Deflating tyres before flying?

[Ken Sington]

Is this an old wives tale, or something you should do? I'm flying over to Sweden this week with my bike in a hard shell case for the Vatternrundan on Saturday. I can't take a track pump with me and don't know if I'll have access to one when I get there. It's almost impossible to get a high enough pressure with a mini pump so I am loathe to deflate the tyres before I pack the bike. What to do?

[mchammer89]

It should be fine, I accidently forgot to let mine down when flying mine over and they were fine when the bike landed.

[walm]

Ken Sington said:

Is this an old wives tale, or something you should do? I'm flying over to Sweden this week with my bike in a hard shell case for the Vatternrundan on Saturday. I can't take a track pump with me and don't know if I'll have access to one when I get there. It's almost impossible to get a high enough pressure with a mini pump so I am loathe to deflate the tyres before I pack the bike. What to do?

http://lmgtfy.com/?q=deflate+tyre+flying

First links says no.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/air-altitude-pre...

This link makes the CTC claim of a ~10psi delta look right (assuming the hold isn't pressurised). It shows a difference between 14.7psi (at sea level) and 3.5psi at 35,000 feet.

Can your tyres cope with an extra 10psi? Probably.

[Kablinsky]

Ken (if you're still around), with 19000 cyclists knocking about there's sure to be a spare track pump or 50 knocking about. Or are you leaving the box at the airport and cycling?

What start time have you got?

[Ken Sington]

Kablinsky said:

Ken (if you're still around), with 19000 cyclists knocking about there's sure to be a spare track pump or 50 knocking about. Or are you leaving the box at the airport and cycling?

What start time have you got?

Still here, not going until tomorrow. Rolling out at 00.20. Weather forecast for Saturday is absolutely cack according to the organisers so it should be character building!

[Kablinsky]

We're heading off in one of the first batches at 8.20pm. Where are you flying from? Appalling weather in store. Marvellous.

[Ken Sington]

Flying Heathrow to Gothenburg, then driving across to Nassjo where Mrs Sington's relations reside. Someone is shipping a team of 4 of us up to Motala on Friday night for the start, and then coming back to recover the wreckage around lunchtime on Saturday. Good luck. If you haven't done it before, I recommend the Swedish porridge with jam on it at the 100kms stop at Jonkoping!

[pdV6]

I've just bought a mini track pump that folds up as small as a mini pump but includes a gauge, T-handle, foot plate & hose and is rated to 160psi.

Yes, it's not as good as a full-on track pump but it gets 60psi into my commuting tyres far quicker than I could ever get 30psi in using a 'normal' mini pump.



http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Topeak_Turbo_Mor...