From having the proper bike tire pressure to how to change a bicycle tire | Bicycle Safety Video

Last updated Friday, November 8th, 2024

(Proper bike tire pressure lets your bike roll quickly, ride smoothly, and avoid flats. Narrow tires need more air pressure than wide ones: Road tires typically require 80 to 130 psi (pounds per square inch); mountain tires, 25 to 35 psi; and hybrid tires, 40 to 70 psi. ) ~ Get Pro tips like this, from the pros at West Town Bikes here in Chicago!

Get Our Team, Working In Your Favor

Marc Shuman – Out in the community on Bike Safety

Here at Marc J Shuman & Associates Ltd., we like to get engaged in the community and support safe practices. We are here for you when accidents or personal injuries happen; we are also here for you to help you stay safe!

We have partnered with West Town Bikes here in Chicago to create a series on Bicycle safety, this session covers tire safety, and to accompany the video, here is the transcription from Marc’s interview with Eli Faber, their head technician:

00:00 Mark Schumann: I’m Marc Shuman from Shuman Legal^®, and we are here at West Town Bikes speaking with Eli Faber, head technician, regarding bicycle safety. Welcome back, Eli.

00:10 Eli Faber: Thanks, Mark.

00:11 MS: So today, we are going to be talking about tires. How do you know what your tire pressure should be?

00:17 EF: Well, your tire should have some markings on the side, some numbers to tell you what pressure it should be. I have an example here. This is a road tire that goes to a little higher pressure. Right here, you can see it says, “Inflate to 100 psi.” A hand pump like this should have a gauge at the bottom so you can see what pressure you’re going to. Mountain bike tires, those are the wider ones, usually, go to lower pressure. These, for example, go to 40 psi.

00:55 MS: So how often should you replace your tires on a bicycle?

00:58 EF: When they wear down so that the tread is no longer visible, that’s when you should replace them. You’ll see your tire start to go bald, that’s when you know there is little material left.

01:11 MS: How do you select the right tire for your bicycle?

01:14 EF: Well, your tire should always match your rim size. There are a few different standards for the diameter of the tire. Road bike tires tend to be a little narrower to minimize contact with the ground, or friction with the ground, that is. Mountain bike tires are wider to spread out weight from impact, and they also tend to have these knobs to dig into the ground and the dirt. Those are some things to look for when choosing a tire.

01:43 MS: What is the best type of tire if you’re going to ride a lot of park trails?

01:47 EF: I’d recommend a knobby tire. Yeah.

01:51 MS: Great. Thank you again.

BONUS:  How to change a bike tire in 11 steps!

There’s nothing worse than a flat tire. Luckily, replacing a bike tire tube is easier than you think.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED: Wrench – Bike Tire Pump – Bike Tubes – Bike Tire Lever and Bike Tires

STEP 1: Take the wheel off the bike.

STEP 2: Unscrew the valve cap and deflate the tube.
Empty it right out.

STEP 3: Pinch the tire and insert the tire lever. It should come off pretty easily

STEP 4: Hook the tire lever to flip the bead of the tire outside the rim

STEP 5: Use the second tire lever in there and work around the tip

STEP 6: Pull out the inner tube

STEP 7: Put a bit of air in the tube to give it some shape – don’t overinflate

STEP 8: Insert the valve stem into the hole of the rim. Begin to gently place the tube back inside the tire

STEP 9: Using your hands, begin to work the bead back into the rim. Move from one side to the other

STEP 10: Ensure the tube isn’t caught in the bead or the rim. Inflate the tire ensuring proper bike tire pressure and reattach your bike

STEP 11: Secure and tighten the wheel onto the bike and you’re good to go!

There you have it! Some great advice and information on everything from how to check the proper bike tire pressure for your bike, to when and how to change your bicycle tire, we hope this will lead to you having a more enjoyable and safer experience on your bike!

If you find yourself in an accident, we are here for you. As experienced personal injury attorneys well acquainted with Illinois Bicycle laws, our attorneys can help you evaluate the facts, assess your options, navigate the legal challenges, and advocate on your behalf. Call us at 800.722.9744 today to receive a FREE consultation with the team at the Law Offices of Shuman Legal^®.

---

Get Our Team, Working In Your Favor