Filter
Top Products
20
E. Tires and Tubes
1. Tires
Bi cy cle tires are available in many de signs and
spec i ca tions, ranging from general-purpose designs to tires
de signed to perform best under very spe ci c weather or
terrain con di tions. If, once you’ve gained ex pe ri ence with
your new bike, you feel that a different tire might better suit
your riding needs, your dealer can help you select the most
ap pro pri ate design.
The size, pressure rating, and on some high-per for mance
tires the specific rec om mend ed use, are marked on the
side wall of the tire (see g. 16). The part of this in for ma tion
which is most important to you is Tire Pressure.
!
WARNING: Never in ate a tire beyond the maximum
pressure marked on the tire’s sidewall. Exceeding the
recommended max i mum pressure may blow the tire off the
rim, which could cause damage to the bike and injury to the
rider and bystanders.
The best and safest way to in ate
a bicycle tire to the correct pressure
is with a bicycle pump which has a
built-in pressure gauge.
!
WARNING: There is a safety risk
in using gas station air hoses or other
air com pres sors. They are not made
for bicycle tires. They move a large
volume of air very rap id ly, and will
raise the pressure in your tire very
rapidly, which could cause the tube
to explode.
Tire pressure is given either as maximum pressure or as a
pressure range. How a tire performs under different terrain or
weather con di tions depends largely on tire pres sure. In ating
the tire to near its max i mum rec om mend ed pressure gives the
lowest rolling resistance; but also produces the harshest ride.
High pressures work best on smooth, dry pavement.
Very low pressures, at the bottom of the rec om mend ed
pressure range, give the best performance on smooth, slick
terrain such as hard-packed clay, and on deep, loose surfaces
such as deep, dry sand.
Tire pressure that is too low for your weight and the riding
con di tions can cause a puncture of the tube by allowing the
tire to deform suf ciently to pinch the inner tube between the
rim and the riding surface, or damage the wheel rim, making
the wheel unsafe.
!
CAUTION: Pencil type automotive tire gauges can be
inaccurate and should not be relied upon for consistent,
accurate pressure readings. Instead, use a high quality
dial gauge.
Ask your dealer to recommend the best tire pressure for
the kind of riding you will most often do, and have the dealer
in ate your tires to that pressure. Then, check in ation as
described in Section 1.C so you’ll know how correctly in ated
tires should look and feel. Some tires may need to be brought
up to pressure every week or two.
Some special high-performance tires have uni di rec tion al
treads: their tread pattern is de signed to work better in
one direction than in the other. The sidewall marking of a
uni di rec tion al tire will have an arrow show ing the correct
rotation direction. If your bike has uni di rec tion al tires, be sure
that they are mounted to rotate in the correct direction.