Flying Tubeless

[W1Z@RD]

Hi guys,

 

I am going down to CT for a MTB ride. I am flying down and wanted to know if i drop tyre pressure to 1.8 if that is ok? I cannot take out all air as sealant will mess.

 

Anybody done this before? Will this suffice?

 

Any help will be appreciated

[MTBeer]

you can drop it a lot lower than that before the sealant will mess. when I flew overseas I dropped mine to 1.2.

[Stefan Cremer]

No need to do that - the maximum difference in absolute air pressure between sea level and space is 1 bar. Your wheels (MTB) will hold up to 4.5 bar.

 

So if you have them at 2 bar currently at sea level (Cape Town), the will not go above 3max (but that is once you reach the outer extemeties of our atmosphere).

[Shebeen]

No need to do that - the maximum difference in absolute air pressure between sea level and space is 1 bar. Your wheels (MTB) will hold up to 4.5 bar.

 

So if you have them at 2 bar currently at sea level (Cape Town), the will not go above 3max (but that is once you reach the outer extemeties of our atmosphere).

correct, but since none of the check in attendants did matric science they freak out. Let thirty seconds of air out and they're happy.

[eddy]

The airlines make you deflate your tires, but in 50 odd flights in a bag I have never bothered and never had a problem.

 

Dont stress about it.

[carbon29er]

A tyre will gain about 10psi at airplane altitude, most tyres have a maximum around the 45psi level. We ride at below 30psi.

 

Check out this site for tips on packing a bike for flight Cycle Tourist Charity, UK based

 

This is what the norm is for tyres:

 

Deflating tyres

 

This is not really necessary with bicycle tyres, since the maximum possible reduction in external pressure (about 10psi) has the same effect as that much extra inside the tyre at ground level. Bicycle tyres are designed to stand way more than that. And even if one should blow off, it won’t contain enough air to damage anything apart from its own inner-tube.

In fact: leaving the tyres inflated helps to protect both tyre and rim from damage when the bike is handled. Some airlines (e.g. BA) have realised this and exempted pedal cycle tyres from the usual restriction on the carriage of pressurised gases. Check-in staff prefer nice simple rules however, with together with a dose of corporate amnesia means that you’ll often be asked “have you deflated the tyres” even when flying BA.

 

Always say “I have deflated the tyres”. No need to say when or how much. One advantage of the packing rule is they cannot easily check – but if you argue they will. You’ll have deflated the tyres last time you had a puncture, won’t you, but it doesn’t do any harm to let a little air out when you’re packing the bike. 10psi is plenty.

 

The reason they have a rule about this is the amount of energy stored in a big tractor tyre, if it blew, could send the wheel through the side of the plane! And tractor tyres work at such low pressure, an extra 10psi might really make it happen.

[Kranswurm]

Never let any air out my tyres when flying and it did not cover all in snot

[W1Z@RD]

Excellent!

 

Thanks for the advice guys....