jharvey1309

Here is a newbie question for you guys, lets hope I don't get flamed for it. I have had my bike for about a month now and I find that every week I need to top up my tires with air. I usually put around 110PSI in them and by the end of the week they are down to about 60-70psi.

Is this odd or normal?

Thanks in advance.

SDRider

Yes, that's completely normal.

You should top them up prior to every ride IMO.

Buy a decent floor pump with a gauge.

Properly inflated tires is your best defence against flats.

jharvey1309

I've got the floor pump I guess I just need to use it more

I appreciate the help, thank you.

grahny

+1 to what SDRider said... all tubes will lose air over time. Check them before every ride.

LowCel 

I agree completely, I pump my tires up prior to every ride.

hoodooguru

Pumping up is a pre-ride ritual.

curiouskid55

Good thing to include a few more deatils in your pre-ride routine. Check tires for proper inflation. Check tires for cuts and wear. Check brakes for wear and operation. Make sure both wheels are freewheeling.

AndrewP

Only need to do it before the first ride of the day. The pressure will probably keep up enough for 2 or 3 days, but when you get up in the morning you dont want to be bother recalling whether it was yesterday or the day before that you did your tires.

straightballin

I've heard tires can lose 10-20% of air per day;a well inflated tire protects against pinch flats.it's alot easier to top up daily than it is to replace a tube.

mustang1

I used to top up before every ride (to 120psi) but since getting my Krylions (max 116psi) I top them up twice a week. I know they lose air but things are just so comfortable when there's less air.

Homebrew01

What kind of tubes do you guys use ?? My tires are good for at least a couple of weeks. I can't see actually pumping them up every day. I give them the squeeze test before I ride. I have calibrated fingers, so I only pump them up when they start to get low - or if I'm going on a group ride and need all the help I can get.

indygreg

If you checked your pressures with a gauge you would see they are losing air every day. Squeeze test is about as accurate as looking to see 'flat or not'.

More power to you, but IMHO you are really giving yourself better chances for a flat if you hit a bump or hole. And more risk to your rims from the same. If you are going weeks, you are probably riding at like 60psi or less. I would assume the daily loss slows down as pressure gets lower . . . as in if you are at 120 day 1, you might lose 10psi a day for a few days, then 5 then less. But that is just a guess.

LowCel 

I run all different tubes and tires. From $2.00 tubes ot $15.00 tubes. They all lose air daily.

recursive

I think your amazing tube performance lies in your definition of "good".

By the way, how did you calibrate your fingers? What kind of accuracy can those babies do?

Homebrew01

Yes, they lose a tiny bit of air everyday. I pumped them up about a week ago, just went and gave them a squeeze and they felt a bit low. Put the pump on and it said 80 psi. So, I pumped it up. I wouldn't want to run lower than that, but it seems a bit anal to pump them up every day. If it goes down a few psi each day, I'm fine with that.... especially if I'm riding by myself.

indygreg

Homebrew, I think you misunderstand the pros and cons of proper (read high) tire inflation. It is not just about going fast. Running 80psi on a typical road tire makes them much more likely to pinch flat. This is when you hit a sharp bump or hole in the road and the impact goes all the way to the rim (in slow mo, you would see the tire totally goes flat in that area). This often will pop your tube, usually with 2 little slits where it was pinched against the rim. Proper inflation is the best way to fight this. This is bad for two reasons, 1 you have a flat and 2 you are more likely to damage your rim than if you hit the same bump with a properly inflated tire.

Again, to each their own, it just sounds like you think the only reason people are anal about their pressure is speed and that is not the case.

Adgooroo

OP - I want the right pressure in my tires for every ride. That would mean putting the gauge on them - but that always results in a bit of pressure loss - so I put the floor pump on instead, and pump (w/built-in gauge) until they're right where I want them. I do this before virtually every ride - possible exception are the occasions where I get out before work and at lunch on the same day.

VT to CA

Yeah, all tubes lose air... it's not a tube quality thing either. I run Deda tubes (the blues), and they are beautiful tubes- the ride is fantastic, the build quality is second to none. Great puncture protection too. At the start of a ride I inflate them to 130. The next day, they're right around 70-80...

San Rensho 

Every week? I air the tires every time I ride, even if I rode the day before.