NYC and bike tire pressure

[Cori]

Due to the road conditions in NYC do I want my tires at full pressure, or do I need to have them
slightly mushier. (It's a road bike) Thanks, Cori

 

[Paul Southworth]

In article <[email protected]>, Cori <[email protected]> wrote:
>Due to the road conditions in NYC do I want my tires at full pressure, or do I need to have them
>slightly mushier. (It's a road bike)

Depends on tire size and your weight. You can run lower pressure if you have more air volume. If
your tires are small then they need to be inflated a lot harder. Basically you will get more
comfortable ride and better pot-hole protection by using the biggest possible tire. You'll need to
figure out how big you can go on your bike - clearance varies considerably among road bikes, most
cannot handle anything over 700x28 and many can barely clear a 700x25.

--Paul

 

[Cori]

> Depends on tire size and your weight. You can run lower pressure if you have more air volume. If
> your tires are small then they need to be inflated a lot harder. Basically you will get more
> comfortable ride and better pot-hole protection by using the biggest possible tire. You'll need to
> figure out how big you can go on your bike - clearance varies considerably among road bikes, most
> cannot handle anything over 700x28 and many can barely clear a 700x25.
>
> --Paul
>

My tires are 700 x 26.

Cori

 

[Pete Hickey]

In article <[email protected]>, Cori <[email protected]> wrote:
>Due to the road conditions in NYC do I want my tires at full pressure, or do I need to have them
>slightly mushier. (It's a road bike)

I would (and do when riding in New York) pump them up to the limit. It may give a slightly rougher
ride, but it will lessen the chance of a snakebite from a pothole.

--
--
LITTLE KNOWN FACT: Did you know that 90% of North Americans cannot taste the difference between
fried dog and fried cat?

 

[Mike Kruger]

"Paul Southworth" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:bowsa.34908$A%[email protected]...
> In article <[email protected]>, Cori <[email protected]>
wrote:
> >Due to the road conditions in NYC do I want my tires at full pressure, or do I need to have them
> >slightly mushier. (It's a road bike)
>
> Depends on tire size and your weight. You can run lower pressure if you have more air volume. If
> your tires are small then they need to be inflated a lot harder. Basically you will get more
> comfortable ride and better pot-hole protection by using the biggest possible tire. You'll need to
> figure out how big you can go on your bike - clearance varies considerably among road bikes, most
> cannot handle anything over 700x28 and many can barely clear a 700x25.
>
Good advice. Also, running tires below recommended pressure will give you more "snakebite" flats.
These occur when you hit an obstacle (e.g. a small pothole) and the obstacle pushes the tube into
the rim, causing two little holes on the inside of the tube where the rim cuts into the tube. Note
that things like "slime tubes" don't work against this type of hole -- and don't claim to -- because
the hole is on the inside of the tube.