Evening All,

I am thinking about converting my DT Swiss wheels to tubeless but might be taking my bike to Australia later in the year and wondered if there are any issues with flying. I would hate to have to let the tyres down and spill sealant everywhere.

Any experience would be appreciated.

Cheers

Dogsby

I’ve not had any issues. Pressure was around 28-30 psi.
Tyres performed well too, no punctures or burping.

Why would there be any issues with flying?

I only let my tyres down for flying if the pilot does his first.

Modern jets have pressurised cargo holds, same pressure as the cabin, so if you don’t die you’re tyres will be fine.

Even if the hold wasn’t pressurised, when you do the maths you find it only makes a few psi difference.

Bit of google research* suggests atmospheric pressure at 34,000ft is about 3.5 psi and 14.5 at sea level so what Onzadog says would seem right unless you have them whacked up to max pressure to start with.

*may be entirely inaccurate.

Never had a problem. Ride at 25psi and don’t drop them when flying.

+1 drop them 5psi. That’s all they need.

I’d maybe let them down a bit but would also consider how clean you can get them.
Also normal tyres in the UK may not be the best out here so a change and refit out here wouldn’t be the worst idea.

Where are you heading?

I let mine down a bit but only to say 20 psi.

Dirty tyres however could be a real problem – Antipodeans are fanatical trying not to import disease and pestilence.

ive never deflated my tyres including transatlantic

its just an urban myth

Those people who let their tyres down a bit when flying, do you also let your tyres down when riding in the alps?

Hold pressure is the same as cabin pressure – when flying out of Jackson Hole the cabin pressure actually increased when reaching altitude!

Dirty tyres however could be a real problem – Antipodeans are fanatical trying not to import disease and pestilence.

For good reasons!!

Those people who let their tyres down a bit when flying, do you also let your tyres down when riding in the alps?

No but I will adjust my shock pressures. If I was using tyres on the upper limits of pressure (like on a road bike) I might do. I also reset most things when getting to the alps.

I’ve never let mine down and run them at 25psi ish. Once the front tyre (wire maxxis dual ply) bead had actually seated better at 40psi after the flight following a last minute fitting before flying in the “I’ll sort it when I get there” style, and never actually had to in the end. Result. Although I imagine the tender ministrations of the ground crew could have helped too.

Letting the air out of your tyres to fly is so stoopid. An aircraft fuselage is a tube, pressurised to around 10,000 feet. Do TDF riders’ tyres explode on Alpine passes at 10,000 feet? No they don’t. I’ve flown three times to SA with my road bike with the tyres at 110 lbs and did they explode? No they didn’t.

There is absolutely no reason to let your tyres down when flying (even a few psi), assuming you’re talking about a modern jet passenger aircraft and not a biplane or something. I don’t let any air out of road tyres or shocks either.

Thanks all. I was pretty sure there would be no issues but had a slight recollection about airlines insisting in the past that tyres were let down a bit. The bigger issue as mikewsmith pointed out is that my Nobby Nics might not be the best tyre for Canberra so a change might be in order. We are heading over to Canberra to race the Scott24 in Oct this year so a new set of tyres fitted before leaving might be in order to keep the border security folk happy.

Cheers for all of the advice as usual.

Dogsby

Tyres should be fine flying, I pretty sure the pilot doesn’t let the landing wheels down from there >200psi.

Maybe I should do something about the reverb… That did need sorting in the Alps due to altitude!