Pressure in a Bicycle Tire (original) (raw)
The Physics Factbook™
Edited by Glenn Elert -- Written by his students
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| Bibliographic Entry | Result(w/surrounding text) | StandardizedResult |
|---|---|---|
| Zitzewitz and Neff. Merrill Physics Principles and Problems. Westerville, Ohio: Harvard University and Cornell, 1990. 267. | Some Typical Pressures Location Pressure (Pa) Auto Tire 2 × 105 | 200 kPa |
| "Pressure." Macmillan Encyclopedia of Physics Reference. 530.03M. Volume 3. New York, New York.1996. pages 1235-1236. | "Tire pressure are measured using a rather simple spring gauge, giving readings such as "29", meaning 29 psi." | 200 kPa |
| Bernie, Jacques. Edmonton Bicycle Commuters Society (EBC) Mechanic's Corner. 2002-2003. | "Bicycle tires have a pressure rating stamped right on the wall. Look for the words: "inflate to 90 psi max …. Some tires indicate a minimum and a maximum tire pressure. They will say: OFF ROAD 45 psi, ON ROAD 65 psi" | 300–600 kPa |
| Correct Tire Pressure Improves Your Ride. Mike's Bicycle Centers and Sausalito Cyclery Create Catalog. 2001. | Rider Weight Road Tire Pressure (PSI) Off-Road Tire Pressure (PSI) 110 95-105 35-38 140 105-115 37-40 170 110-120 40-43 200 120-130 42-45 230 125-135 45-48 | 240–930 kPa |
Pressure is any force which acts against a surface. The formula to define pressure is P = F/A where F is force and A is surface area. The SI unit for pressure is the pascal (Pa = N/m2 = kg/ms2) or kilopascal (kPa = 1000 Pa) but some mechanics use psi (pounds-force/square inch).
It is very hard to find an exact number of pascals (pressure) for a bicycle tire because there are different types of bicycles tires. For example, off the road bicycle tires have a pressure between 310 to 450 kPa. On the other hand, road tires have a higher pressure between 660 to 930 kPa. The reason for this is because the road is very rough and hard but the regular ground is, in a way, smooth and soft. Another reason to keep tire pressure higher on the road is because if you have a soft tire, it will pick up glass and dirt off the road. These will then stick to the tire and damage your inner tube.Then after a while, you would get a flat.
Shara Khan -- 2003