| Bike tires, unlike car tires, lose their pressure on a daily | | | | various things you should check to make sure you'll |
| basis, so its necessary to check their pressure daily | | | | have a safe ride. Indeed, in spite of my carelessness |
| and reinflate when necessary. | | | | with my car tires, I always had and always will check |
| A few days ago, I was driving happily along the | | | | my bicycle tire pressure before setting off on a ride. |
| highway, heading home from a run to a bookstore. A | | | | The more so because I have had a couple of flat tires |
| passing motorist honked at me and then pointed | | | | with that bike over the five years that I've owned it. |
| toward my car as if there were something wrong with | | | | Tire pressure is important for cars, because if a tire |
| it. I nodded and waved and slowed down, and they | | | | blows while the car is traveling at high speed that's a |
| passed me. However, my car was behaving as it | | | | heavy piece of machinery that will go out of control. |
| always had... there was no "pull" or rough riding to | | | | But it's just as important for bicyclists, because since |
| indicate that I had a flat tire. So, since I was only ten | | | | you have to use your own power to muscle along the |
| minutes from home I just kept on driving - albeit more | | | | bike, flat tires will effect your ride from the very |
| slowly. | | | | beginning. And if you're far away from home when the |
| My mind being what it is, as soon as I pulled into the | | | | tire gives up the ghost, you could find yourself with a |
| driveway I forgot all about the reason why I had been | | | | long walk home. |
| driving slowly for the last ten minutes, and just walked | | | | There's no difficulty in knowing how many pounds of |
| into the house. | | | | pressure need to be put into your bike tires - the |
| The next day, I got into the car and had driven out of | | | | manufacturer puts those specifications on the side of |
| my apartment parking lot toward the access road for | | | | each tire. Get yourself a tire gauge and always use it |
| the main drag, before remembering that there was | | | | when you inflate your tires. However, although you |
| supposedly something wrong with one of the tires. So I | | | | won't want to exceed the pounds per square inch that |
| returned to the parking lot, got out, and looked at my | | | | they recommend, there are reasons why you'd |
| tires. The rear left was as flat as a pancake. | | | | sometimes want to use less. |
| I couldn't have driven home with it like that - it surely | | | | With a tire inflated to the correct pressure, your ride |
| would have effected the handling of the car. So | | | | will be as smooth as the quality of your frame will |
| yesterday the tire must simply have been low, and | | | | allow it. If your tires aren't inflated enough it increases |
| continued going flat over night. | | | | the chance of getting a flat tire, but more importantly |
| My dad, who had witnessed my return, asked me if I | | | | makes it harder to pedal. Too high of pressure will |
| didn't check the tires before I got behind the wheel | | | | strain the tire itself, not to mention making the ride too |
| every single time, and I confessed that I didn't. I've been | | | | bumpy to be comfortable. |
| driving for years and years and never had a flat tire | | | | Bike tires lose their pressure on a regular basis, so |
| before, so why bother? | | | | before starting out on your ride, always squeeze both |
| But I learned my lesson from that little incident, and | | | | front and back tires to ensure that they are hard. |
| now I take a few seconds and check the tires before | | | | Mountain bikers do like their tires "mushier" than other |
| leaving. | | | | bikers, and if that applies to you just become familiar |
| And that little story brings me to the point of this essay, | | | | with what the appropriate tire pressure for you looks |
| which is that before you get on your bike - there are | | | | and feels like. |