Tyre Inflation for bike

[KeenTeen17]

I have a mountain bike which I use to cycle everywhere. Is it best to have the tyres inflated to about 50 PSI from an air pump at a petrol station and have them rock hard or is it best to have them not as pumped up.

I have found that when they are rock hard, cycling is more easy but punctures occurred more. When less inflated, its harder cycling but I haven't had a puncture and have been over thorns, grass, glass and every other pointy object nature has thrown at me and I haven;t had a puncture . (touch wood)

Any views

[lol geoff]

I always have mine pumped up to around 50psi too. I prefer the low rolling resistance especially if Im doing mostly road work. If I'm doing some muddy trails I'll drop the pressures to about 30psi to aid traction. I can't say that I've had any more or less punctures due to tyre pressures only due to tread depth and where I cycle. I always try to follow other peoples tyre tracks on the assumption that they will pick up any punctures before I do. I am 6'4" and weigh 18 stones so my tyres probably work harder than yours.

[thunder]

I have read in bicycle books that a garage air pump can blast enough air into a bicycle tyre to burst it - have no idea if this is true (sounds a bit like an urban myth to me ). When I cycled (not a mountain bike) I used to have my tyres at over 100 psi and didn't get many punctures, but I stuck to the roads! I used a track pump.

henrya

[lol geoff]

Originally Posted by thunder

I have read in bicycle books that a garage air pump can blast enough air into a bicycle tyre to burst it - have no idea if this is true (sounds a bit like an urban myth to me ). When I cycled (not a mountain bike) I used to have my tyres at over 100 psi and didn't get many punctures, but I stuck to the roads! I used a track pump.

henrya

I used to be a mechnic, when you could use the airline for free, and it was quite common on a saturday morning to hear a very loud bang and see a kid crying with shock, standing next to a bike with a frilly tyre on the forecourt.

[Mark3]

I have my tyres at 30 psi, its a mountain bike I dont know if there is any difference in number of puntures at different pressures but i prefer to keep mine at 30 psi, it just seems like the right pressure to have them at

[Jez]

Originally Posted by thunder

I used a track pump.

Well worth the investment KT, there not too expensive and take all the work out of inflating tyres!