| A few days ago, I was driving happily along the | | | | carelessness with my car tires, I always had and |
| highway, heading home from a run to a bookstore. A | | | | always will check my bicycle tire pressure before |
| passing motorist honked at me and then pointed | | | | setting off on a ride. The more so because I have |
| toward my car as if there were something wrong | | | | had a couple of flat tires with that bike over the five |
| with it. I nodded and waved and slowed down, and | | | | years that I've owned it. |
| they passed me. However, my car was behaving as | | | | Tire pressure is important for cars, because if a tire |
| it always had... there was no "pull" or rough riding to | | | | blows while the car is traveling at high speed that's a |
| indicate that I had a flat tire. So, since I was only ten | | | | heavy piece of machinery that will go out of control. |
| minutes from home I just kept on driving - albeit | | | | But it's just as important for bicyclists, because since |
| more slowly. | | | | you have to use your own power to muscle along |
| My mind being what it is, as soon as I pulled into the | | | | the bike, flat tires will effect your ride from the very |
| driveway I forgot all about the reason why I had | | | | beginning. And if you're far away from home when |
| been driving slowly for the last ten minutes, and just | | | | the tire gives up the ghost, you could find yourself |
| walked into the house. | | | | with a long walk home. |
| The next day, I got into the car and had driven out | | | | There's no difficulty in knowing how many pounds of |
| of my apartment parking lot toward the access road | | | | pressure need to be put into your bike tires - the |
| for the main drag, before remembering that there | | | | manufacturer puts those specifications on the side of |
| was supposedly something wrong with one of the | | | | each tire. Get yourself a tire gauge and always use it |
| tires. So I returned to the parking lot, got out, and | | | | when you inflate your tires. However, although you |
| looked at my tires. The rear left was as flat as a | | | | won't want to exceed the pounds per square inch |
| pancake. | | | | that they recommend, there are reasons why you'd |
| I couldn't have driven home with it like that - it surely | | | | sometimes want to use less. |
| would have effected the handling of the car. So | | | | With a tire inflated to the correct pressure, your ride |
| yesterday the tire must simply have been low, and | | | | will be as smooth as the quality of your frame will |
| continued going flat over night. | | | | allow it. If your tires aren't inflated enough it |
| My dad, who had witnessed my return, asked me if I | | | | increases the chance of getting a flat tire, but more |
| didn't check the tires before I got behind the wheel | | | | importantly makes it harder to pedal. Too high of |
| every single time, and I confessed that I didn't. I've | | | | pressure will strain the tire itself, not to mention |
| been driving for years and years and never had a flat | | | | making the ride too bumpy to be comfortable. |
| tire before, so why bother? | | | | Bike tires lose their pressure on a regular basis, so |
| But I learned my lesson from that little incident, and | | | | before starting out on your ride, always squeeze |
| now I take a few seconds and check the tires | | | | both front and back tires to ensure that they are |
| before leaving. | | | | hard. Mountain bikers do like their tires "mushier" than |
| And that little story brings me to the point of this | | | | other bikers, and if that applies to you just become |
| essay, which is that before you get on your bike - | | | | familiar with what the appropriate tire pressure for |
| there are various things you should check to make | | | | you looks and feels like. |
| sure you'll have a safe ride. Indeed, in spite of my | | | | |