I was having a front end issue on the way to work and discovered my tire pressure was WAY low....
So I got home and added air, then checked tire pressure. I usually run the front at @32 psi and the rear at @34...
Day or two later i re-checked the tire pressure ( having ridden her both days) and the pressure was down... I didn't see any debris on the tires, cracks, cuts, thorns gremlins and whatnot... .
My question is : Can the outside temp cause the tire pressure to alter? (been in the upper 90's to over 100 today). I cant seem to find a source of a leak- if any. It seems to be a greater drop in the front tire opposed to the rear.
Thanks in advance
If you set them to 32/34 when the tires were hot and/or it was a hot day, then they'll read lower if you then check them when they're cold.
Unless it was ~120 or higher when you filled your tire, I doubt it's gone down because of the temperature if you are now at 100 degrees. Also both tires should be equally affected by temperature.
Sounds like a slow leak. If you can't find anything in the rubber it's possibly at the valve stem.
Get some soapy water and squirt it on the tire, wherever the leak is you should see some bubbles.
Pressure set to 32 psi @ 120 degF will decrease to 30.4 psi @ 100 degF, and 28 psi at 70 degF.
Pressure in both front and rear tires will change at the same rate due to heat.
Front tire pressure decreases faster with a leak because the volume is lower.
+1 on somegirl's soapy water test.
Check the pressures before EVERY ride. [thumbsup]
I did the numbers:
If the air in a tire is 32 psig @ 120 degrees F, and then the air cools to 95 degrees F, the new pressure would be 30 psig.
Get a spray bottle with soapy water, spray down the tire, and look for bubbles. Don't forget the tire valve. THAT would be too easy of fix; tightening the Schrader valve inside the valve body. But maybe you'll luck out.
Good luck.