Bike tires always go flat due to punctures, low tire pressure, worn tires and bad rim tape.
If the rim tape on the bicycle rim is not covering the spoke holes the sharp metal corners can puncture the tube.
Overused or worn out bicycle tires can also expose the threats which make up the tire's backbone and make them more likely to puncture or tear.
Low tire pressure can cause the tire to bottom out and puncture the tube when you hit an object or pothole.
Sharp objects such as thorns, glass or anything else sharp can poke a hole in the inner tube.
Excessive wear, dryness or cracking can also cause bike tires to go flat.
Or even debris in the schrader valve or a bad shrader valve can cause the bike tire to go flat.
If you're constantly losing too much air in your bike tire you could have a bad tube, bad schrader valve or a hole in the tube.
You can tell if bike tires need air by feeling the bike tire with your thumb or by using a tire pressure gauge.
The best way to check if your bike tires need air is to use a tire gauge which can be any tire gauge and look for the recommended tire pressure on the bicycle tires sidewall.
If it's lower than the recommended tire pressure then you should inflate the bicycle tire to the recommended tire pressure.
To check bike tire pressure with your hands, use your thumb to press down on the bike tire's surface to get a feel for the pressure.
The ideal tire pressure in the bike tire will have a small amount of give to it and will spring back quickly.
Too much give or not enough give means that the bike tire's air pressure is not correct.
You can also use any tire gauge and even a tire gauge for a car to check your bike tire pressure.
If you put too much air in your bike tires it can lead to faster wear on the tire, uncomfortable ride, stiff road feel and even a blowout of the tire.
You can also cause the tube to pop in the tire when you air it up too much which can blow the tire out in some cases as well.
Bicycle tires that are overinflated are also more likely to be damaged from debris, curbs and potholes.
Bike tires that are overinflated also can wear out prematurely and affect your braking and cornering performance as well.
You may want to use higher tire pressure in your bicycle tires when riding on smooth terrain like paved roads and higher bicycle tire pressure for riding in rain or over rocks an roots or rough roads.
The proper tire pressure for a bike depends on the bike and tire but most bicycle tires use a pressure of between 15 PSI to 25 PSI although some bike tires use 40 PSI and some other tires use as much as 65 PSI to 95 PSI.
Most regular bicycles use a PSI of 40 PSI or less in the tires.
The tire pressure for your tire should be on your bike tire sidewall.
Road bike tires and narrow tires need more air pressure than wide bike tires to reduce drag and friction.
Most road bike tires and narrow bike tires require 65 PSI to 95 PSI although some require less.
The tire pressure your bike tire needs should be on the sidewall for the recommended and maximum pressure.
Adding too much air can lead to the tire wearing out too fast and even cause the tube to burst.
Mountain bike tires often use 15 psi to 25 psi of air pressure.
Gravel bike tires often require 25 psi to 40 psi of air pressure.
And kids bike tires or 12 inch bike tires often require 7 to 20 psi and 16 inch bike tires often require 20 psi to 35 psi.
A hand pump is recommended for bike tires so that you don't over inflate the tires and burst the tube but if you're careful you can use a regular air compressor to add air to the bicycle tires.
When replacing bicycle tires the arrow on a bicycle tire should always face and point toward the front of the bicycle.
When looking at the sidewall of the bicycle tire the arrow should point in the direction the bicycle is moving.
If the bicycle tire has no arrow, you should then look at the tread of the bicycle tire and see if it has a pattern that "points" in one direction (forward or backward).
The pattern on the bicycle tire should point behind towards the back of the bike when it contacts the road, or forward when you look at it from the top.
When your bike tires are still good the bike tires should have little to no cracks in them and have good tread depth.
Small cracks in a bicycle tire are not usually bad enough to need to get new tires although severe cracks means it's time to replace the tires.
When your bike tire is too worn the bike tire will have low tread depth or be near bald or completely bald.
If the bike tires tread is so thin that you can see the bike tire's inner carcass through it then it's too worn.
Other signs of worn bike tires include.
A squared off tread where the center of the tire is significantly flatter than the edges, indicating uneven wear.
Cracked rubber and visible cracks on the bike tire's surface, especially on the bike tires sidewalls.
Exposed casing where you see the bike tire's inner carcass through the tread.
Frequent flats as a worn tire can cause frequent flats.
Sidewall damage such as cuts or punctures on the sidewall of the bike tire.
Reduced grip, especially noticeably less traction while riding your bike and especially in corners.
Bike tires do degrade over time whether they are being used or not used.
The rubber in bike the tires breaks down over time and the evaporates from the rubber and sunlight also cause the rubber to degrade which leads to cracks and the tire eventually coming apart.
Bike tires do go bad from sitting and many times bike tires degrade before they actually wear out on the tread.
Also when you leave your bike tires flat it also causes cracks in the tires and can make the tire come apart eventually so it's not good to leave the bike tire flat.
Bike tires can sit unused for up to 6 years after they are manufactured.
However if they are exposed to the sunlight and extreme heat the bike tires may go bad within 3 to 4 years even when not used.
The rubber compound in the bike tires can degrade over time from heat, ozone and UV light and the oils in the rubber of the bike tire also evaporate and causes the tires to become brittle and harden.
If cracks appear in your bike tire and especially on the sidewalls the tire is bad and should be replaced.
You should replace bicycle tires every 3 to 5 years depending on how many miles you put on the bicycle tires.
If you don't put a lot of miles on the bicycle tires they can last 5 years and sometimes a bit longer but ideally the bicycle tire should be replaced after 5 years as they can degrade and could come apart.
Bike tires can last from 3 to 5 years depending on how many miles you ride your bike.
Sometimes bike tires degrade before they actually wear the tread out and should be replaced after around 5 years or when they start showing signs of degrading such as cracks or coming apart.
Old bike tires are safe as long as they are not too old or cracked really bad.
If the old bike tires are in good shape and not cracked or coming apart then they can be safe but it's best to replace bike tires after 5 years or so to be safe.
Bike tires that are old and degrading can come apart and cause you to crash the bike, especially if you ride bicycles in races or go long distances with the bicycle.
The lifespan of a bike tire is around 1,000 to 3,000 miles although touring bike tires can last up to 4,000 miles