Hi everyone. My tyres take a pressure of between 45-65psi and having got rid of my old car and now cycle everywhere, I use the same pressure gauge which I used very effectively on my car tyres. However, on my bike tyres, it is a completely different animal as it allows too much air to escape every time I check the pressures. No matter, how careful I am in applying the gauge, which is the simple pencil shaped chromed metal type, it results in my losing more air than I have pumped in and I find this very annoying. Although it is very accurate, it is only calibrated up to 50 psi and I just cannot find one that is designed for cycle tyres.

 

My query is :- (a) Do they make a pencil type gauge similar to my car one but especially for bike tyres with a higher psi limit and a narrower aperure/nozzle that hopefully restricts the amount of air loss. If so, where can I get one please. And (b) If not, can anyone recommend a good digital one both accurate (within reason) and practical to use but not too expensive, as I only need one for pressures up to 65psi max.

 

Any advice would be most welcome

how about

 

http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/displayProduct.jsp?sku=CP06357&CMP=CPC-PLA&gross_price=true&gclid=CMOthvDblcICFdLItAodBUQAqg

or digital and pricier

 

http://www.evanscycles.com/products/sks/airchecker-digital-pressure-gauge-ec059946

You probably already have a pump, but I would buy a track pump with a fitted pressure gauge.

 

That will allow you to monitor pressure as you inflate, rather than faffing around with taking the pump and gauge on and off.

 

Lots of track pumps available. Topeak Joe Blow's have a nice action:

 

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/tools-maintenance/pumps-puncture-repair/topeak-joe-blow-sport-ii-bike-pump

had exactly the same problem, solved with one of these:

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/gobike88-Airbone-pressure-gauge-ZT-611-free-shipping-373-/161370433260?pt=UK_SportsLeisure_Cycling_BikeLocks_SR&hash=item25926d66ec

 

nicely made, no air loss whatsoever.

how about

 

http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/displayProduct.jsp?sku=CP06357&CMP=CPC-PLA&gross_price=true&gclid=CMOthvDblcICFdLItAodBUQAqg

 

I like this for if the tyre needs inflating when out on a ride and the inner tube blows out. A track pump is just a bit too heavy to lug around!

 

Does anyone know of one that will fit inline with a pump so you can do the same sort of thing a track pump does but out on the road? - I have a nice folding pump that unfolds into a styrup type pump and so gets higher pressures faster than fighting arm vs arm!

Many thanks for all your replies. Just as a matter of interest to you, I have decided to go for KirstinS's suggestion of the Evans Cycle SKS Air Checker which seems to meet my requirements. This is mainly because (a) It has a swivel head which makes it easier getting it between the spokes and most importantly, (b) I can set the desired pressure on the gauge, overpump the tyre ,then apply the gauge and it will reduce to pressure to the desired level , similar to the garage air pumps.

 

However, if anyone has had an adverse experience of SKS Air Checker, I would like to hear from you before I actually buy it online !

 

Once again, many thanks all of you. - I did not expect so many replies in the time it took to eat my lunch!!

Personally I would avoid something like that. It's Murphys law that when you really need it most, the battery will have run out and you won't have access to a spare.

The mechanical one is cheaper and doesn't need batteries so is one less part of you kit to require maintenance itself so for this reason I would go with this!

 

I do have a halfords push on digital one (something similar to this http://www.halfords.com/motoring/garage-equipment/tyre-inflators-pressure-gauges/richbrook-tyre-pressure-gauge ) and I would say that push on ones are as a rule naff as you lose 2-3psi min just doing a check! - so full styrup pump for home and something like these for your bag when you are out and about as already mentioned by others!

 

(I just pump up my tyres once a week)

Why do we have to pump up our tyres?

Not so stupid a question these days. My Nissan van held the original 49 lbs. per sq.in, for the first 2 years of its life.

I pump mine up because I run at 80psi and I can notice the performance difference between 80psi and 70psi - about 3mph without a battery. also extra tyre surface area on the road = extra effort to move, bike tyres generally run at higher pressures c=than cars, but I suspect that the more fundamental difference is - have you ever heard of a car with an inner tube? inner tubes make our tyres easier to fit and lighter/more flexible. it also makes them more prone to losing pressure as the walls are thinner and more prone to punctures!

 

anyone else want to chip in here?

Why do we have to pump up our tyres?

Not so stupid a question these days. My Nissan van held the original 49 lbs. per sq.in, for the first 2 years of its life.

Not a stupid question, but interesting. It is the oxygen in the air that seeps out through the innertube material. Aircraft tyres +F1 cars (at least) use pure Nitrogen to inflate the tyre. The larger nitrogen molecule has a more difficult time to escape thru the innertube so the pressure remains more constant. I suspect HGV's also use nitrogen inflation for the same reason - more constant tyre pressures

I pump mine up because I run at 80psi and I can notice the performance difference between 80psi and 70psi - about 3mph without a battery. also extra tyre surface area on the road = extra effort to move, bike tyres generally run at higher pressures c=than cars, but I suspect that the more fundamental difference is - have you ever heard of a car with an inner tube? inner tubes make our tyres easier to fit and lighter/more flexible. it also makes them more prone to losing pressure as the walls are thinner and more prone to punctures!

 

anyone else want to chip in here?

My 1975 Citroen DS had innertubes as did my 1970 and 1984 2CVs. However when replacing the tyres for the first time on all the cars we did go "tubeless" and there were no problems

Not a stupid question, but interesting. It is the oxygen in the air that seeps out through the innertube material. Aircraft tyres +F1 cars (at least) use pure Nitrogen to inflate the tyre. The larger nitrogen molecule has a more difficult time to escape thru the innertube so the pressure remains more constant. I suspect HGV's also use nitrogen inflation for the same reason - more constant tyre pressures

 

well as long as we live we can learn even more! Thanks VictoryV

You learn all through your life, then you die & forget it all.

You learn all through your life, then you die & forget it all.

 

Not for ever though. It's reckoned that between 20 and 50 years from now we will be able to have an equivalent personality avatar online which will live for ever interacting with others just as we do now. That will make the search for physical life extension pointless, since the avatar's life will be infinitely preferable, always disease and pain free, able to switch off or replace unpleasant sights, sounds and smells, and permanently improving with increasing age as computing hardware improves. There need be no limit to personal knowledge, every avatar becoming an expert in every field over time. Given such superiority, running everything could be handed over to the avatars, leaving those still living physically for their term free of many of today's common worries.

 

Also a neat way of solving how to feed an expanding population if physical life span is contained instead of allowing it to increase, and also remove all travel based polution, since our avatar selves can transfer virtually to any location in moments online. Seeing, smelling and hearing can be by local universal access sensors throughout the world, giving a full experience. After all, we are part way there now though TV and the internet.

 

I bet this prospect causes a few shudders!

.

Yes as it begs the question "if the physical body is mortal, why not the avatar?" And seeing the abuse that some choose to exert on the physical, only a fool would have an avatar and open themselves to as n "eternity" of potential abuse for their avatar.

Yes as it begs the question "if the physical body is mortal, why not the avatar?" And seeing the abuse that some choose to exert on the physical, only a fool would have an avatar and open themselves to as n "eternity" of potential abuse for their avatar.

 

True if things were as now, but if the avatars are running the internet and given their vitually infinite function capacity, the internet can be policed 100% effectively against all such abuse.

 

The world I've outlined will be so different that all today's thought processes on how things run will be totally outdated.

.

I think Windows will have to buck up a bit first.

I think Windows will have to buck up a bit first.

 

Possibly.

 

Or maybe everything will be Chrome browser style and online, no static OS at all.

.

Personally I would avoid something like that. It's Murphys law that when you really need it most, the battery will have run out and you won't have access to a spare.

The mechanical one is cheaper and doesn't need batteries so is one less part of you kit to require maintenance itself so for this reason I would go with this!

 

I do have a halfords push on digital one (something similar to this http://www.halfords.com/motoring/garage-equipment/tyre-inflators-pressure-gauges/richbrook-tyre-pressure-gauge ) and I would say that push on ones are as a rule naff as you lose 2-3psi min just doing a check! - so full styrup pump for home and something like these for your bag when you are out and about as already mentioned by others!

 

(I just pump up my tyres once a week)

Many thanks James.

 

I thought you might be interested to know that I decided to read a few previews on the SKS before I bought it and it would seem the "Air pressure reduction button" is a waste of time, as it does not show a reading when you are trying to reduce the pressure via the button. You have to remove the gauge and then re-apply it to find out if it has reduced the pressure to the set psi, so I would be back to square one.

 

I have an excellent footpump which I keep at home, so all I need is a reliable gauge for my puncture bag. I have decided not to take a chance and buy one online but will visit my local cycle stores and try their gauges out until I find one that leaks air pressure the least.

 

Roll on Summer!!

Tyre pressures (on cars at least) also vary with the seasons - a car tyre filled in the summer will drop a couple of psi in winter (see here). A bike tyre inflated to 80psi will drop by 5psi in winter - probably not enough to really worry about though!

 

Michael