Tyre pressure query

chewed

Hi, looking for some advice here as I'm a complete novice. I have a decent mountain bike and am starting to use it again after a few years for road cycling on the weekends. I cleaned the bike up and got 2 new tubes.

I'm not sure what the PSI markings mean on the tyre and also how much air I should be putting into the tyres.

On the tyre it has 2.5 to 4.5 Bar. But I don't know what that means on the pump I'm using. So, I pumped the back tyre and it felt very pumped up, but the gauge on the pump only seemed to go to 1.5. Should I continue pumping until it gets to 2.5?

hesker

chewed wrote: »

Hi, looking for some advice here as I'm a complete novice. I have a decent mountain bike and am starting to use it again after a few years for road cycling on the weekends. I cleaned the bike up and got 2 new tubes.

I'm not sure what the PSI markings mean on the tyre and also how much air I should be putting into the tyres.

On the tyre it has 2.5 to 4.5 Bar. But I don't know what that means on the pump I'm using. So, I pumped the back tyre and it felt very pumped up, but the gauge on the pump only seemed to go to 1.5. Should I continue pumping until it gets to 2.5?

Check with another pump and gauge. I’d say that gauge is knackered if as you say tyres feel very pumped up.

chewed

hesker wrote: »

Check with another pump and gauge. I’d say that gauge is knackered if as you say tyres feel very pumped up.

It's a brand new pump because the older one I had gave a similar gauge, so wasn't sure it was working! I'll double check the older pump again to make sure.

CramCycle

It may feel pumped up and not really be that great if your hand grip strength is not great. For road riding on those tyres, you would want it upto 65psi(inner)/4.5bar(outer number on the pump). For off road, I would go for 45psi but alot of people would go far lower.

Borrow someone elses pump to double check your own, and make sure you have it attached properly so it reads the pressure correctly.

chewed

CramCycle wrote: »

It may feel pumped up and not really be that great if your hand grip strength is not great. For road riding on those tyres, you would want it upto 65psi(inner)/4.5bar(outer number on the pump). For off road, I would go for 45psi but alot of people would go far lower.

Borrow someone elses pump to double check your own, and make sure you have it attached properly so it reads the pressure correctly.

Cheers! I'll do that and make sure pump is reading correctly. I just didn't want to over pump it.

topnotch

You could pick up a fairly inexpensive pressure gauge on ebay like this zefal OP. I wouldn’t trust the gauge on the pump personally. I use this one and am happy with it. Also i prefer using psi.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/ZEFAL-MTB-CYCLE-PRESSURE-GAUGE-140psi-FOR-ANY-BIKE-WITH-SCHRADER-CAR-VALVES/392284331482?hash=item5b55f7ddda:g:4ZUAAOSwd4tT4PYk

Cee-Jay-Cee

I have 2.25” tyres on my 29er and only ever put 40psi in the rear and 35psi front and it’s more than enough for use on the road as well as off road.

If the tyres feels fairly solid then your good to go. If the ride seems very harsh let a bit out.

magicbastarder

chewed wrote: »

am starting to use it again after a few years for road cycling on the weekends.

those tyres look like they'll be hard work for road cycling.

chewed

magicbastarder wrote: »

those tyres look like they'll be hard work for road cycling.

I did 35k yesterday and it seemed fine. Hands were a bit numb though.