Bike shop guy called my tire pressure a crime, now I check it every Monday

I stopped at a shop in Portland last month to grab a patch kit, and the mechanic glanced at my front tire and said, "175 psi? That's a blowout waiting to happen." I'd been riding that way for weeks because I figured firmer meant faster. He showed me the sidewall rating, 110 max, and I felt like an idiot for never reading it. That little talk cost me zero dollars but saved me from a nasty crash on the Steel Bridge during commute hour. Now every Monday morning I grab the cheap gauge from my toolbox and spend 2 minutes on air pressure before heading out. Has anyone else had a random stranger or shop worker point out something obvious that you'd been ignoring for ages?

2 comments

2 Comments

kai4633d ago

The Steel Bridge is like a mile from my place and I've ridden it with tires at 90 psi for years. 175 seems wild but honestly, most sidewall ratings have a huge safety buffer built in. I've seen guys run 20 over the max on mountain bikes for decades without issues. Not saying the shop guy was wrong, but blowouts usually come from old rubber or hitting a curb at speed, not just being 65 psi over. You probably would have been fine, though checking pressure weekly is a good habit anyway. I just think the "crime" framing is a bit dramatic for something that happens to like half the casual riders I know.

jana_miller312d ago

65 over the max is just math with a side of confidence, huh?