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I'm just a fair weather cyclist, so I'm in need of education.
What benefits does inflating the tyres bring? I'd have intuitively thought that letting some air out and increasing the surface area of the rubber on tarmac would increase stability and grip, and the expense of efficiency.
Happy to learn though!
I suspect OP doesn’t cycle every week, but is planning to very soon. That’s when this kind of maintenance check is particularly useful.
If you do cycle every week, you’ll notice pretty quickly if the tires are in need of some more pressure. In that case, there’s no need to plan ahead. You just go when you need to go. There’s no need to think about the tires every time.
Its true, I haven't cycled for a while but will need to soon. Flat tires will have worse grip on the road, as far as I can recall anyway...
When it comes to cycling in winter, I prefer to stick with the usual pressure. Using studded tires is also recommended, but not completely mandatory.
To be clear, my tyres were flat, even for summer weather.
Was about time for (un)scheduled maintenance then.
I too need to clean and re-oil my chain.
I tried some grease last time and it seemed fine. Didn't particularly feel any difference, except that it probably withstood the rain a little better.
Tires are made to operate with a certain amount of pressure in them, that's written on the outer tire. Too little and you risk more leaks, not to mention it just takes more effort cycle.
If you want more stability and grip, you want bigger tires, like an ATB or mountain bike.
It's great that you're at least cycling now and then! For me it's my primary mode of transportation... Which is possible because the Netherlands has great cycling infrastructure.
I imagine everyone using cars for everything in other countless must be a lonely thing... Not to mention all the environmental impact 🙁
If your tire does not break through to a solid surface, you will not get traction on snow regardless, unless you are using either absurdly large balloon tires, or a tracked vehicle. More pressure ensures that any knobs or studs or treads have the best chance possible of finding traction.
Interestingly, lower pressure and higher contact patch does not actually reduce efficiency on dry asphalt either. This is because elastic tire deformation is highly elastic, but the increase in rolling friction is small. In contrast, overly stiff tires convey more vibration into the frame, which is lost as heat, instead of being conserved elastically. Even on perfectly smooth indoor tracks, just they hysteresis losses from pedaling on an overly firm tire add up significantly.