[Turtle Chaser]

Hello and great to be back with you folks ! Tire pressure has been discussed before but as a safety concern I don't mind relating my recent experience. I ride a 70 mile round trip to school once a week. About 20% twisties and 70% flat out freeway on the very windy Humboldt County coast. Last two trips I noticed the normally rock steady Tdub was getting blown all over the place and just felt dad-gum twitchy! I had 18psi in the rear and 20 in the front, should be ok I thought ? My steering head bearings seemed tight enough, so I figured it must be my worn out Bridgestone front tire. It was a great excuse to the wife for me to get a new Kenda k270, heh heh (see pic). This morning I decided to pump the old tire up to 22psi to see if that would help to avoid a possible high speed tank slapper. Holy cow, a mere 2 pound increase and I've got like a new bike! That old worn out Bridgestone (7500miles) is tracking like the monorail at Disneyland. The moral of the story, go ahead buy new tires but keep them properly inflated.

 

[Rainman]

Right on. Good advice.

 

[Rohnsman]

I've always been curious why the "normal" tire pressure for the TW (in the 18-20 psi range) seems so low. Car tires typically run around 32 psi, bike tires much higher than that. You indicated you are getting a good ride at 22 psi. How does the bike handle with TOO much air in the tires? (And how does one determine what is -just right- ?)

 

[Turtle Chaser]

Truelight, thank you for helping me with pictures and Picasa. RE: tire pressure, I was wondering as well what is the upper limit on tire psi. If I do not have my new k270 mounted I will try 24psi on my next outing and give a report on the worn out Bridgestone. I ride mostly pavement with gravel roads mixed in. The worst spots are always the transition zone where loose gravel is on top of the pavement. I think it is great to experiment with different air pressures to see what works best for you. Just beware small changes in front tire pressure can make huge changes in handling.

 

[Rohnsman]

I was interested to see you hailed from Humboldt Conty. I am a '76 HSU graduate - BA in Journalism. I always loved the northcoast and would oove to get back there again one day.



Glad I could help you with the pix. Did you wind up using Picasa?

 

[srs713]

I've always been curious why the "normal" tire pressure for the TW (in the 18-20 psi range) seems so low. Car tires typically run around 32 psi, bike tires much higher than that. You indicated you are getting a good ride at 22 psi. How does the bike handle with TOO much air in the tires? (And how does one determine what is -just right- ?)

The normal pressure range printed on the sticker on my bikes fender is for the bikes intended use as a dual sport. It is a compromise between off & on road pressures.



I think the best thing would be to have a good pump along so you can lower pressure for dirt, gravel, & other off road, and then pump it up to near the tires max rated for the ride home on pavement.



My bikes ride really improves on the road when I set it at around 30~32 psi. But that is way too stiff for even the unpaved alleys around town, let alone the dirt roads some of my friends live on.



When I went to the State Fair last year (Wichita to Hutchinson, approx. 50 miles of highway) I pumped up the tires before leaving town, dropped pressure once I got into town (dirt roads & parking lot around the fairgrounds), then stopped at a station & pumped them up for the ride home.

 

[Adam-n-nevada]

I agree you the above...



I'm happy with 25-28 psi in the rear and 22-30psi in the front, for street.

Off road I enjoy 12-15 psi in the rear and 12-14 in the front. I always carry my little mountain bike hand pump to refill as well.



For the rear, it takes nearly 300 pumps...for the front, it's about 150

 

[surly357]

I agree you the above...



I'm happy with 25-28 psi in the rear and 22-30psi in the front, for street.

Off road I enjoy 12-15 psi in the rear and 12-14 in the front. I always carry my little mountain bike hand pump to refill as well.



For the rear, it takes nearly 300 pumps...for the front, it's about 150

Any relation?