Flat Prevention, Part 1 of 3: Get Pumped Up!

One of the shop’s sayings is, “Flats happen.” When it’s not something you’re used to, a flat tire can feel catastrophic, but it’s not uncommon. It’s also not 100% preventable, but there are some very simple ways to lower the likelihood of getting one.

One of the two most common types of flat is called a pinch flat. This occurs when a tire is underinflated and thus the tube inside gets pinched, causing a hole in the tube.

So therefore, the simplest way to prevent flats is by keeping your tires pumped up to their appropriate pressure.

First off, know your PSI! That number, standing for pounds per square inch, will be printed along the outside of your tire. It could say one number, like 80 PSI, or a range, like 80-100 PSI. In that case, since you’re primarily riding on city streets, you want to aim towards the higher number in your range.

A quick aside — we’ve noticed some people seem to favor the concept of keeping their tires underinflated but we promise that’s not a good idea. Trust us. We change dozens of flats a day, we’ve seen it all!

Another thing, squeezing a tire to “feel” if it’s full is not at all accurate. We surprise lots of people when we tell them what PSI they’re at and it’s waaaaay lower than they would have guessed.

Now that you know your PSI, you’ll want to pump up your tires to that number at least once a week. We sell a variety of floor and frame pumps and are happy to help you select one. The shop also always has a pump for you to use at our garage door during our open hours. Come by and get pumped!

If you haven’t ridden your bike in some time and your tire looks flat, make sure to pump it up and see if it holds air before assuming it is flat. Tubes lose air slowly over time, it’s normal.

Next time, we’ll talk glass and debris and wrap things up with tire upgrades.