+ Tyre Pressure Gauge – Who Uses One?

With plus tyre pressures being so sensitive, a gauge makes sense, no?

Something like a Accu-gage 0-15 psi

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Accu-Gage-Tire-Pressure-Gauge-Hose/dp/B000GZP1Z8

Topeak D2?

You want something that runs up to 50 psi for off road tyres, 100 psi for road tyres.

I got the topeak, it’s good. It annoys me that it’s not accurate- I have 2 gauges, they read slightly different amounts- but it’s consistent at least and that’s all you really need.

Accugauge is nice but the relief valve is too slow to be useful imo, it annoyed me instantly.

Is your accu-gage FS? 😉

it’s consistent at least and that’s all you really need

Exactly.

I have the BBB digital unit which I think may be same as the Schwalbe as they look quite alike. It was a tenner and could be carried on a keyring if you really wanted (its about the size of a normal modern car remote plip)

Digital is a must for lower pressures unless you want an extremely large, expensive and heavy calibrated analogue gauge. The one on your floor pump is unlikely to be very accurate much below 20PSI and certainly not below 10PSI (where most fat bikes live)

I only really use this for the Fatty unless I’m particularly trying to assess something, but for a tenner its a useful tool to have.

it’s consistent at least and that’s all you really need
Exactly.

being super pedantic, yes – so long as you realise it’s not calibrated to a standard and that the reading it gives, while consistent, may not be reproducible by anyone else’s unit and is therefore meaningless for any unit but yours apart from as an indication of Trend if plotted (try that on a ‘what pressures for…’ thread 🙂 )

Thought about getting one. Would the sealant that escapes from the valve not bugger it up?

You shouldn’t be getting a lot of sealant out the valve, you might get an initial spray but a tap of the valve before you check pressure should clear any resting in there.

Would the sealant that escapes from the valve not bugger it up?

Pump a shot of air through the valve to clear any sealant before you use a gauge.

Don’t have one yet, but plan to get the Topeak one for b+ tyres at some point.

Anyone compared the ~£15 Schwalbe Airmax Pro, which goes up to 11 bar, with other gauges that max out at 2-4 bar?

I just use the track pump for the road bike, get it to what it says is 100psi, and then always tend to let a bit out.

MTB just pump until the squeeze test feels right.

SKS Airchecker is good. Digital scale covers fat/plus/mtb/road pressures just fine.

TireTek Flexi-Pro best I’ve had. Paid a lot more for others that have all failed or become inaccurate. Found the foot and track pump gauges to well out, usually by at least 10%, even thought they have been looked after i.e. not dropped or thrown in the boot.

I’m happy with the topeak D2, goes up to 250psi in 1psi increments so all the range you’ll need.
I did look at the Shwalbe one, but the D2 seemed slighty better reviewed.

I have the topeak d2 and it’s a decent gauge, 1/2 psi of difference is noticeable on my 27.5+ sized tyres so being a fettler it’s quite handy.

I had the oxford one for a long time, eventually the screen went funny, but did do presta and schrader valves.

You want something that runs up to 50 psi for off road tyres, 100 psi for road tyres.

Except I’ve not run more than 30psi off road since the 90’s, and my road tyres happily zip along at 120psi, and for the fat bike I’d want one that did 0-15psi at the most!

I have to check pressures before I ride ( top peak d2 )
My OCD wouldn’t let me ride without it

I think if running tubeless, you need to check every ride as they let ~1 psi out over a few days

I’ve just received the Tire Tek Flexi-Pro gauge

It has the Schrader specific chuck with no option for a Presta

What’s the best way around this?

it’s consistent at least and that’s all you really need
Exactly.

Well sort of…it might have good repeatability (in the short term) but I’m willing to bed the Long Term Stability and Temperature Effects will be woeful.

BillOddie – Member
… woeful.

Wouldn’t think it worth riding again

Give in

Topeak D2?

Mine has never been that reliable – seems to eat batteries and/or have a loose connection. Must just have been unlucky

The whole look of the D2 doesn’t make we want to jump

I have the BBB one too. Thought it was reading too low but have checked it against another and it’s spot on. Was surprised to find all my tyres running well under 20psi though! Around the 15 mark in fact. Is this normal? Mix of 26 and 27.5 and 2.3 – 2.4 size.

I have got a Presta Schrader screw on adapter so managed to get the gauge working

Front 29×3 Chronicle is running at 11 and the rear 27.5×3 Bridger is at 12

I have the BBB one too. Thought it was reading too low but have checked it against another and it’s spot on. Was surprised to find all my tyres running well under 20psi though! Around the 15 mark in fact. Is this normal? Mix of 26 and 27.5 and 2.3 – 2.4 size.

Bigger tyres, lower pressures. Guy on a fatbike I met yesterday claimed to be running 3psi. Looked like it too.

3… not heard of anyone running a fat tyre on 3. Not even for beach use

3… not heard of anyone running a fat tyre on 3. Not even for beach use

Surrey Hills. It *is* kind of dry and sandy at the moment. 🙂

So I just ‘fixed’ my Topeak D2 with a bit of foam behind the battery door. Don’t know why i didn’t do that years ago.

Very surprised to find what low pressures we’d been running. Katie’s tyres were on about 10psi (650b/2.3/60k/sus bike) , mine about 18 (29er/2.2/hardtail/80kg).

D2 seems accurate on car tyres as a check and against road pressures. Main issue is how hard it is not to lose a load of pressure on a presta valve when taking a reading.

I ended up buying the digital version of the Lezyne Dirt Pump because the pump test pump test faff. It gives me a notably different number from the Topeak. With just two gauges I don’t know which is right but this isn’t the first time I’ve seen people say the Topeak’s pretty inaccurate.

Which way is the Topeak reading do you think?

I picked up an SKS version and it’s reading ~10psi lower at mtb pressure and ~5psi lower than my track pump at road pressure.

I’ve no idea which one is accurate and this bothers me greatly. You wouldn’t have thought it would be too hard to do even a rudimentary calibration check on build would you?

thisisnotaspoon – Member
I had the oxford one for a long time, eventually the screen went funny, but did do presta and schrader valves.

How??? 😯 I have one. The Oxford support lady said It did schrader but I can’t see how for the life of me! ❓

You probably need an adapter, like the TireTek one

Bit of a faff really

Just bought one of these:

Gauge

You will need a presta to schrader adaptor but it works well with the ones I bought and feels very well made. Really good for a tenner.

There isn’t much choice when you start looking at bike specific gauges and all the digital ones, Topeak included, get very mixed reviews.

Got 4 of these from Jenson, cost about 60 odd quid all in with delivery. Really well made, bleed button and holds pressure when you take it off.

Best one yet, so far.

Edit – ours are the 0-30psi gauges…

£60 – each?? 😯