Too heavy for my tyres?

inmsotall
inmsotall Posts: 16
edited May 2017 in Workshop
Good Morning,

Last week I brought a road\Adventure bike from Evans

https://www.evanscycles.com/pinnacle-arkose-1-2017-adventure-road-bike-EV275622

With the following set up.

Tyres: Kenda Flintridge 700 x 35c, 60tpi
Tubes: Presta valve
Recommended PSI = 40 - 50

It was set up in store for me and after my first ride I noticed that the tyres had deflated a bit during the short ride (15 mins).

I brought a track pump and pumped them up to 50 PSI.

This seemed OK at first but by the end of my second short ride (30 mins). I noticed that they are not as firm as I would expect.

I know it is a hard question to answer without seeing images but does it sounds like I have an issue or am I just a bit too heavy and this is what is to be expected with this set up?

I am 6ft 6in and weigh 95kg.

Comments

  • herb71
    herb71 Posts: 253
    As long as they are only flat at the bottom you should be ok!?

    Check the pressure so you know for sure if it has deflated. Make sure you have tightened the valve properly etc.
  • inmsotall
    inmsotall Posts: 16
    Herb71 wrote:
    As long as they are only flat at the bottom you should be ok!?

    Check the pressure so you know for sure if it has deflated. Make sure you have tightened the valve properly etc.

    To be honest, I am still getting used to removing the track pump valve fast enough for only a minimal amount of air to escape.
  • Alex99
    Alex99 Posts: 1,407
    inmsotall wrote:
    Herb71 wrote:
    As long as they are only flat at the bottom you should be ok!?

    Check the pressure so you know for sure if it has deflated. Make sure you have tightened the valve properly etc.

    To be honest, I am still getting used to removing the track pump valve fast enough for only a minimal amount of air to escape.

    Hi. Your weight isn't important for this question. If there is a leak, it's gonna leak. Some inner tubes have removable valve cores. Check on yours, check the valves are screwed in tight. Check that you actually are losing pressure. If in doubt, just get some new tubes. You'll need some spares anyway. And, the whoosh of air when you take the track pump off, is probably coming from the pump tube, not out of the inner tube.
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    There should only be a small amount of air leakage after disconnecting the pump as the valve will lock itself with the air flow. Most of the air people hear escaping is backdraft from the pump/hose itself. Check to ensure the valve is operating smoothly and is not catching (they are easy to bend out of shape). Also, when undoing the valve just a few turns is sufficient, the more you back it off the more you risk bending it.

    Edit: looks like I posted at the same time as above.
  • inmsotall
    inmsotall Posts: 16
    Alex99 wrote:
    inmsotall wrote:
    Herb71 wrote:
    As long as they are only flat at the bottom you should be ok!?

    Check the pressure so you know for sure if it has deflated. Make sure you have tightened the valve properly etc.

    To be honest, I am still getting used to removing the track pump valve fast enough for only a minimal amount of air to escape.

    Hi. Your weight isn't important for this question. If there is a leak, it's gonna leak. Some inner tubes have removable valve cores. Check on yours, check the valves are screwed in tight. Check that you actually are losing pressure. If in doubt, just get some new tubes. You'll need some spares anyway. And, the whoosh of air when you take the track pump off, is probably coming from the pump tube, not out of the inner tube.

    I have one spare tube that I purchased with the bike but I think I will just get another later today and change both.

    Plus, it will give me an opportunity of practicing changing both tubes for the first time in the comfort of my garage and not on the side of the road!
  • inmsotall
    inmsotall Posts: 16
    Bobbinogs wrote:
    There should only be a small amount of air leakage after disconnecting the pump as the valve will lock itself with the air flow. Most of the air people hear escaping is backdraft from the pump/hose itself. Check to ensure the valve is operating smoothly and is not catching (they are easy to bend out of shape). Also, when undoing the valve just a few turns is sufficient, the more you back it off the more you risk bending it.

    Edit: looks like I posted at the same time as above.

    Thank you for the tip regarding just making a couple of turns - I have been loosening it off as far as it will go.
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    inmsotall wrote:
    ...

    Thank you for the tip regarding just making a couple of turns - I have been loosening it off as far as it will go.

    What happens is that many people try and pull the pump off as fast after they hear air escaping (from the backdraft of the pump) and fear that the tube is deflating...they then bend the valve so that it cannot return smoothly to actually stop the air deflating from the tyre...so the tyre deflates!

    Just have a little practice, unscrew the valve a few turns and try putting some air in the tyres. If it doesn't work, remove the pump and press the valve in and release to hear a decent puff of air prior to the valve kicking in. Work out what works and what doesn't (roughly, there is no science here) and then just get used to that as a rough measure.

    Don't get me wrong, sometimes the air is indeed escaping from the tyre after the pump is released but that usually indicates that the valve has got snagged in some way due to deformity!

Categories