Do you know that different types of bikes with different sizes of bike tires will have different numbers of maximum tire pressure? This maximum tire pressure is usually written on the sidewalls of the tire. Want to find out which is the best folding bike tire pressure for your folding bike? Follow this article to get your answer.
Correct Tire Pressure for Your Bike
Most casual cyclists sometimes overlook the importance of tire pressure. They either inflate the tire to a shape or go extreme by inflating it into a rock-solid one. Others may also casually forget that bike tires still need to stay properly inflated even when it is not being used for a ride.
The truth is, tires are an essential part of your bike, and you have to maintain them correctly if you wish your bike to have an optimal function. Different types of tires will have different tire pressure, and the manufacturer usually lists them in a bike tire pressure chart.
Usually, the pressure on a tire is dependent on the surface a rider goes through for their ride. Higher pressure gives you a lesser rolling resistance which allows the bike to carry your speed easier. Hence, a folding bike’s recommended tire pressure is around 50psi to 60psi regardless of the tire’s diameter.
On the contrary, less pressure will give you a little bit more of a comfortable ride and allows you to have a better group over rough terrains. This is also why a mountain bike tire pressure is recommended to be kept around 25 to 30psi when used for off-road riding and about 40 to 50psi if you use it for daily commutes.
What PSI Should a Folding Bike Be?
Most Singaporeans live in an apartment with limited space. Hence, it is just normal to put “easy to store” into consideration when looking out for a personal mobility device. This is also why folding bikes are one of the most popular vehicles in Singapore.
Folding bikes are usually used for transportation or leisure cycling and are commonly ridden on urban paths where the surface is smooth. This bike is built to emphasize comfort during the ride and the level of rolling efficiency.
A little information you have to know about folding bikes is that it comes in three different sizes. Although most people go for a 20-inches folding bike as it gives a ride experience closer to a standard bike, some manufacturers still come with a 16-inches and 24-inches folding bike to provide options for the market so people can choose the folding bike that suits them more.
Of course, there are slight differences between a 16-inches folding bike with a 20-inches and 24-inches one. If you are interested to know more, you can refer to our folding bike comparison article.
Getting back to the main topic, regardless of the tire diameters, the recommended folding bicycle tire pressure remains the same. Both city and folding bikes are advised to keep their tire pressure around 50-60psi.
Ideal Type Tire Pressure
If you want to get a little higher pressure for your folding bike, it should not be any problem as long as you make sure that you don’t exceed the maximum inflation pressure that is listed on the sidewall of your tire. You can also refer to the bicycle tyre pressure chart to know how much air you have to pump into your bike.
Or you can use a bicycle tire pressure calculator to measure how much air is required to inflate your 20″ folding bike tire pressure and the other types of bikes.
Ideally, bike tires are filled with air to achieve several purposes, such as:
- Giving enough rigidity and firmness that allows the rider to have better control and steering of the bikes;
- Helping riders absorb the irregularity on the road (bumps, potholes, and others);
- Lowering the weight of the bike.
An optimal tire pressure allows the tire to carry weight without deforming too much; meanwhile, a tire with lower pressure tends to deform when it contacts the surface to comply with terrain irregularities. Beware not under or over-pressured your tires since they can cause:
Pressure is Higher than Optimal
Inflating a rear tire to pressure more than 5% over the optimal or front tire pressure 1% higher than the rear tire can result in:
- The ride will feel uncomfortable significantly because it can’t dampen the road irregularities such as bumps or potholes, even when it’s a small one;
- You will have to put a little more energy into pedaling as the speed on flats and climbs will slightly be dropped;
- On extremely flat and good quality pavement, the bike’s speed will slightly increase and, at the same time, become harder to control.
Pressure is Lower than Optimal
Going below the optimal pressure of a bike will increase the risk of pinch flats higher chance of losing speed even on rougher roads, but it doesn’t give you any significant change in the comfort of the grip.
Note that typically, a rear tire has to get a higher pressure than the front tire since your weight is placed more onto the rear parts rather than the front. Use a folding bike tire pressure calculator to help you determine. When inflating a tire, you can use a gauge for accuracy.
Conclusion
Folding bike has been one of the most popular personal mobility device options in Singapore. The main reason is that it is compact and speed enough for daily commutes on the urban pavement. If you own a folding bike, aside from concerns about its safety, you also have to know about other techniques such as how to maintain the folding bike, install the tire, and learn about optimal tire pressure.
Each bike and tires will have a different optimal pressure. Inflating your bike tire correctly will give you a better riding experience. The tire pressure of a folding bike is identical for each size of the tire’s diameter. This indicates that the 16 inch folding bike tyre pressure will be similar to the 20-inch and 22 inch folding bike tyre pressure.
The 20 inch bicycle tire pressure psi like a folding bike is recommended to be kept around 50psi to 60psi depending on the rider’s weight and the road condition. Usually, during the rainy season, the road will be slightly slippery. Hence, you will need a lower pressure for your bike to better grip and control the bike but should never exceed 80psi or the maximum pressure written on the sidewall of the tire.
This is all you need to know about Polygon folding bike tire pressure. If you are looking forward to buying a folding bike or accessories and parts for your bike, it’s highly recommended to visit Rodalink. Rodalink is an official distributor of Polygon, but they also provide a wide range of bicycles—from the basic one to the specialized freestyle bike, all available at Rodalink.
You can also join their membership program with free registration, and you’ll be eligible to enjoy the exclusive special deals and events for community members. There is a tiered system for this membership where you can level up based on your purchase amount. The more you shop, the higher your tire will become and the more benefit you can get.
Rodalink also has pickup store services that enable you to shop your bike online and pick up the bike at Rodalink’s offline store for the scheduled time being. This service is suitable for those with a hectic schedule who don’t get time to queue but still don’t want to miss out on the chance of getting a dream bike. Enjoy hassle-free bike shopping with lots of benefits only at Rodalink.
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