klingon's Blog

Bumped into MarkW at the Avondale shops yesterday. Was a perfect day for a long ride, but both of us were just running errands.

I asked Mark to remind me how to determine the optimum tyre pressure for my bike. Here's the formula (so I always know where to find it):

• Fill tyres up when cold
• Go for a long ride to warm tyres (at least 20 - 30 mins at motorway speeds)
• Re-check the pressure when the tyres are hot (using the same gauge)
• The difference should be between 2 & 4 lbs

If the difference between hot & cold is more than 4 lbs, you should increase the pressure.

If the difference is less than 2 lbs, you should decrease the pressure.

As Mark explained, an under-inflated tyre flexes more and it's the flexing that generates the heat. Perfectly logical when you think about it.