Bigbandito

So I've been riding my Fuji Cross for the last few months (all on road) and having a great time. I've worked my way up to doing an 11 mile loop each of the past three weekends.

Tonight I thought I'd go out for a short ride around the neighborhood, so I pumped up the tires and took off. As I left, I looked down at my back tire (for the first time ever) and noticed it looked flat. Went home and checked the pressure and everything looked good.

The ride went fine, but I noticed a little tendency for the bike to slide around in back. This has probably been the case on every ride, but I just noticed it because I was worried about the back tire.

The bike wears Kenda 700 x 35 tires with a maximum recommended pressure of 85 lbs. I'm 6'6" and weigh 375. Is this tire going to blow out and put me in the ditch? Can I put more air in than the max. psi? If so, how much?

ursle

The sidewall maximum pressure is half the pressure required to blow the tire

You might get a bit of a larger tire for the rear and of a higher quality (threads per inch) but keep on keep'in on

starkmojo

We are all riding on borrowed time brother- in the long run mortality is always 100%. So ride hard, laugh long and dont drink crappy beer.

Maybe 100PSI would help too.

donalson

https://www.dorkypantsr.us/bike-tire-...alculator.html

while not perfect this is a good baseline to start off with... but it does look like you need a bit more pressure or more volume (aka bigger tire)

c_m_shooter

Very well put.

Bill Kapaun

Just for grins, you might check something else- SPOKES.
Grab adjacent pairs and squeeze together. Look for obviously loose ones.
The DS spokes WILL be tighter than the NDS.
Then you can do a "pluck" test to see if the tone sounds similar between spokes on each side.

Your spokes may have loosened up giving you additional "squirreliness".

It appears you have a 32 spoke wheel. At your weight, 36 would be MUCH better.

starkmojo

Oh yes- and congratulations on getting out there and riding! The more you do it, the easier it is to do more!

Bigbandito

Thanks for your thoughts, ideas, and encouragement. Lots for me to think about and check. I think I'll see how 100psi works.

So no one gets out alive, eh? No matter how far we ride?

starkmojo

Nor how fast, far or hard. The point is to have fun on the ride....

Bigbandito

i (almost) always do. Thanks.

bengreen79

Was it hot out? Once in a while I'll hit a tar seam on the road I notice that squirmy feeling.

Bigbandito

90 degrees and about 98% humidity. I'm not sure about the tar seams, but I was sure melting.

donalson

good point... I had a lower end 28c tire on my first road bike that I thought was a bit squirmy... it was actually that a few spokes where pretty loose

Chitown_Mike

You must not ride in big city traffic, you can always out ride death there!

stevel610 

When it's time to replace the rear you might want to go with a tougher tire if most of your riding is on the road.

Bigbandito

How do I identify "tougher" tires? Do they have durability ratings like auto tires?

stevel610 

Look here at the Schwalbe site. It's a good start. Others will chime in I'm sure. Google Fu is your friend.

volosong

Just to touch on something that nobody has mentioned yet, (and this is only my opinion)... unless you are doing a high speed descent going around a curve, a rear flat will rarely put you in a ditch. You'll usually slow down pretty quickly and might hear your bare rim on the pavement. If you avoid turns, especially sharp ones, you'll usually be able to stop without endangering yourself.

starkmojo

Just biked in Berkley CA this morning.... You aren't out running death, merely delaying the inevitable. Death don't have no mercy in this land the man said, and he wasn't lying.

Black wallnut 

^^^^^ Great point and along those same lines is to always put the best tire on the front as a front tire flat at the wrong time can wreck you.

stevel610 

Here's a primer on tires from Sheldon Brown (and the rest of the site has everything else you want to know about bicycles).

IAMAMRA

Ride the same tire as you,started at 440ish and down to 295(as of today), mine have always been the same way in the back. I over-pump mine up to about 100psi.