Ping Mountain Bike Riders

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Since I'm getting a job (next week) that is less than 5 miles from my house, I thought I could ride my (actually, my son's) Mountain Bike to and from work...at least sometimes. I bought a helmet yesterday and this morning, took a look at the bike for the first time in quite awhile.

The last time I saw the bike, I took it out for a short spin and it seemed to ride fine. This was months and months ago (probably last spring). This morning, I noticed both tires were flat. Is it normal for the tires to go flat if the bike has just been sitting around for months at a time, or is this a sign that I need to do a repair/replace job on the tires.

I tried Googling this, but didn't come away with a definitive answer.

Thanks.

 

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Mine seem to lose a little pressure over time, they don't go completely flat without a puncture though.

 

Same as DMarsh for mine, except I'm a fair weather mountain biker

 

When you find out the answer, let me know... our bikes have sat for years, and I'll need to know what to expect when I decide to pump their tires up.

 

My understanding is they do lose air over time most bikes that come out of storage need significant pumping up, that said they don't tend to lose pressure once the job is done We got my mates bike out of storage when he moved into dorms, pumped up the tires and he has had no problems in the month and a half since

 

Bike tyres do go down slowly over time, all depends how long it has been un-used. The best thing to do is pump them up and see if they go down over the next 24 hours. To test the innertube you can take it out and put some air in it (not too much pressure) then have a bucket of water and dip it in a bit at a time, if you get bubbles, you got a hole!

 

Ditto. I have left mine a year before and still they were ok after a good pumping session. They do have re-inforcement tape in them though (don't know if that makes much difference)

 

Maybe your son thought you needed more exercise than cycling and that walking would be better ?

 

He joined the Marines, got married, and has a child on the way. He probably thought he'd be busy enough as it was without taking his bike with him to Camp Pendleton (on the other hand, he *did* take his Ford F150).

 

Aah, thought he was a bit (considerably) younger


For us UK noobs - what's a Ford F150 ????

 

Can't you guess ? It's a pickup, yeeehaaa ! Give me some more oil Saddam !



The new one comes with an environment friendly 5.4L engine !

 

I think it's the most sold pickup in the world and it's only sold in the US market! Think i'll be getting me a Dodge Ram though, haha although it perplexes me that the only engine option for diesel is a 6.7l cummins, the same that runs single decker busses that can haul 60 people!

 

I wish we were taking that oil!!! Alas, it ain't the truth.

 

Top Gear did a road test on the Ford F150 (can you guess what Clarkson said about it?) http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=n1ln-dEJ5l4

Bike tyres need to be pumped up on a regular basis along with the other checks (frame, brakes, reflectors, tyres and lights), just treat it the same as your car.

 

It all depends on the quality of the inner tube. If they are poor quality then the air will leak over time. Ive had this happen to me loads of times, but everything is cured if i change to a different inner tube brand.

As long as the tyres arent going down quickly then there isnt anything to worry about and pumping your tyres up a few times a month will be a little bit extra exercise for you

 

It is normal for tires to go flat over time as the valves are constantly leaking a tiny bit of air over time. What nobody has mentioned (not that I've been reading too carefully, so forgive me if I'm wrong) is the type of valve that you have. For mountain bikes there are two types:

Presta Valve: As pointed out in the link, these are found in higher-end mountain bikes and are better at retaining tire pressure over time at higher pressures. If you are using your bike for leisurely street rides over off-road, you should go for these as hire tire pressures reduce roll resistance (the effort expended in peddling) of the cycle wheels.

Schrader Valve: These are the 'car like' valves found on most cycles but not on racers because of their lower tolerance to high pressures. These do leaks air at a marginally faster rate, but are easier to pump in terms of attaching the pump assembly.

Have you got road tires on your bike?

 

As opposed to what and how can I tell?

The last time I rode a bike regularly was in the 1980s and then, it was a 12 speed street bike.

 

I think there are the same types as car tyres http://www.wiggle.co.uk/c/Cycle/7/Tyres_-_Road_City/

 

If the tyres are dimpled and wide like this:



Then they are 'off road'. If you commute with those on you will find the bike more laborious to ride because of their soft compound. They are also more likely to puncture because of this. They also make a 'whiring' sound as you travel along the road - as well as a lot more vibration!

If you have 'slicks' like these:



The compound is hard and they roll a lot easier making your commutes a lot easier to complete. you will also notice that the bike travels faster as you peddle. They are also more resistant to punctures because that also have kevlar lining to keep sharp points away from the inner tube.

If your bike is off-the-shelf it's more likely to have off road tyres.