[Closed] + Tyre Pressure Gauge - Who Uses One?

Topeak D2?

You want something that runs up to 50 psi for off road tyres, 100 psi for road tyres.

I got the topeak, it's good. It annoys me that it's not accurate- I have 2 gauges, they read slightly different amounts- but it's consistent at least and that's all you really need.

Accugauge is nice but the relief valve is too slow to be useful imo, it annoyed me instantly.

Is your accu-gage FS? 😉

it's consistent at least and that's all you really need

Exactly.

I have the BBB digital unit which I think may be same as the Schwalbe as they look quite alike. It was a tenner and could be carried on a keyring if you really wanted (its about the size of a normal modern car remote plip)

Digital is a must for lower pressures unless you want an extremely large, expensive and heavy calibrated analogue gauge. The one on your floor pump is unlikely to be very accurate much below 20PSI and certainly not below 10PSI (where most fat bikes live)

I only really use this for the Fatty unless I'm particularly trying to assess something, but for a tenner its a useful tool to have.

it's consistent at least and that's all you really need
Exactly.

being super pedantic, yes - so long as you realise it's not calibrated to a standard and that the reading it gives, while consistent, may not be reproducible by anyone else's unit and is therefore meaningless for any unit but yours apart from as an indication of Trend if plotted (try that on a 'what pressures for...' thread 🙂 )

Thought about getting one. Would the sealant that escapes from the valve not bugger it up?

You shouldn't be getting a lot of sealant out the valve, you might get an initial spray but a tap of the valve before you check pressure should clear any resting in there.

Would the sealant that escapes from the valve not bugger it up?

Pump a shot of air through the valve to clear any sealant before you use a gauge.

Don't have one yet, but plan to get the Topeak one for b+ tyres at some point.

Anyone compared the ~£15 Schwalbe Airmax Pro, which goes up to 11 bar, with other gauges that max out at 2-4 bar?

I just use the track pump for the road bike, get it to what it says is 100psi, and then always tend to let a bit out.

MTB just pump until the squeeze test feels right.

SKS Airchecker is good. Digital scale covers fat/plus/mtb/road pressures just fine.

[url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B015FMBAA6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ]TireTek Flexi-Pro[/url] best I've had. Paid a lot more for others that have all failed or become inaccurate. Found the foot and track pump gauges to well out, usually by at least 10%, even thought they have been looked after i.e. not dropped or thrown in the boot.

I'm happy with the topeak D2, goes up to 250psi in 1psi increments so all the range you'll need.
I did look at the Shwalbe one, but the D2 seemed slighty better reviewed.

I have the topeak d2 and it's a decent gauge, 1/2 psi of difference is noticeable on my 27.5+ sized tyres so being a fettler it's quite handy.

I had the oxford one for a long time, eventually the screen went funny, but did do presta and schrader valves.

You want something that runs up to 50 psi for off road tyres, 100 psi for road tyres.

Except I've not run more than 30psi off road since the 90's, and my road tyres happily zip along at 120psi, and for the fat bike I'd want one that did 0-15psi at the most!

I have to check pressures before I ride ( top peak d2 )
My OCD wouldn't let me ride without it

I think if running tubeless, you need to check every ride as they let ~1 psi out over a few days

I've just received the Tire Tek Flexi-Pro gauge

It has the Schrader specific chuck with no option for a Presta

What's the best way around this?

it's consistent at least and that's all you really need
Exactly.

Well sort of...it might have good repeatability (in the short term) but I'm willing to bed the Long Term Stability and Temperature Effects will be woeful.

BillOddie - Member
... woeful.

Wouldn't think it worth riding again

Give in

Topeak D2?

Mine has never been that reliable - seems to eat batteries and/or have a loose connection. Must just have been unlucky

The whole look of the D2 doesn't make we want to jump

I have the BBB one too. Thought it was reading too low but have checked it against another and it's spot on. Was surprised to find all my tyres running well under 20psi though! Around the 15 mark in fact. Is this normal? Mix of 26 and 27.5 and 2.3 - 2.4 size.

I have got a Presta Schrader screw on adapter so managed to get the gauge working

Front 29x3 Chronicle is running at 11 and the rear 27.5x3 Bridger is at 12

I have the BBB one too. Thought it was reading too low but have checked it against another and it's spot on. Was surprised to find all my tyres running well under 20psi though! Around the 15 mark in fact. Is this normal? Mix of 26 and 27.5 and 2.3 - 2.4 size.

Bigger tyres, lower pressures. Guy on a fatbike I met yesterday claimed to be running 3psi. Looked like it too.

3... not heard of anyone running a fat tyre on 3. Not even for beach use

3... not heard of anyone running a fat tyre on 3. Not even for beach use

Surrey Hills. It *is* kind of dry and sandy at the moment. 🙂

So I just 'fixed' my Topeak D2 with a bit of foam behind the battery door. Don't know why i didn't do that years ago.

Very surprised to find what low pressures we'd been running. Katie's tyres were on about 10psi (650b/2.3/60k/sus bike) , mine about 18 (29er/2.2/hardtail/80kg).

D2 seems accurate on car tyres as a check and against road pressures. Main issue is how hard it is not to lose a load of pressure on a presta valve when taking a reading.

I ended up buying the digital version of the Lezyne Dirt Pump because the pump test pump test faff. It gives me a notably different number from the Topeak. With just two gauges I don't know which is right but this isn't the first time I've seen people say the Topeak's pretty inaccurate.

Which way is the Topeak reading do you think?

I picked up an SKS version and it's reading ~10psi lower at mtb pressure and ~5psi lower than my track pump at road pressure.

I've no idea which one is accurate and this bothers me greatly. You wouldn't have thought it would be too hard to do even a rudimentary calibration check on build would you?

thisisnotaspoon - Member
I had the oxford one for a long time, eventually the screen went funny, but did do presta and schrader valves.

How??? 😯 I have one. The Oxford support lady said It did schrader but I can't see how for the life of me! ❓

You probably need an adapter, like the TireTek one

Bit of a faff really

Just bought one of these:

[url= https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01DBVA9LE/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 ]Gauge[/url]

You will need a presta to schrader adaptor but it works well with the ones I bought and feels very well made. Really good for a tenner.

There isn't much choice when you start looking at bike specific gauges and all the digital ones, Topeak included, get very mixed reviews.

[img] [/img]

Got 4 of these from Jenson, cost about 60 odd quid all in with delivery. Really well made, bleed button and holds pressure when you take it off.

Best one yet, so far.

Edit - ours are the 0-30psi gauges...

£60 - each?? 😯

Aye, we split for them, clubbed together on postage Bonio.

I have an accugage, it's nice but the bleed valve is too slow, drives me nuts.

Patience, my young Padawan...

Letting 2psi out of a 4.8 tyre with the accugage doesn't need patience, it needs a medically induced coma.

I use a digital one, ive had a few, I trust them in the sense I cant tell what pressure I'm at by feel so in that sense even if the gauge is out by 2 psi its still closer than I can get by feel

What are people looking for,repeatability of pressures that they like or a true readout of the actual pressure?

^ Easy - both 🙂

Northwind - Member

Letting 2psi out of a 4.8 tyre with the accugage doesn't need patience, it needs a medically induced coma.

Pretty sure the button is the gauge reset, not pressure relief.

^ Easy - both

When I raced a lot,I would try different pressures on my gauge till I was happy with the ride, but I have no idea how accurate the readings were. Never saw the point in having it calibrated ,I just used it for repeatability.It could have had the display in carrots for all I cared.
I am sure for awesome riders a PSI or two makes all the difference though 😉

@stato, they describe it as a bleeder valve.

Pretty sure the button is the gauge reset, not pressure relief.

Which is essentially the same thing.

Repeatability [i]is[/i] your accuracy to be honest. As long as I know what I want physically in my tyres, and that the gauge is providing that every time, within reason, I'm happy. \o/

fasthaggis - Member
When I raced a lot,I would try different pressures on my gauge till I was happy with the ride, but I have no idea how accurate the readings were. Never saw the point in having it calibrated ,I just used it for repeatability.It could have had the display in carrots for all I cared.
I am sure for awesome riders a PSI or two makes all the difference though

I am sure for [s]awesome[/s] [i]fatbike[/i] riders a PSI or two makes all the difference though

😀 😉

It's good to be accurate and know how hard (or soft) you are to the next rider, for comparison sake

This [url= http://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/schwalbe-airmax-pro-digital-pressure-gauge-30845?currency=3&delivery_country=190&gclid=CIG8wLPi7s4CFeYp0wodR3UDTg ]schwalbe[/url]

^ do you have one?

I had a (cheap) digital gauge but gave up with it as it was patently inconsistent for fat bike tyres (<10 PSI) - the squeeze test was more reliable.

The Accu-Gage is great, though. I run 4.8 PSI front / 5.5 PSI rear on my 4.7" fat bike tyres for general riding - including roads, about 3.5 PSI for soft beach sand (the sort where you sink to your ankles when you walk on it) and the lowest reading I've seen is 1.2 PSI which was what I ended up at riding on deep-ish snow (almost un-rideable on the road!) The 15 PSI Accu-Gage has enoug precision to cope with all of these.

Letting 2psi out of a 4.8 tyre with the accugage doesn't need patience, it needs a medically induced coma

Erm... You take the gauge off, press on the end of the valve with your finger for a few seconds, then try the gauge on again...

"Accu-Gage" gauges are available on ebay from the USA for about £18 including postage.

[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Accu-Gauge-Fat-Bike-Tire-Presta-Valve-Dial-Low-Air-Pressure-Gauge-Max-15psi-/322004932237?hash=item4af8fd568d:g:3BoAAOxy~dNTH-DX ]0-15 PSI[/url]
[url= http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Meiser-Accu-Gauge-Fat-Bike-Tire-Presta-Valve-Dial-Air-Pressure-Gauge-Max-30psi-/222000597371?hash=item33b044497b:g:JMIAAOSwnDxUmhwM ]
0-30 PSI[/url]

I bought one from that seller last year, and it arrived in about 10 days - no problems at all.

The 15 PSI one is excellent for fat bikes, but I would suggest the 30PSI one for plus tyres as over-pressurising bourdon gauges will kill them. Treated with care, they should last forever.

Think I might just have to cave in and buy an accu gauge (0-15).

tillydog - Member

Erm... You take the gauge off, press on the end of the valve with your finger for a few seconds, then try the gauge on again...

Which makes the relief valve pointless, unlike the one on the Topeak, which actually works and means you don't have to fanny about.

Been riding fat bikes for a couple of years and was suddenly a fan of digital gauges

I use the Shimano Pro - costs about £12

Its very annoying that you cannot change the battery, but i use it a lot and it lives in my camelbak (which is pretty shitty) - typically get 9 to 12 months out of it

The difference between 7.2 psi and 8 psi is really noticeable - its nuts how much of a difference it makes!!

Essential tool in my eyes

makes the relief valve pointless

Not at all. I use it to reset the gauge after taking a reading, or to tickle the pressure down a little bit - YMMV.

Fatbike - front brake on, full weight shove down on the bars. If the tyre wrinkles ever so slightly then it's perfect. 🙂

tilly - what do you use as a Presta adapter when using accu-gauge?

Edit: oh right just looked properly and realised accu-g is presta specific