Tire Pressure measurement-Presta Valve

[E & V Willson]

How do you measure the pressure in tires with tubes that have presta valves. Are special (portable
i.e. pencil type) gauges available, or is it just done with the gauges on pumps?

TIA, Ernie

 

[Ken]

E & V Willson <[email protected]> wrote in news:[email protected]:
> How do you measure the pressure in tires with tubes that have presta valves. Are special (portable
> i.e. pencil type) gauges available, or is it just done with the gauges on pumps?

Hand guages are available, but I don't know anyone that takes them on bike rides. Everyone I know
either counts pump strokes or just pumps up the tire until it feels hard enough.

 

[Michael Dart]

"E & V Willson" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> How do you measure the pressure in tires with tubes that have presta valves. Are special (portable
> i.e. pencil type) gauges available, or is it just done with the gauges on pumps?
>
> TIA, Ernie
>

Accu-gauge makes a presta compatible dial gauge that is great.

Mike

 

[Jobst Brandt]

Ernie Willson writes:

> How do you measure the pressure in tires with tubes that have Presta valves. Are special (portable
> i.e. pencil type) gauges available, or is it just done with the gauges on pumps?

Tire pressure is not a parameter that needs to be more accurate than 5% or so. Learn to feel what
your tire feels like when you reach your preferred pressure with your pump with a gauge. The high
pressures often mentioned here in this newsgroup are too high and unsafe if you plan to descend any
steep hills that require a lot of braking. 140psi is about the blow-off pressure, tire size having
no effect on the separation pressure from any given rim.

Tiny cross section tires have no benefit anyway, they having more RR than fatter tires with the same
tread thickness. That is the difference between the Avocet Criterium and TT tire that are otherwise
identical.

Jobst Brandt [email protected] Palo Alto CA

 

[Openworld]

Tyre pressure is as important as you want it to be. Knowing how your bike handles at set pressures
is great for us techies. Cheap option-presta-schraeder adapter £2 from all chain stores- 50pence
from your local shop. This is also handy when you forget your pump and have to borrow from a
mountain biker. <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Ernie Willson writes:
>
> > How do you measure the pressure in tires with tubes that have Presta valves. Are special
> > (portable i.e. pencil type) gauges available, or is it just done with the gauges on pumps?
>
> Tire pressure is not a parameter that needs to be more accurate than 5% or so. Learn to feel what
> your tire feels like when you reach your preferred pressure with your pump with a gauge. The high
> pressures often mentioned here in this newsgroup are too high and unsafe if you plan to descend
> any steep hills that require a lot of braking. 140psi is about the blow-off pressure, tire size
> having no effect on the separation pressure from any given rim.
>
> Tiny cross section tires have no benefit anyway, they having more RR than fatter tires with the
> same tread thickness. That is the difference between the Avocet Criterium and TT tire that are
> otherwise identical.
>
> Jobst Brandt [email protected] Palo Alto CA

 

[Kbh]

Accugage works well (on sale at Cambria Bike) . I mostly use it to check pressure to see if I need
to add any air before a ride, not so much to dial in an exact pressure.

"E & V Willson" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> How do you measure the pressure in tires with tubes that have presta valves. Are special (portable
> i.e. pencil type) gauges available, or is it just done with the gauges on pumps?
>
> TIA, Ernie

 

[A. Birko]

What about in terms of aero advantage? I've read (don't remember where) that if the tire is wider
than the rim you get worse aero performance. I was planning on setting up my TT bike with a 20mm
front and 23mm rear for better aero up front and better rolling in the rear. Thoughts?

-Andy Birko

<[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Ernie Willson writes:
>
>
> Tiny cross section tires have no benefit anyway, they having more RR than fatter tires with the
> same tread thickness. That is the difference between the Avocet Criterium and TT tire that are
> otherwise identical.
>
> Jobst Brandt [email protected] Palo Alto CA

 

[Jobst Brandt]

Anady Birko writes:

>> Tiny cross section tires have no benefit anyway, they having more RR than fatter tires with the
>> same tread thickness. That is the difference between the Avocet Criterium and TT tire that are
>> otherwise identical.

> What about in terms of aero advantage? I've read (don't remember where) that if the tire is wider
> than the rim you get worse aero performance. I was planning on setting up my TT bike with a 20mm
> front and 23mm rear for better aero up front and better rolling in the rear.

If you are concerned about such microscopic differences you must be preparing for some world record.
Aerodynamics of tires fall far behind wearing a jersey that is not skin tight knit-wear. I think
your effort is misplaced. What is your current best time for a 25TT?

Jobst Brandt [email protected] Palo Alto CA

 

[David Damerell]

Openworld <[email protected]> wrote: [In response to Jobst]
>Tyre pressure is as important as you want it to be. Knowing how your bike handles at set pressures
>is great for us techies.

"Techies" as opposed to Mr. Brandt, who as we know is perpetually mystified by the technical aspects
of bike operation?

You've managed JB and Sheldon - try telling Chalo Cholina something about bikes for big blokes to
collect the whole set?
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Distortion Field!

 

[Per ElmsäTer]

E & V Willson wrote:
> How do you measure the pressure in tires with tubes that have presta valves. Are special (portable
> i.e. pencil type) gauges available, or is it just done with the gauges on pumps?
>
> TIA, Ernie

The spare tubes I buy come with a little gizmo that I can just place over a presta valve. A rod will
shoot out and you can read off the pressure fairly accurate. You can definitely see if it's 8.0 or
8.5 bar for instance.

--
Perre

You have to be smarter than a robot to reply.

 

[A. Birko]

So, in your snide remark and "clever" misspelling of my name, were you just doing the typical usenet
dork thing a flaming a stranger because you can, or just trying to inflate your ego? Well I guess it
really doesn't matter.

The reason I asked is because I don't know the answer, hence the question mark at the end of my
first sentence.

In fact, I'm training for something far more important than a world record, I'm preparing for a
personal best in a 40k (I'd like to do a sub 60min). At the moment, I think I'm going to fall around
2 to 3 minutes short (need around 40 more watts) and am looking for as much [cheep] aero advantage
to make up the difference.

I'm going to assume by "microscopic" you're trying to say that the difference between a 20mm and
23mm tire is not measurable physiologically and possibly analytically. Is this what you're
trying to say?

Regards

-Andy Birko

p.s. what's your best 40k TT time?

<[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> Anady Birko writes:
>
> > What about in terms of aero advantage? I've read (don't remember where) that if the tire is
> > wider than the rim you get worse aero performance. I was planning on setting up my TT bike with
> > a 20mm front and 23mm rear for better aero up front and better rolling in the rear.
>
> If you are concerned about such microscopic differences you must be preparing for some world
> record. Aerodynamics of tires fall far behind wearing a jersey that is not skin tight knit-wear. I
> think your effort is misplaced. What is your current best time for a 25TT?
>
> Jobst Brandt [email protected] Palo Alto CA