Forum menu
Are they all the same? I fancy an analogue one, but are the digital ones better? I was thinking about getting the Zefal one
All pressure gauges are not equal.
The main issues are calibration, accuracy, resolution and range.
What you pick should reflect your intended use. The worst purchase will be one that looks like it will do everything- it won’t.
If fatbikes and very low pressures (under 20psi) are important then analogue wil definitely win everything but convenience. For most mountain bike purposes and road etc a small digital will be fine.
The basic issues are much the same as with torque wrench accuracy or any other measurement equipment.
Think the digital ones are more accurate. I got a topeak one and used it to check my analogue track pump which is spot on, so don't need to use the digital one much. Still handy for shocks/forks and out on the trail though
Manual guages are most accurate around the middle of their measurement range. I'd be surprised if digital ones were not the same.
I've got both the SKS and the Topeak and don't find either reliable - they read differently and inconsisently. Have just bought a manual accuguage' one which seems good
>However, I think the real problem is they all get screwed up by tyre jizz. I've just stuck a low pressure guage (0-60 so accurate between 20 and 40) onto my track pump which seems to be working. I figure any jizz won't get to the guage itself - should just get blown into the long hoze or the base of the pump.
Digital gauges *look* more accurate because electronics.
Dial gauges *are* more accurate every time in any field of measurement unless maybe you have an insane NASA scale budget.
Don’t assume accuracy will be there at either end of the scale on any gauge.
Do understand that unless you’re paying for regular calibration and everyone else you speak to is also, then what yout gauge and what your mates or someone else on the internets gauge say about an identical pressure will be different. What you should be looking for is repeatability. So long as you’re happy with pressure x in your tyres and the gauge accurately reports pressure x every time you measure then that’s fine. Ignore all other gauges.
It’s useful being able to clean the chuck as there is strong potential for sealant damage if Tubeless.
The effectiveness of a pressure gauge will be governed by the following things:
1) Accuracy (made up of non-linearity, hysteresis and repeatability)
2) Stability (will it measure the same this time next year as it does today)
3) Temp effects (will it measure the same in cold garage as it does in your warm kitchen.
The above tend to be expressed as a % of reading or a % of full scale. Generally the latter. Using a 200psi sensor to measure 15psi will probably not end well.
I am yet to to find a bike-related pressure gauge that has any sort of accuracy statement related to it. If you have seen one I would love to see it.
Resolution is a completely moot point if your gauge is massively inaccurate. Do not confuse resolution with accuracy.
Tyre pressure gauges are probably a bit pointless for MTB usage (judge it by feel, deflection or roll), slightly less pointless for road use. You would not want to get sealant in the pressure port of the gauges/sensors as they can be a bitch to clean without breaking and leaving it in there would likely put an offset on the sensor.
I would hope/expect the likes of pro mechanics to have decent pressure measuring equipment in place when doing testing with Pro riders. For likes of you and I the gauge on your suspension pump is likely to be good enough.
I am an Application Engineer for a pressure sensor company so i know a bit about the above.
Lots of great advice here but is there a well known, accurate gauge? I don't have any fat bikes...
I like my Accu-Gauge.
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> https://www.ghmeiser.com/bicycle-gauges.htm</span>
Yes if you ask me, the topeak.
No if you ask anyone who knows what they are talking about
I use a Topeak digital guage, it works.
Is it 'accurate'? no idea as it's never been tested. Is it reliable? yes, I get the same feel from my tyres at my chosen pressures.
I use mine for MTB and road but judged what I wanted by feel and then used the guage to put a number to it. At least this way I get the same result every time, effectively valuing consistency over accuracy.
Thumb-squidge test
Thumb-squidge test
I'm starting to think that this is the best solution!!! 😉
Just to put you off the thumb - squeeze test, I challenged my mate cos he reckoned it was accurate. He got it massively wrong every time
That accu-gauge accuracy statement doesn't say what the % is of. I would assume it's of full scale.
So if you bought a 100psi gauge, in the middle of the range, if you applied a 50psi known pressure the gauge could read anywhere between 48 and 50psi. That's probably good enough.
<h2 style="color: #cb4947; font-family: ff-good-headline-web-pro-con, sans-serif; font-size: 30px; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; text-transform: uppercase;">"TIRE GAUGE ACCURACY:</h2>
<p style="color: #1e0b0b; font-family: ff-good-headline-web-pro-con, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;">All of our dial tire gauges are ANSI Commercial Grade B gauges (meets ANSI B40.1 Grade B specifications). Unlike piston-plunger-type gauges, the bourdon tube movement is not affected by changes in temperature, humidity, altitude or air stream contaminants.</p>
<p style="color: #1e0b0b; font-family: ff-good-headline-web-pro-con, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 20px;">The mechanical accuracy rating is ± 2% from 30% to 60% of scale and ± 3% below 30% and above 60%."</p>
I like my topeaks- though at least one of them isn't "accurate" because they each give different answers. But I find them consistent, and useful, and the bleed valve is usefully quick for tuning tyres unlike the accugauge (which I now just never use)
That's for fatbike usage, I just use teh pump gauge for the normal bikes, with fatbikes it's really pretty critical
I am yet to to find a bike-related pressure gauge that has any sort of accuracy statement related to it. If you have seen one I would love to see it.
...I would hope/expect the likes of pro mechanics to have decent pressure measuring equipment in place when doing testing with Pro riders.
So...
I'm guessing in the bigger scheme of things bike use is a very minor market for gauges. The bike cos will be buying in gauges that probably meet some sort of spec. The one i just fitted to my SKS pump came from http://wrekinpneumatics.fluidfittingsshop.com/Products/gauges-40mm-18-back-connection
it's described as class 2.5 which seemed to be common and i think is the %age accuracy.
The front page pro - mechanic tool box article had the guy using an Efficient Velo Tech gauge. I'd bet theres is an off the shelf guage that's no more accurage BUT they've mounted it on gubbins with a cotton wool filter to stop it getting messed up by tyre jizz.
https://www.efficientvelo.com/product/bleedin-gauge/
they're over £100 by the time you get them to the UK
<p style="padding: 0px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; font-size: 12px; vertical-align: baseline; background-image: initial; background-position: initial; background-size: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; line-height: 1.2em; color: #444444; margin: 1rem 0px !important;"></p>
You're right, Pressure is the second most common measurement after temperature so the market is huge. But tyre pressure (not on vehicle) is a tiny weeny part of it.
Our gauges start at about 500quid. They would be a massive step up compared to the EVT gauge.
EVT = +/-2.5%
DPI104 (link below) = +/- 0.05%
<span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> https://www.gemeasurement.com/sites/gemc.dev/files/dpi_104_-_digital_test_gauge_brochure_english_0.pdf</span>
In these times of marginal gains and winning DH runs by 0.01sec I'm surprised techs haven't twigged to measuring pressure in suspension and tyres a little more accurately.
"Digital gauges *look* more accurate because electronics."
People confuse precision with accuracy. You can measure to 3 decimal places but might get a value that is 50% out.
I like my Topeak Smarthead as the rotating head means it works with difficult valves, and the 'live' function means you can bleed air out and read the pressure in real time as you're doing it.
My Topeak, cheap BBB digital and the dial gauge on my cheap track pump are very consistent with each other, so if they're inaccurate it's by the same amount, but the more expensive Topeak is more user friendly (the BBB has been relegated to car duties as I found it frustrating when trying to set up CX tyres).
Consistency is more important than accuracy . If your tyres work best when your gauge says 15psi then it really doesn't matter if they are actually at 25psi .