Roswell Bicycles
Your tires maintain your bike’s contact with good ol’ Mother Earth, so you’ll want to keep them safe and sound - abusing tire safety can be dangerous to your health. So, check and/or inflate your front and rear tires before each ride. Then, be sure to replace them when necessary.
Check
Inspect your tires for pressure, cuts, and wear - casually each time you pump up your tire, and thoroughly every 200 miles or so.
Inflate
Bike tires can lose pressure overnight and may typically lose 10-20 PSI per week.
Recommended maximum inflation pressure is listed on the sidewall of the tire (in PSI). Typically inflate to manufacture’s recommended maximum. However, research has found that (contrary to logic) some high-pressure 120 PSI road tires perform better, ride more comfortably, and roll better at 115 PSI. Experiment with your tires and see if you can tell a difference. Another exception to riding at maximum PSI is during wet or inclement weather conditions - slightly lower PSI will increase the tires’ surface contact with the road and provide more traction. Mountain bike tires will run slightly lower PSI depending on terrain, as well.
Also, if you don’t have one already, invest in a good floor pump with a built-in pressure gauge and the capability to inflate both Schrader and Presta valves – you’ll be more than glad you did.
Replace
Replace your tire(s) if you see any cuts, tears or significant signs of wear. For example, seeing casing thread is definitely a sign of wear. Bear in mind that your rear tire will wear faster because more weight load is being distributed to it. Unless otherwise damaged, tires should typically be replaced every 1 to 2 years depending on use.
Happy riding!
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