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Bicycle Tire Pressure

Keeping your tire pressure at the recommended rated pressure will make you and your bike happy. Look on the sidewall of your tires for the rating. Allow no more than a 10% deviation from that amount. Go 10% over if you are a heavier person and are experiencing "snakebite" type punctures (where the tire is pinched between the rim and road hard enough to put a hole in it).

Go 10% under if you are a very lightweight person or are biking in the rain or mud. But remember, going over or under pressure is seldom recommended. Keep it near the recommended amount. Check mountain and cross bike pressure once a week, and road bike pressure every time you ride.

When inflating a tire, spin the wheel to look for high and low spots. You need to fix these spots before adding pressure. One way to address high and low spots is to slightly deflate the tire and adjust the tire/tube manually. Continue adjusting until the tire is nice and round, then add pressure slowly, checking for high and low spots every 20 pounds of pressure. Inflating a tire with a high spot can result in a very loud lesson that will make you soil your shorts! Be careful.