Hello everyone.
I recently got myself a mountain bike from Canyon. It all works, got myself all the gear, pumps and all. And the pressure gage give me a reading of 10 PSI, which is odd because the tires are firm. 10 PSI should be nearly flat.
I have other pumps, including one that works for my car too, which I trust because I cross checked its values with my mechanic.
Here’s the odd thing. I got the bike out and plugged it to the car tire pressure device and it also gave me a reading of 10 PSI. I also have a Topeak Shuttle Gage, 10 PSI.
How is that possible? I can’t really believe all three readings come from faulty devices so I’m thinking I’m the one doing something especially stupid, or maybe a defect somewhere on the valve/tire but it’s brand new, so I think I’m the one to blame. Any ideas where I’ve been an idiot?
I did open the nut on the presta valve prior to taking measurements.
Since you’ve got multiple, previously checked instruments indicating the same, I think it’s reasonable to believe the value it’s telling you.
For a mountain bike at rest, 10 PSI (0.7 bar) wouldn’t necessarily be flat, but might still be a bit low. If you sit on the bike, I would expect to see the tires bulging out at the bottom. What does the tire sidewall recommend for the pressure range?
The range on the side is 20 to 50 PSI. To the touch, the tire is very firm. Not rock hard, but very little softness/squishiness to it. When I sit on it and ride the bike, there’s a little bulging at the point of contact with the ground, I think it looks normal but my partner thinks it looks like flat. Still, it feels like a firm bike while riding.
Thank you for your answer :)