Tire inflation issue

I received my new tube and pumped it up. But when i sit on it the tire still goes down a bit. Is it supposed to be rock hard? I’m just afraid to over pump it. I tried one of those tire pressure things but i think its broken.
Is it normal for it to go a little flat when on it? or am i just to heavy?

No! The tire is supposed to add some suspension while riding. The optimal pressure is a matter of personal preference but is obviously influenced by your intended use and tire width.

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Ok thank you. I just don’t want to ruin it.

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I don’t know much about tires and tubes, but I guess you should just set your pressure between the recommended min and max that should be written on your tire side. Maybe not the minimum if you’re heavy, I’m not sure, since on a unicycle all the weight of the person is supported by one tire.

I read that the tube isn’t really an issue when it comes to pressure, because the tire itself prevents the tube to be expanded too much.

Also, you can use smaller and narrower tubes than your rim/tire, it causes no issue. I used a 26" ~2.25 tube on my 27.5" 2.8 wheel for years.

Please correct me if I’m wrong. :v:

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…as long as you stay within the given limits of the tube. A much too narrow tube can be over-stretched when being used in a too wide tire. This makes the tube more prone to punctures and other damage. Usually the range of a tube is written on it or on its packaging. A too wide tube on the other hand isn’t optimal, either, as the tube can throw wrinkles in the tire then which you may feel while riding. Both options however are totally feasible if you don’t have anything else at hand and need to get home.

The pressure of the tire, to get back to the original question, depends on the purpose of the uni: On a road uni I would go for maximum pressure as stated on the tire (low rolling resistance, less puncture-prone, longer life-time of the tire on hard surfaces) while on the muni the main concern is to not have snake bites when rolling/jumping over bumps with the rim touching the flattened tire. In general with usual bicycle pumps it’s hard to overpump a tire (floor pumps can generate more pressure with less effort). Only plastic rims, very much worn rims (due to rim brakes) or flawed tires can cause trouble, I’d say.

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That makes sense.
I wrote what I read and what my experience was, but a personal experience can never be stretched to a generality. :+1:

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