Practical Tips for Avoiding Flat Tires

A flat tire is not only a frustrating thing but also it is easy to cause accidents. Imagine the scenario that you are riding an electric bike on a heavy traffic road. Suddenly, a tire blows and your bike slows down the speed immediately. You feel hard to control the e-bike. The drivers who ride behind you may be too late to brake or give way. Then two bikes hit directly. What a horrible accident it is! However, this accident could be avoided if we pay more attention to the tires in our daily life. Here are some practical tips for avoiding flat tires on e-bikes.

Tire Pressure

The first and the most important thing to protect your tires is to hold the tire pressure in a proper range. A tire with different materials and different brands have their unique air pressure arranges that can be measured in PSI. PSI means a unit of pressure expressed in pounds of force per square inch of the area, which stands for pounds per square inch. You can look at your tire sidewall to find out the proper pressure.

Generally speaking, there is a basic standard for different kinds of e-bikes' tires. For a mountain bike, its tires should be kept within 30-50 psi. Regarding road bikes, the tires pressure should be run between 100 to 140 psi. Concerning urban bikes, their tire pressure should be kept within 60-80 psi. To find your ideal pressure, you can begin in the middle of these pressure ranges and then consider your body weight. The more weight you have, The more pressure your tires need.

But please do not inflate the tires below or over these ranges. If the tire is under-inflated, it may result in a "pinch flat" which occurs when it compresses and pinches the tube against the wheel rim. If the tire is over-inflated, riders will have an uncomfortable riding experience. And more terribly, it will increase the possibility to burst tires. Because when the tires have exceeding pressure, it will cause the rubber to expand and cause a burst in the end. Just like an over-inflated balloon, when it is stabbed by a needle, it burst immediately.

But how can riders measure the pressure by themselves? Here are two ways. The first one is to use your thumb and forefingers to squeeze tires. If the pressure is proper, you can have the feeling that the tire is firm, not soft like plasticine or hard as a rock. However, these statistics are not accurate enough. For more precise data, you can use a pressure gauge.

Daily Maintenance

Maintaining the tires of an e-bike is not a difficult thing. On the contrary, it is easy for everyone to do it. For example, users should develop a habit to inspect the tire pressure regularly. It is one of the necessary steps to extend the life of the tires.

Also, we should avoid park e-bike in a corrosive environment. The bikes should be kept away from oil and other flammable materials and chemicals. Moreover, it is harmful to let the bikes being exposed to the sun for a long time. Heat will hurt the rubber and cause it to become more brittle and less elastic. The bike should store in cool and dry places.

Over-loaded is another issue to causes flat tires. Once you exceed the maximum weight that the electric bike can carry, it will increase the pressure on the tires and decrease its life span. Also, you should pay more intention to the surface of the tires. The more frequently you use the e-bike, the more times you check the surface of the tires. It is wise for you to use a small tweezer and a brush to clean the things sticking on the tires, such as small stones, glass, grass, mud, and so on.

Sometimes, these small embedded things do not immediately damage the tires. But they greatly impair the tires' performance and eventually cause a puncture. If there are small holes or breaks on the tires, you can use a tube sealant to repair these. The procedure is quite simple, users squeeze the liquid through the valve stem to cover the inner side of the tube. In this way, the small holes and breaks will be covered by the sealant. If the sealant does not work, it is time for you to replace a new tire.

Drive Carefully

When you ride on uneven roads, typically mountains and muddy roads, please be careful about stones and sharp objects since these items can pierce your tires. Also, you should avoid ride the electric bike on the side of the road or ride near the construction that is being constructed. On These roads, there is many road debris, for example, nails, thorns, rubbish, etc. It is the best option for you to change your route for protecting the tires.

Here are some basic and practical methods for users to avoid flat tires on their e-bikes. Want to find out more information about electric bikes, please visit https://www.heybike.com/.