Then when using an unknown compressor to fill your tire (some gas station compressors are capable of 200PSI+!), "goose" it in small increments until it "feels right" to your thumb, you may be surprised at how accurate your sense of touch is as well as prevent a serious blowout if you're less than attentive. Whenever you accurately fill your tire to your preferred pressure, test it with your thumb dug in to the tire sidewall. I also recommend using the "thumb gauge" with compressors.
![gas stations with air gas stations with air](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2a/03/8f/2a038f6863a2fe2364f8da8b99c7aa6e.jpg)
Even the best manual pumps take way more effort than a compressor. That one time you discover your tire is low and pass a gas station with a Schrader valve compressor fitting and don't have the adapter will teach you by having to suffer with hand pumping. Voila, you always have one with you.That is what I recommend at my flat repair clinics: Always keep an adapter with you. Remove bolt from braze on, put longer bolt of same thread size through adapter and screw into braze on. You can also use a longer screw or bolt to carry an adapter on any un used braze on on your bike. I leave a presta adapter screwed on a valve stem of each of my bikes. I think that can be maintained with an air pump, used periodically. so at worse case, you may lose 18% of your tire pressure over time. (could be done with any gas, if it is dried during compression)īut regarding air vrs nitrogen, bear in mind that 80% of air is nitrogen, and only about 18% is oxygen. Oxygen can form temporary bonds to the rubber molecules so it tends to stick to them and is more likely to gradually diffuse through the rubber and escape compared to nitrogen.I did mention the drying aspect of nitrogen. So using a dry gas instead of air results in a more stable tire pressure.įurthermore nitrogen gas does stay in the tire better than the nitrogen/oxygen mixture of regular air. If the water vapor condenses out inside the tire as it cools down then the pressure drops more rapidly. But the water inside the tire can be in either vapor or liquid form and that results in a departure from the normal temperature vs. Yes, *gasses* do follow the ideal gas law quite well. Oxygen can form temporary bonds to the rubber molecules so it tends to stick to them and is more likely to gradually diffuse through the rubber and escape compared to nitrogen.
![gas stations with air gas stations with air](https://daykfmoc67thr.cloudfront.net/Pictures/2000x2000fit/1/5/7/1026157_stationhydrogeneorlyairliquidecopyrightmouradmokrani_964159.jpg)
![gas stations with air gas stations with air](https://www.obnoxiousantiques.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/airmeter-3.jpg)
But I doubt there are any advantages, and most likely it is simply yet another scam foisted on the pubic.Yes, *gasses* do follow the ideal gas law quite well. If there is any advantage to nitrogen, it is that the gas is dried before being "bottled" and thus may offer a less corrosive environment to the wheel and tire. All tires heat up as they are used on the road, and all gases expand when heated. Ever heard of Boyles law? It applies to ALL gasses.