A flat tyre is not only a distracting event, but it can easily cause an accident. Imagine this scenario: you're riding an e-bike on a heavily trafficked road. Suddenly, a tyre bursts and your bike immediately slows down. You find it difficult to control the e-bike. The driver riding behind you may not have time to brake or give way. Then the two bikes collide directly. What a terrible accident this is! However, this kind of accident can be avoided if we pay more attention to tyres in our daily life. Here are some useful tips to avoid a flat tyre on your e-bike.
Tyre pressure
The first and foremost task to protect your tyres is to keep the tyre pressure in the right range. Different materials and brands of tyres have their own unique air pressure arrangements, which can be measured using PSI, a unit of pressure expressed in pounds per square inch of area, which stands for pounds per square inch. You can check the sidewall of the tyre to find out the right pressure.
Generally, there is a basic standard for different types of e-bike tyres. For mountain bikes, their tyre pressure should be maintained between 30-50 psi. For road bikes, the tyre pressure should be between 100 and 140 psi. For city bikes, the tyre pressure should be between 60 and 80 psi. To find the ideal pressure, you can start in the middle of these pressure ranges and then consider your weight. The heavier you are, the more pressure your tyres need.
However, do not inflate your tyres below or above these ranges. Underinflated tyres can cause a ‘blowout’, which occurs when the tyre compresses and squeezes the inner tube against the rim. If the tyre is overinflated, the rider will have an uncomfortable ride. Even worse, this can increase the likelihood of a flat tyre. This is because when a tyre is over-pressurised, it causes the rubber to expand and eventually lead to a blowout. Just like an over-inflated balloon, when pricked by a pin, it will burst immediately.
But how should riders measure tyre pressure themselves? There are two methods. The first method is to squeeze the tyre with your thumb and forefinger. If the pressure is right, you will feel that the tyre is firm, not soft like playdough or hard like a rock. But these statistics are not accurate enough. If you want more accurate data, you can use a pressure gauge.
Daily Maintenance
Maintaining the tyres of an e-bike is not a difficult task, on the contrary, everyone can do it easily. For example, users should get into the habit of checking tyre pressure regularly. This is one of the necessary steps to extend the life of tyres.
In addition, we should avoid parking e-bikes in corrosive environments. The bike should be kept away from oil and other flammable materials and chemicals. It is also harmful to expose the bike to sunlight for a long time. Heat can damage rubber, making it more brittle and less elastic. Bicycles should be stored in a cool, dry place.
Overloading is another problem that leads to flat tyres. Once you exceed the maximum weight an e-bike can carry, it increases the pressure on the tyre and shortens its life. In addition, you should pay more attention to the surface of the tyre. The more often you use your e-bike, the more often you will have to check the surface of your tyres. It is wise to use small tweezers and brushes to clean up things that stick to your tyres, such as small stones, glass, grass, dirt, etc.
Sometimes these small embedded objects do not damage the tyre immediately. However, they can significantly impair the performance of the tyre and eventually lead to a blowout. If there are small holes or cracks in your tyres, you can repair them using an inner tube sealant. The process is simple; the user squeezes the liquid through the valve stem to cover the inside of the inner tube. This way, small holes and cracks are covered by the sealant. If the sealant doesn't work, it's time for you to get new tyres.
Drive carefully
When you are riding on rough roads, usually hills and dirt roads, be careful of rocks and sharp objects as these items can puncture your tyres. You should also avoid riding your e-bike on the side of the road or near buildings under construction. On these roads there is a lot of road debris such as nails, thorns and rubbish. Changing your route is the best option to protect your tyres.
Here are some basic practical ways to avoid a flat tyre on your e-bike. For more information on e-bikes, visit https://www.bodywel.co.uk/