TIRE PRESSURE PSI 101 + 14 INCH INNER TUBE BMX HACK!

In today's Tech Thursday, Phu Vu over at (_@epicbmx) gives us a lesson in Tire Pressure (PSI) the pros and cons of riding high pressure tires, folding, non folding, knobby, smooth, street, dirt, vert, or park tires, and Ethan Corriere (@EthanCorrier) explains low air pressure, why he runs 25PSI in his tires.
Then Phu shows you how to get a 12, 14, 16 or 18 inch Tube to work on your 20" bmx wheel! That's right, the 14 inch inner tube hack is real!
TIRE PRESSURE PSI 101 + 14 INCH INNER TUBE BMX HACK!
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[@BenderRodriguezBender]

Good to hear the info from a guy who really knows it.

[@skew2585]

this is the type of guy to look at me dead in the eyes and tell me im doing it wrong

[@lifeguard8887]

Oof. Hits too close to home.

[@guyonthebike]

This shop feels like it's fun to hang around.

[@taramagar9931]

Bmx8000

[@alienlodejavu9504]

This one explains everything i want to know about PSI, when i have question marks in my mind i always check-in here to find the answers. Its like a BMX library. Thanks to Alfredo and Phu you guys did a great job.

[@spicydramarama852]

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16, 17.

[@richg4051]

Begin runs -15 PSI

[@brucemcelroy3186]

3:27 "goin fast is scary. everyone knows that." LOL

[@RiyuichiNarita]

Bruhhh, I thought I was running low at 30 but my mans running 25 out here sheeesh

[@ethancooper1560]

I always keep mine at about 35

[@Parchedhiker]

Always enjoy the passing knowledge! I run 60 psi all round

[@daltonmurphy5467]

Great stuff, answered all the questions i had for this video. Thanks Alf and gang!

[@thefakeeyelash9063]

This dude is a walking encyclopedia of bmx man..

[@emmanuelcruz9200]

Man i love this guy i hope u continue to keep putting fu in Your vloggs i can listen to fu all night long. I replayed the video 3 times love this guy.. Thanks

[@richg4051]

Phu is my ASMR i can listen to him ramble all day

[@ethancooper1560]

Yeah and I think I could walk in there to get a tube and he would talk me into buying a new bike

[@mambocowboy]

Love tech Thursdays at Epic!

[@Bigrig_trmc]

So glad u made this video bro!! I been asking u and everyone else. Thanks for listening bro!❤❤💯👑🤘🤘

[@BeastEnte]

I love this man. Super helpful!

[@robertfattler3700]

My two best friends ride and are damn good. So about two weeks ago I bought a Eastern Thick Rhonda frame and put like 2,000 in it and I'm steady working and learning. But Alfredo is legit my favorite channel and I love that he posts stuff like this. My friends teach me another but watching stuff like from someone who has his own shop and knows just about everything lol it's really nice to have.

[@kevlar8340]

Another informative banger brought to you by Alf and Epic! 🔥🤘

[@zemertv5950]

Nice one again Alfredo and the team...😁😁👍

[@jdmsnail2505]

My mind was blown at the tube sizes for real!

[@adrianmercuriobalza2191]

Thank you for this bmx life hack 🔥

[@HeyImKevin]

I love the epic videos!

[@joelvideira5360]

Great video bro! Epic rules!

[@rorythebulldog]

I enjoyed this thank you

[@MiguelRodriguez-wy2ge]

Super Helpful video 🔥

[@Myzery23]

Great video, thank you!

[@Vupac187]

Always like epic info

[@andersonbunsiebumphray4416]

Great info.. 🙌🏼

[@shawnedmunds7647]

Great info keep it up

[@mr.finley3588]

I wish there was a shop like yours here in the Greater Dayton Ohio area! I understand online and all, but nothing beats buying local and especially a Real BMX shop. Subscribed and hit bell, sir.

[@whitefrost6434]

this man is best

[@dantegerard70]

Great video, i run 70psi front n 80 psi rear

[@ArmTheCreative]

Great video

[@AlfredoMancuso]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@JSB-2Z-2K]

that was very interesting informations. I may actually now ride with low PSI instead of max

[@AlfredoMancuso]

Worth a try

[@Championbmxspokane]

I need Phu to give me some pointers on starting my own bootleg soda empire!

[@maddogcrazy9]

Cool dude!

[@CrooksCustoms]

Yesss perfect 👌🏻

[@tylerdurden7534]

Yoo just the bike shop vibe is tight. Phu has mad experience. Love these videos. What about handle bars?

[@welbeatsproduction]

damn now i know ,all those years haha. But actually i did it when i had an extra 18 inch tube and put in on the 20 inch wheel. thankyou

[@FluffyAmyNL]

Interesting dint know 👏👍

[@1912RamblerFan01]

Something I'd be interested in seeing is how well an undersized tube would take a puncture. My hypothesis is that a 16" tube in a 20" tube would probably deflate pretty quickly, even with a small puncture. Anything smaller (14", 12", etc.) would likely pop like a balloon if punctured. I say this because the smaller the tube you use, the more it has to inflated/stretched to fill the tire cavity properly. A slightly undersized tube isn't going to be as stretched, whereas a 14" tube will likely be stretched pretty close to its limits. If you inflate a tube outside of a tire almost to its bursting point and take a needle to it, it pops just like a balloon because the rubber is stretched so thin that the hole stretches and splits the tube right open. An undersized tube isn't going to be as puncture resistant as a normal sized tube, and you may have to top up an undersized tube more often because it may loose pressure quicker under normal conditions (since the rubber is stretched, the "pores" in the rubber are more likely to be stretched, as well.) Also - patches are less likely to stick on an undersized tube when inflated inside the tire. With that said, I've read stories of people running undersized inner tubes to save weight. In the BMX world, this is running 16 or 18" tubes in the 20" tires. In the mountain biking world, it's not uncommon for people to carry 24" tubes as spares for their 26" or 29" tires. (Many people in the mountain biking world have gone tubeless.) But like most other ways of shaving off every possible gram of weight, you pay the price. This price is paid in reliability. Really, you should only run undersized tubes if you have thick, decent tires that are not prone to punctures - and you should run high enough pressures to mitigate the potential for pinch flats. (Not 25 PSI, definitely if you're heavier or doing lots of jumps and tricks.) On the flip side, stuffing an oversized inner tube in your tire should be a last resort, and only be used to get you home in an emergency. Why? When you fold the tube over on itself to put it in the tire, that creates a crease. When the tube is inflated, a lot of stress is put on that crease. Eventually, that crease is going to fail and your tire is going to suddenly go flat. This is also partly why they tell you to inflate the tube to give it shape before inserting it inside the tire, and to inflate the tire to 20 PSI, deflate, then reinflate to the proper pressure after installing the tube and mounting the tire. Why go through all that trouble? For one, it helps seat the bead of the tire. But it helps prevent or smooth out wrinkles and twists in the tube from installation, which will eventually cause the tube to fail. In addition to reliability problems, running an oversized tube comes with some other caveats. You're practically adding unnecessary weight to your bike. It will likely result in a harsher ride (depending on how oversized the tube is) due to the tube being folded in one area. Another thing to keep in mind that stuffing an oversized tube into a tire can range from being cumbersome to nearly impossible. For instance, you're not going to be able to stuff a fat bike tire tube into a BMX tire. Sometimes the tube is so oversized (especially if it is wider than the tire it's going into) that you can't stuff it all in there without at least some of it being stuck underneath the bead and the rim. There is a trick that you can do to make a slightly oversized tube slightly easier to install and slightly more reliable. This trick essentially means taking the tube and stuffing part of it in on itself until the tube fits snug to the rim. (There's a video somewhere on KZbin that shows this trick... but it's not that hard. You slightly inflate the tube - just enough so that the sides are not stuck together, but not enough to give the tube shape. Then you just take part of the tube and, using a finger, stuff it in the tube.) This should still only be used an emergency/last resort, but it does work. I did this trick by stuffing an old 26" tube for my hybrid bike into an old 24" rim/tire. It worked quite well. TL/DR: You should just use a normal-sized tube unless you get a flat and the only tube you have is slightly too small or too big. You should only use that too small/too big tube to get you home. Preferably, you should carry a properly-sized spare tube with you. For weight weenies, running a slightly undersized tube is okay (it's not as preferred), but should only be done if you have good tires and run high enough pressures that pinch flats are not a concern. If you are a weight weenie and want to shave off some weight, there are ways you can do this without going for undersized tubes. You can purchase "featherweight" tubes, which are much thinner (and therefore lighter) than normal or heavy-duty tubes. With these you'll save weight without having the potential issues that come with running undersized tubes.

[@alidcastillo714]

So undersize tuve that is heavy-duty for weight weenie?

[@1912RamblerFan01]

@@alidcastillo714 If you're a weight weenie, an undersized heavy-duty tube would likely be counter-intuitive as it would probably weigh as much as a standard-thickness normal sized tube, if not heavier. If you want to save weight, you'd have to run a standard-thickness undersized tube but you may get a lot more punctures. You could run a normal sized featherweight tube and still get some weight savings, but a featherweight tube usually costs more and offers less puncture protection (as does an undersized tube.) A undersized featherweight tube would probably not work because it'd either be stretched to its limits, if it doesn't pop when inflating inside the tire. Even if you was able to get it to work it'd likely catastrophically fail if punctured. (A tube is like a balloon. A thinner balloon won't be able to be inflated, or stretched, as much as a regular-thickness balloon. The thinner balloon also wouldn't be able to take as much abuse.) Weight savings usually come with some type of trade off, and in the case of inner tubes it's puncture protection because of the thickness of the rubber. Also a tube that is more stretched will have the pores in the rubber stretched out, so you'll likely have to top up the pressure more. These are all hypotheses. I guess one could play around and try these at their own risk, but I'd recommend doing them on the rear wheel since a failure on the front can cause a bad wreck. I wouldn't recommend it, though. People should just carry a properly-sized, normal-thickness spare tube and a patch kit. A 20" tube costs $5 at Walmart and a proper (vulcanizing) patch kit can be bought online relatively cheaply. (I don't recommend glueless patches.) If you don't have a spare tube or a patch kit, there are some other "hacks" you can do to get home. Also would recommend that proper inflation is a big thing that can prevent you from getting a lot of pinch flats, which damage the tubes beyond repair. If you're a heavier rider only inflating your tires to 30 or 40 PSI when the tire recommends 60-90 PSI, you're going to get a lot of pinch flats and go through tubes like crazy. That's not including the potential rim damage it can do.

[@alidcastillo714]

Thanks for the help and the info to also help me understand the overall . Well I’m not so much of a weenie weight i weight 70kg .is more like I would like a little bit off weight off the rear I’m sure so does everyone but if psi and tubing help a bit I can try it .

[@1912RamblerFan01]

@@alidcastillo714 If you're a weight weenie and want to save some weight on tubes, you could either go with featherweight tubes (you'll pay more) or standard-thickness undersized tubes. If you're running a 20" tire, I'd recommend trying a 18" tube. 16" at the smallest. Either way, you may get more flats and will likely have to top the pressure off more. You could also try featherweight tires. Once again, though, they cost more and are more prone to punctures and damage. Alfredo has another video on tires, where he talks about featherweight tires.

[@MxCraven]

The upper PSI number is roughly a quarter of the point that the tyre exploded in a lab, so it's got enough extra strength to take the PSI, plus you on the bike hauling it off shit. You can comfortably double the number on a good tyre (but that's fuckin way hard). The lower number is just a guess based on the size of the tyre about how much it needs to be for someone that's like 85KG to not pinch flat it off a curb. As for the tube size thing, fuck yeah you can run smaller tyres, as long as it's not too much smaller like a 14" on a 29" rim where you're stretching the rubber so thin it'll tear before you pump it up. Everyone should mess about with pressures, even if it's not scientific and you're just guessing and going soft, med, hard, you should give it a go and feel out what's best for your spots, and do it every time you get a new tyre.

[@danielguerrero2426]

Everyone should follow this channel

[@oldfartonabmx2122]

Great vid. I ride a 22"wheel bike and was thinking I should get some spare tubes ready, just in case I need em. Won't worry now, I'll just run 20" tubes. And to save my old bones, I think I'll drop down from 75psi to maybe 50. Cheers!

[@makncheese6836]

I'm running a like 1.5 inch 29r tube in my 27.5x2.4 tire lol

[@JamesDirtRC]

This is good to know

[@lukasovysilenosti]

I think that width of the tire plays the main factor in stability. You can run a 2,4 tire at 60 psi and have way better stability than on a 2,2 tire with 40psi. I personally have a 2,4 cult tire in the back for manuals and 2,25 kevlar tire in the front for light weight and it´s just what I happen to have rn. I run my bike at 60 psi minimum. Anything bellow that and I can feel my wheels flexing when I do fullcabs etc.

[@davidvanvliet193]

Do a Vu video on the raw/crude materials that is used to make bike parts. Why the differences in materials? Like frames, cranks, rims, spokes, stems, bars, Forks, tires, grips, etc etc... Names like: chromoly, sanko chromoly, 4130 cromo blended tubing, custom forged tubing, butted tubing, Japanese seamless 4130 cromo tubing, aluminium in 6061 Up til 7005 , fully heat treated, investment cast, full cnc machined, hydroformed, cold forged, liquid post heat treated, full liquid post heat-treatment on 4130 “M2“ crmo. What does this all mean? Thanks again, Vu is the best!

[@cfmechanic]

Epic Thursdays thanks I like 60 psi myself. Pinch flat Aka snakebite

[@robertlund5694]

Phu takes no prisoners!

[@baphometazrael1892]

My main bike idk how low but it’s a little squishy and it’s nice and easy. I just built back up another bike and I’d say I got round 60/70 PSI, it was harder to do a lot of things on it. Their is some geo differences but even just trying to balance on a lot of stuff was harder. Never thought bout PSI

[@nicopena6903]

Please do a fork guide in depth to know which should buy, in my case i know the meaning of the offset but still can't decide between 25 and 15 mm offset ( i m between the odsy r25 and the r15) greetings from Chile 🇨🇱

[@boompumper]

60f, 80r is what I settled on, but I'm 6'-2" and 200lbs. Also. there is more to tubeless than just a sealed rim...most mountain bike tubeless specific rims and tires have a larger bead sealing area, and the tires are much more airtight.

[@skylarsoper241]

One of my 03 condors has primo the walls 85 psi , my other 03 condor has the original hb rotators at 120 psi and yes for vert

[@manilabikers1216]

Dude what tyou prefer coaster or cassete and you the best

[@viveksuravenkata]

Hub guide next!

[@dani121121]

if i have a 14 x 1.75- 2.125 inner tube, and it dosnt specify what the normal pressure is. Would it be safe to fill the tire to 45-65 psi like the wall of my tire says ?

[@zemertv5950]

I want to visit that shop....😁😁😍

[@jorgec7285]

This is some funny shit bro people like this make me wanna move back to LA

[@upbeatjason9921]

Do a video about frames

[@pauljames4510]

1:18 My BSD donnasqueak tyres has a 60 tpi silkworm built in to the tyres i run some with odyssey tubes i find them lighter then my GLH animal tyres 👍

[@alandominguez8352]

thanks! i got flat tyres 3 times in 2 days , know i know why

[@alexulloa2109]

Have phu talk about cranks next !

[@Convolutedtear]

cooooooolll science

[@Convolutedtear]

wow thats awesome I was madd confused with that little stuff ... thanks awesome!!!

[@domnapoli6870]

I have the Merritt option tire and it has a minimum of 85 psi. Is it ok to run it lower because I ride street and park so I feel like 65 is a good spot for me

[@Capitalcity916]

How do I get ahold of some of them 4 piece bars? Dry over here in Cali can’t get no good parts anywhere 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@CianaRo169]

The minimum psi of my tire is 35 and the maximum is 55. The psi i used in the front is 35 and 30 in the back and its perpect for me

[@sandy_knight]

My enduro bike has 27.5" tubeless tyres but I carry a 26" inner tube for emergencies (less weight to carry around all day). I had to use it last Summer and did 3 days of downhill in the Alps on it, no worries. You might find the rubber perishes a bit more quickly with age or maybe loses pressure a tiny bit quicker (I'm guessing) but its not going to just fail that's for sure.

[@jopac75]

What’s up with that chrome 87 Gt Performer!

[@yes-kt7ej]

What would you do to prevent damage to rim?

[@SpanishGrows]

what if your a big guy in a bike how much does weight make a diff on psi ?

[@jessarellanes6648]

Interesting

[@zonemah3743]

Am i the only one that likes the vid before watching?

[@ericcooper2174]

Back when I was racing it was pretty common to use a 16” or 18” tube in our bikes to save that little bit of weight

[@travis_gentry5]

What psi do you ride at

[@pauljames4510]

0:20 I run 80 psi in the back and 60 psi in the front holds my weight perfect for fly out 360s 👍

[@aaroncook54]

I might try that. Thanks dude

[@zacharylebrun2243]

45 psi is the way to go

[@theoriginalmars]

this guy better be getting paid well for all his knowledge and exp.

[@nickjeldness1678]

Thanks for the 101. Is there any reason that you couldn't go below a higher minimum recommended pressure? My Option tires say minimum 80, and I am assuming it's for sidewall strength but why couldn't they handle something lower if the case is still inflated?

[@mham9962]

Options are a street tyre tf

[@nickjeldness1678]

@@mham9962 yeah that's what I thought lol

[@douglasreese8550]

Thank's for the tip.iv been riding 36 in the back,and my tires says 60psi..now I know why my back tire keeps popping ..pinch flat's

[@douglasreese8550]

I run soft bc my rist hurts when I land hard..peace to all those 80's rider's

[@randymelnykowski7325]

In my experience, a 60psi rated tire running at 60 is way less stable, gets more flats and more rim damage than running a 100psi tire at 60.

[@willjones7132]

Great video! 170lbs 75psi street, all around, higher psi is too harsh and not enough grip and slides out in hard turns, lower than 45-55 folds over in hard turns, and feels slow; 20x2.2. Anyone have 24" race pressures?

[@tcbailw1]

Is 100/110 better for heavy riders?

[@sayyoulovesatan666]

I run about 55lbs. I’m 205lbs and it’s a good balance for me.

[@lifeguard8887]

Lmao

[@lifeguard8887]

(Not laughing at ur weight or anything in case this wasn’t a joke.)

[@sayyoulovesatan666]

Nope that’s what I really run. I’m too old to do any crazy stuff anymore so cruising around town 55 is good for me. I know I’m fat now man haha all good.

[@hardtailheaven4060]

I carry a spare 26” tube for my 29er tubeless mountain bike wheels. Packs smaller and a bit lighter than a full 29” tube. On my BMX park bike I run 70-80psi. 50-60psi is nicer on my hands but it feels too slow around the flats and too grippy at the top of a concrete quarter pipe.

[@VailSkateSupply1]

I like 50psi but I’m not very good. I used to ride 80psi back in my race days.

[@VAustin89]

That is some savings if I will be in a pinch for tubes.

[@AlfredoMancuso]

Hope it helps you out sometime!

[@samuelduffney8421]

55 is my favorite amount not too much not too little

[@steeki2518]

I got bmx a few days ago. I heard something on the front wheel. I think thats a lose spoke. When i spin the wheel, it has some hot spots where it goes out of da way. Can you tell me sožethimg abput that? Is that a lose spoke or something...?

[@ethancooper1560]

I think your wheel needs trued, he has a video on how to true a wheel, but if you don’t know what your doing it’s probably best to go to a bike shop

[@steeki2518]

Yeep. Exactly what i tought. Tnx mam

[@danpalat1911]

Handlebar geo ? Sweep back , upsweep , cross bars etc you know he going to have the answers

[@dariussykes5798]

Another thing you forgot to add is the lower the psi the harder it is to pedal from a complete stop & get tired & the higher the psi the easier it is to pedal fast without breaking a sweat

[@Houston_Realtor]

Why do I get flats when I run 90+ psi ?

[@steeki2518]

Why ya dont make Pu riding bmx? Am trying to get it for a month +

[@ethixhiggins5059]

So can i use 20 inch tubes on 29 and 26 inch

[@AndresKatAdventurez]

I run 40PSI with my Purple Camo Cultsssssssssss

[@MrNoNameForYou]

70 psi would give me a damn concussion landing

[@reviewyourownadventure2083]

KHE MAC kevlar tires at 80 psi are the best on a flatland bike.

[@TurboVinny617]

dude said Benny Hill these kids dont know who he is..

[@AlfredoMancuso]

Haha of course not but still funny

[@NipponNostalgicTV]

The psi rating standards are a test where they pump the tyre up till the bead blows off the rim, the PSI rating is half of this

[@DISTANT-.]

Just a question does the tire determine how much psi should be in the innertbe?

[@spicydramarama852]

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16, 17

[@ALTsmuuko]

i RUN 23 😎PSI

[@DjDoug7]

100!