Tire pressure gauge

Does anyone here use a tire pressure gauge for MTB? I usually ride Fromme, which means I am going straight up and then straight down… so I usually jack my tire pressure up real high to help me on the initial climb (like 50-60 PSI) and then once I get to the top I let out a lot of air to try to get down to around 30 PSI. I have always just doing it by the feel of the tire but I am thinking a tire pressure gauge might be a good idea. Does anyone else use a tire pressure gauge? If so, could you recommend a decent one? I found this one but I was hoping to find something a little more MTB oriented (ie. with a smaller PSI range instead of 0-160 PSI).

http://www.mec.ca/product/5004-083/accu-gage-presta-tire-gauge/?q=tire%2Bpressure

I just use the gauge on the floor pump at home and don't usually change it but…….
Crappy tire sells a few digital ones cheap, which I use on my tubeless moto tires which run about 10 psi.

Nope. When you have ridden long enough you can tell just by feel.

http://www.lezyne.com/products/hand-pumps/high-volume#!pen-gauge

all the Lezyne stuff I have is pure quality. no comment on this gauge though as I've never used it.

I just use a floor pump at home. If you're running 30psi on the trails, are you really getting an advantage using 50psi on a gravel road? (assuming you're local and likely have a gravel road climb) Probably not enough to worry about, and it would be just another thing to dick around with at the trail head.

I guess that just blabbered my opinion and didn't answer your question. Sorry :lol:

I got a Topeak SmartGauge D2. I use it for everything from bike tires, to fork pressure to car tires.

It's brilliant.

http://www.lezyne.com/products/hand-pumps/high-volume#!pen-gauge

all the Lezyne stuff I have is pure quality.

This.
Have a dirt pump and a frame mounted road pump. Dirt gets within 1 PSI of SmartGauge reading.

I got a Topeak SmartGauge D2. I use it for everything from bike tires, to fork pressure to car tires.

It's brilliant.

This. Greatly reduced road bike flats now that I know the PSI of my tires

Nope. When you have ridden long enough you can tell just by feel.

And LOLing:lol: at this. I guess Peaty just hasn't ridden long enough then

PSI is just a number. You should have a sense of how the upper and lower recommended pressures of the tire feel. Then you just go by feel. At some point, you will probably a general sense for how my tires should feel for asphalt, gravel, rock, hardpack dirt, mud, wet rocks and roots etc.

"Feel" can mean how the tire feels to touch or how the bike feels when get on the bike and ride it. Also, faster conditions (eg many dry, hardpack or dry rocky conditions) may require higher pressures than slow conditions (eg wet, boggy, slick, rooty conditions) as you tend to be more susceptible to flats in fast conditions (because you are hitting things harder at speed).

Nope. When you have ridden long enough you can tell just by feel.

I have been doing this for a while and it's been fine in general, I just wouldn't mind having a more specific measure - that way I could experiment with various tire pressures and see what works the best, etc. rather than just guesstimating each time.

I just use a floor pump at home. If you're running 30psi on the trails, are you really getting an advantage using 50psi on a gravel road? (assuming you're local and likely have a gravel road climb) Probably not enough to worry about, and it would be just another thing to dick around with at the trail head.

I guess that just blabbered my opinion and didn't answer your question. Sorry :lol:

It's not a huge benefit but I am not in the best physical shape so I need all the help I can get.

Does anyone here use a tire pressure gauge for MTB? I usually ride Fromme, which means I am going straight up and then straight down… so I usually jack my tire pressure up real high to help me on the initial climb (like 50-60 PSI) and then once I get to the top I let out a lot of air to try to get down to around 30 PSI. I have always just doing it by the feel of the tire but I am thinking a tire pressure gauge might be a good idea. Does anyone else use a tire pressure gauge? If so, could you recommend a decent one? I found this one but I was hoping to find something a little more MTB oriented (ie. with a smaller PSI range instead of 0-160 PSI).

Depending on what you're climbing high tire pressure won't help. If you're climbing at 60psi then you'll slip on the technical stuff and bounce around too much on mtn hwy. Better for your tires to squish over the small rocks than bounce off of them. Only place high tire pressure helps is if you're on a smooth road, and on a road bike.

You'll climb just as fast at 30 psi and with less effort.

Depending on what you're climbing high tire pressure won't help. If you're climbing at 60psi then you'll slip on the technical stuff and bounce around too much on mtn hwy. Better for your tires to squish over the small rocks than bounce off of them. Only place high tire pressure helps is if you're on a smooth road, and on a road bike.

You'll climb just as fast at 30 psi and with less effort.

I find i can get away with pretty high pressures riding up the road on fromme but I need to go lower on Seymour, Burke, etc. 60 psi might be a little high but 45-50 is usually fine for fromme I find.

I'm a numbers guy and like to know exactly how everything is set-up so yes, I carry a gauge with me for adjustments.

And on a side note, that's a good price for a nice gauge..

i like to pressure up for climb and descent type rides . typically i start with 40 front 45 rear .

when i get to the top i'll release air in a series of blips on the presta valve until i feel what is right for the conditions . i usually start with 15 blips front and rear , and wind up taking more out as i go along .

when i get home and re-pressure with the floor pump i see where the pressure is and make a mental note of how many blips got me there .