If you have noticed that your bike is on low tire pressure, you may wonder if this can affect your ride…
Is It Harder To Ride A Bike With Low Tire Pressure?
It can be more challenging to ride a bike with low tire pressure to a certain extent. Some bike riders prefer their tire pressure to be a little bit low because they feel like they can ride their bike faster with more ease. The lower your pressure becomes, the harder it gets to ride your bike.
Some cyclists, actually like having the little bit of resistance that comes along with low tire pressure. Some professional cyclists or even avid hobby cyclists have been able to manipulate their tire pressure to a low point where they can increase speed without putting their tires at risk or making it too hard to pedal.
What Happens If Your Bike Tire Pressure Is Too Low?
If your bike tire pressure is too low, your ride may not only be harder, but you could be putting your tires at risk. The air pressure helps increase the overall durability of your tire as your momentum causes it to roll on the ground.
Once the pressure gets too low, the rubber of your tires becomes more malleable, meaning little things like pebbles and debris can puncture the rubber more easily. Your tires won’t be able to make it over bumps and dips in your path as easily as before, which may either throw you off balance or make you have to pedal even harder to get past those obstacles.
What Happens If You Ride A Bike With Low Air?
Your bike riding experience can vary positively or negatively depending on just how low the tires’ air is. If your tires are a little bit lower than ideal, you might find that the grip of your tires seems to get a little bit better, especially on rougher trails.
The issue with this is that you’re putting your tires through a bit more impact than necessary, as they have less air to propel any debris or possible puncture-inducing objects.
Is It Hard To Pedal With Low Tire Pressure?
Low tire pressure will affect how hard a bike is to pedal. Pressure will naturally get lower and lower as you ride, so you’ll find that it seems like you have to continue to pedal harder to move forward, especially if you’re trying to ride at a high speed.
There’s a small window where your air pressure is a little low that will increase your speed, but that could diminish over a day or so. It takes some tinkering to get the levels at the right spot for increased speed, so it may not be worth the effort.
Does Tire Pressure Affect Ride Quality?
Tire pressure can affect ride quality, especially if the pressure is either too low or too high. A small dip or increase in pressure will likely not make a drastic difference to your ride quality. Some find that their speed is impacted, as well as how easy or how difficult it is to pedal.
As can be expected, the more off-level your tire pressure is, the more potentially risky your ride becomes. You could end up causing damage to your tire which could end up cutting your ride short and could even end up causing you to fall.
How Many PSI Should A Bike Tire Be At?
The ideal PSI for a bike tire is determined by the type of bike you have as well as the width of the tire. While you might think a bike that has a hardier, wider tire might need more air pressure, the opposite is true. A narrow tire operates better at a higher ideal pressure point than a wider one.
A mountain bike, which typically sticks to a course with lots of hills and dirt, works best with PSI between 25 and 35. A bike you would ride more casually like a trail or road bike will need anywhere between 80 to 130 PSI. A tire pressure reader would be able to tell you what PSI your tires are at after you fill them with air.
Is It Better To Over Inflate Or Under Inflate Tires?
Realistically, you shouldn’t purposely under or over-inflate your bike tires. A little bit under is likely going to be fine, but tires that are too low or too high pressure-wise can cause you to run into problems during your ride. Overinflated tires could pop at any moment, and under-inflated tires could end up becoming flat quickly or could even get punctured.
How Long Should Bike Tires Hold Air?
Bike tires need air quite frequently to balance out their pressure appropriately. Different kinds of bikes will need their tires topped up on a weekly to biweekly basis, and this could change depending on how often you ride.
Mountain bikes hold air for a little bit longer and usually only need some extra air every couple of weeks or so, while your everyday cycle may need some extra air every week or two.
How Do I Know If My Bike Tires Have Enough Air?
Bike tires will have a sticker or inscription on them that tells you what their ideal tire pressure is. If your tire pressure measures at or close to this level once you put air into them, that’s how you know you have enough air.
You can purchase handheld tire pressure readers that are inexpensive and efficient should you want to ensure your tire pressure is at the ideal level.
What Tire Pressure Do Pro Cyclists Use?
Pro cyclists are known to change up how they ride, but many have been riding with lower tire pressure and wider tires simultaneously. While pros will do things differently depending on their riding style of choice, their tire pressure is often a touch lower for the front tire than the back tire.
It’s not uncommon for pro cyclists to experiment with tire pressure levels, among other modifications to their bikes, to see if they can maximize their speed and ease of ride.