Rad City Tire Pressure.
- Thread starter Mr. Zip
- Start date
Banzai
Active Member
I'm riding the City Step-Thru. All RAD city bikes use the same dual purpose tires with a tire pressure range of 30 to 80 psi. The minimum range of 30 psi allows running thru softer surfaces safely while also providing more tire surface that helps ride over it instead of bogging down.
If I had to run pressures higher than 65 then I don't have the strength to do it with my floor pump. So that's where I left it and 65 psi has been working fine. Have to consider I ride paved surfaces as well as soft sand roads too, and a lower pressure between 50 to 65 psi provides a happy medium while also providing a little cushier ride over rougher roads.
If I was running strictly city paveds roads, a range of 70 to 80 psi would no doubt provide less resistence with good traction, but would likely have a stiffer ride.
If I had to run pressures higher than 65 then I don't have the strength to do it with my floor pump. So that's where I left it and 65 psi has been working fine. Have to consider I ride paved surfaces as well as soft sand roads too, and a lower pressure between 50 to 65 psi provides a happy medium while also providing a little cushier ride over rougher roads.
If I was running strictly city paveds roads, a range of 70 to 80 psi would no doubt provide less resistence with good traction, but would likely have a stiffer ride.
Investor9872
New Member
I have 50-55 psi on my wife's Step-Thru as well (she's around 120 lbs), and it works great for her. We mainly ride on the beach walk, a paved surface.
larry-new
Active Member
Hah! Some of us are advoirdupois challenged, but are terrors downhill.....
larry-new
Active Member
Just assembled my City bike. All road riding here. Put in Bike-on liquid and pumped ( Ryobi 18v.) to 80#, for my 255#. Looking down, saw that the rear was still a bit squished, so will probably put in 90 there, later. Ran 10 mi., easily.
Have been running road bikes (thin tires) this way for thousands of miles.
Have been running road bikes (thin tires) this way for thousands of miles.
AHicks
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
- City
- Snow Bird - Summer S.E. Michigan, Winter Gulf Coast North Central Fl.
Larry, I'm off a long string of 700c hybrids, and used to running 70-80 psi as well. Have learned that if you don't absolutely need pressure that high, you can get a much (MUCH!) better ride by using just what you need - especially when mostly "on road". With the bigger cross section of the City tire, at 50psi, mine is still plenty stiff (I'm 320 lbs).
IMHO, what you want to avoid is pressure so low the rim cutting into the sidewall of the tire is a potential threat when you hit a bump. I'm jumping curbs on occasion, at almost 100 miles to date......
IMHO, what you want to avoid is pressure so low the rim cutting into the sidewall of the tire is a potential threat when you hit a bump. I'm jumping curbs on occasion, at almost 100 miles to date......
larry-new
Active Member
To me, the bulge on the bottom is my nonscientific way of reducing rolling resistance...the less bulge, the less contact patch, and with a huge 2.3" tire like this, the smaller the better..I remember Specialized road tires with a small center rib...just add air until the bulge goes away. I never tried low pressure, but I've never ridden off road. Road shock has never been an issue either...just used to riding out bumps on the pedals.
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larry-new
Active Member
Had a rear flat, and it was my fault...the 90# tube punctured on the inside on a spoke hole, and my liquid flat preventer didn't help...centrifugal force! Ha. Hoist by me own petard...well, deflated... It happened in the garage, luckily.
The YouTube video made removing the rear wheel easy. Yes, a specific one for the Rad City!
Went to LBS and got Velo cloth tape...19mm for the rim, then put the old rubber rim strip over that. A new tube, and back to 90#.
The YouTube video made removing the rear wheel easy. Yes, a specific one for the Rad City!
Went to LBS and got Velo cloth tape...19mm for the rim, then put the old rubber rim strip over that. A new tube, and back to 90#.
larry-new
Active Member
Link for tire wipers...made in the US.
https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/components/fenders/tire-wipers/
https://www.compasscycle.com/shop/components/fenders/tire-wipers/
larry-new
Active Member
True, but a bit of fiddling, and the right profile can be accomodated...bending, or fabbing a new center section. And if I had thorns to contend with, you bet I'd be running a pair!
larry-new
Active Member
Had flat #2, this time on the front tire, which was run at 80#. This one was exactly like the first, and was fixed with rim tape the same way...I was waiting for it to happen. This flat also happened in the garage, after a 33mi. run.
