This is not necessarily the first question that comes to mind after purchasing an electric bike . And yet inflating VAE tires is very important. The right pressure injected into your tires has many advantages which we will detail in this guide. We will then share the best advice from Weebot below on inflating an electrically assisted bicycle tire.
Why properly inflate electric bike tires?
If the motor or the battery have a determining role on an electric bike, only the tire is in contact with the road. The correct tire pressure on an electrically assisted bicycle allows you to ensure your safety but also to make the most of your city bike , electric mountain bike or even electric fat bike .
The pressure of an e-bike tire is even more important than for a classic city bike. Electric assistance tends to erase the sensations of the bike. You may not notice poor inflation at first glance thanks to the motor compensation.
You should know that an VAE tire is different from a classic bicycle tire. These e-bike tires are reinforced to support the traction (or propulsion) of the electric motor.
Users of electric bikes also notice that they brake more often than on a bike without assistance. They also tend to travel longer journeys due to the ease of travel offered on this means of transport.
This is why an electric bike tire is more resistant to wear. However, this is not a reason to further degrade the driving experience with poor inflation. Discover the benefits of good electric bike tire pressure.
Better grip
An underinflated tire will not have maximum grip on the road. When crashing, a slight strip in the middle of the tire will no longer be in contact with the road. It will therefore tend to wear out more quickly on a wider tire strip.
To gain driving comfort, it is therefore necessary to find the ideal tire pressure for your VAE.
The ideal pressure for excellent performance
With the right dosage of air in electric bike tires, you will have less effort to provide when pedaling. Even if the help of the assistance eliminates this problem on a daily basis, it is still restrictive when starting the electric bike to have to press harder on its pedals.
Because yes, as its name indicates, the assistance only comes in addition to your legs. This phenomenon is a little less present on electrically assisted bicycles which have a pedal motor. But on an e-bike with a motor in the rear wheel, you will have to provide greater effort starting from zero.
Driving comfort therefore requires optimizing your efforts. You will therefore be able to enjoy more cycling in complete relaxation.
Gaining autonomy
As we saw previously, an underinflated tire does not provide the best possible performance. The compensation provided by the electric motor is therefore passed on to the battery. By having to use more electrical energy, your VAE will see its autonomy decrease.
If you know what pressure your electric bike tires are ideal for, then you will gain autonomy .
Avoiding a flat tire
Still in the case of underinflated tires, they will be more likely to puncture on the road. In the event of an impact, when climbing a curb for example, the tire inner tube may become pinched. In this case, the tire pressure will burst the part of the tube subjected to the impact.
This is the major cause of punctures on both electric bikes and electric scooters . This is why it is important to inflate your tire properly to drive with complete peace of mind .
Finding the right tire pressure for an electric bike
But how do you know the ideal pressure for your tire? There are several criteria and information to take into account. The first of these is to obtain the indications noted on the tire or in the manual of your bike.
Information noted on the tire
This information, such as the size of the tire or the required pressure, is generally indicated on the sidewall of the tire. Most of the time, tire pressure is indicated in BARS or PSI (Pound per Square Inch) with two values.
The first number corresponds to the minimum pressure (or low pressure) while the second represents the high pressure (or maximum pressure).
This information is given as an indication by the tire manufacturer. But this does not necessarily correspond to the ideal pressure for your bike.
It should be noted that the closer you get to the high pressure value, the harder the tire on your bike will be. This therefore absorbs less vibrations and shocks from the road and you lose slightly in grip compared to lower pressure.
This is why electric mountain bikes generally have lower tire pressure in order to better grip the road or track.
This range allows the manufacturer to provide information regarding the optimization of the use of its tire. It is now up to you to find the ideal pressure for the inner tube of your bicycle tires in this gap.
Adjust the pressure to your weight
The weight of the cyclist, as well as the weight carried, play a vital role in the quest for the right pressure. If you weigh less than 75 kg and without carrying luggage on your bike, we advise you to get closer to the lower range given by the manufacturer.
On the contrary, if the weight of the cyclist is greater or you have to carry heavy loads, a higher pressure will be more appropriate.
Take into account your position on the bike
Not all cyclists have the same posture on a bike. If on a mountain bike, the masses are ideally distributed between the two bicycle tires, this will not be the case on an electric city bike.
A city bike tire typically supports 2/3 of the weight of the rider and their battery on the rear wheel. Therefore, it is a good idea to slightly increase the pressure in the rear tire compared to the front tire.
Problem of over-inflating the inner tube
Beyond a certain pressure threshold, the risk of puncture is increased. Over-inflation also leads to more frequent punctures. The sidewalls of the overinflated tire do not have maximum grip and are dangerous for the stability of the two-wheeler.
Tire pressure is therefore a safety issue that requires maximum attention.
Weebot's advice
To best preserve the tires of your electric bike, here is the advice from our technical service.
Check VAE tire pressure regularly
It is very important to check your tire pressure regularly. E-bike tire pressure naturally decreases over time. Like all inner tube tires, these are permeable.
The ideal is to check the tire pressure on each outing but this is not always possible. A check every 2 weeks during sustained use seems to us the minimum to know if the tires need additional pressure.
Buy an inflation pump
In order to carry out your checks, it is recommended to use a pump with an integrated pressure gauge to inflate the tires precisely. You will then avoid any over- or under-inflation to drive peacefully on the road. There are many models of electric inflator pump that allow you to achieve the optimal pressure very quickly and effortlessly.
A mini hand pump is always useful for carrying on your e-bike, but you'll have to trust your instincts without exact pressure.
