Tire Pumping Chicken

[hibiscus09]

Everytime I put air in my tires, I worry I'm going to put too much air in the tire. The tire has 110 to 120psi printed on the side, so I figure I should at least be able to pump it up to 100psi. When I use my floor pump to pump air into the tire it really gets harder to pump as I approach 80psi on the needle -- really hard -- and the tire feels really hard by that point, so I just stop. LOL I've had my bike since last summer and have yet to have a flat. I've read that too little air can cause the tire to be pinched and this will cause a flat.

Anyway, I'm just scared to keep pumping. Is it normal for the pump to get that hard to pump as your inflating the tire?

[pedalfaster]

Yep. Tires are actually tested to ~double the amount printed on the sidewall..so pump away. Think of it as your daily UPPER boddy workout. And it helps prevent pinch-flats.

[hibiscus09]

Okie dokie -- if thing blows up and knocks me out, I'm not going to be very happy! LOL

Thanks, pedalfaster!

[JanT]

Well, I'm a mountain biker who recently discovered the roadie life. I've been pumping the roadie tires for about 6 weeks now, and I still don't have the upper body strength to get the tires up to 120. So, I lift the weight off my feet and let my body weight bring the pump handle down. Anybody else cheat like me?!

[pedalfaster]

Yeah I do that too.
I always know when I'm fit (body weight drops) because I reallllly have to jump on the pump to get over 100 psi. Instead of pumping iron we're pumping air

[hibiscus09]

LOL, this is all good to know. I've been lifting weights (pumping iron) for 10 years now and the problem with me has been more of a fear to go at it. I'll go at it now and see what happens.

[spokes]

So, I lift the weight off my feet and let my body weight bring the pump handle down. Anybody else cheat like me?!

i'm 5'1" and my floor pump is a wonky size for me to pump comfortably anyway. i always pump in the morning before i need to leave for work, and it's just faster if i 'cheat'. my tires say 75-100 psi, and i ususally only go to 85 or so, just because i'm lazy-- and even that is a pain (i can't imagine getting to 120!). so yes, i use my body weight to pump it-- sometimes my bountiful body does come in handy!

[admiral finch]

I also cheat when filling air. I have friends who still can't fill a tire using their whole body weight but they love watching me try.

Anyhow, I did want to comment on the question of how full to fill the tire. It's fine to have the pressure at the low end of the recommended spectrum. What I've learned- both from experience and from a racer bud of mine- is that you can actually over fill the pressure by about 5 psi, not that I'd recommend doing this all the time, but if you've got a race or a route that's smooth and you want to go fast, you can get away with it. Tire pressure makes a HUGE difference in the quality of the ride for me, so I try to always keep the tires at their max- 115.

Happy Riding!