I've been riding at 10PSI for 3 months!! will handling....

[pprider]

Will my handling change a great deal? i got the bike and never checked the tire pressure till about 2 weeks ago and gotl ike 10-12 psi and i assumed my gauge was broke because the tires looked to be full (like a car) but today i went to my old shop at scholl and checked them and it was a true 11 psi!! ive ridden possibly for 2k miles on that. so how is my handling gonna change? is it gonns be a great deal different? bah i cant believe i was so stupid:(

[Richard UK]

It's much better,
with the right pressure

[Kerry]

how is my handling gonna change? is it gonns be a great deal different?

Yes!  It will almost scare you how much better you can feel the road with properly-inflated tires.

[Michael]

There's also a chance your tyre is stuffed because of riding that long underinflated.  It will have worn oddly and once properly inflated may not handle well because of that.

[pprider]

WOW  i couldnt believe the difference. when i first sat on it it felt completely different! it felt a lot taller and when i took it out i dont even know what to say. it was jsut amazing it felt like it wanted to fall into the turns, and it felt a lot more "sturdy" when leaned over some if that is even possible? just an amazing difference, what a doof i am! :lol:

[danci1973]

Checking the tire pressure should be a daily affair... If you can't be bothered that often (I know I can't), you really should do it weekly. Or, if you don't use it daily, after any longer (> 1 week) non-use period.

Not only will it help you detect small punctures and leaks, but also make the tire last longer and provide a much better, safer and more fun ride.

  D.

[pprider]

well the question is now did i mess up the tires wear? do i need a new tire?

i put realistically about 1,500 miles on it

[Augustus]

I would go for the new tires.  I don't think that I could put much trust on used tires that had already been mismanaged (previous owner let the tire pressure go down to 10-12 psi), and then with an extra 1.5K miles since you purchased it.  You may have put some extra stress on the rims, spokes, etc.  Have a mechanic look at it.

[danci1973]

I would check the tires for cracks. Maybe do a little test ride being extra carefull to fill any unusual vibrations...

Check also the manufacturing date.

If there are no bad symptoms, I don't think you need a new tire.

It would be wiser and safer to get a new tire, though.

   D.

[pprider]

well the previous owner didnt ride it he just put the tires on and then worked on the bike, so it jsut sat there and lost the air pressure so the only poor riding its had is my 1.5k miles. it seems to ride GREAT and i dont see any unusual wear and tear cracks ect. so im gonna leave it as is.. these tires only have my 1,500 miles on em so ill be ok.

[Michael]

You do need to consider how old they are.  The rubber goes off over time, even if not ridden.  If they are more than 2-3 yrs old, change them as the rubber compound will be getting hard and they will be slippery and may crack without warning.

[gryhound89]

I don't think you can tell how much air is in a tire by looking at it, unless it's really low....at least I've never been able to.

[pprider]

well the tires are brand new th guy had just bought em, as for the being able to see, most cars if the air is under 20 psi you should be able to see if the tire is low pretty easy but since a bike is so light and the tire is so thick it holds its shape even if it has under 10 psi.

if i had just thought about it for a minute i would of known that, since i knew before hand some sport tires or low profile tires you can't tell when they are low

lesson learned and now i know better.