what your lbs is like after he got your money. Aren't I just a little ray of sunshine.Get some miles ~ 50-100 on the bike. Get your free tuneup. Feed the obsession.