I'm feeling a bit silly now.

 

You could try NITROGEN!

Yes nitro!

I had some 2 tires installed recently and the guy filled them with nitrogen, if need be they can be filled with compressed air.

Nitrogen is supposed to give you a more constitent tire gauge pressure reading.

It cost 11.92 to have them filled with nitro, I haven't noticed a difference in how they handle, haven't checked the pressure in them yet but will soon.

 

OK...I've never heard of this one. Doesn't mean it isn't possible, but I've never read, heard, or experienced this. Now, someone might make a particular HD tube that indeed loses air more quickly than some other brands/models, but I'm not aware of this in the mainstream. Another question...why would the rubber molecules be larger or further apart as a rule in HD tubes? Kenda is probably the largest worldwide manufacturer of tubes in the world...everything from wheelbarrows to whatever. The manufacturing process for an HD mountainbike or dirt motorcycle tube just creates the same compound in a thicker mold generally. If you have some specific experience otherwise or a link or two about this, I would like to hear/read about it. I do not claim to know everything by any means. It's just something interesting I've never heard of.

 

I understand that natural latex rubber leaks air more quickly than Butyl rubber. I don't think that all HD tubes are latex rubber, so I don't think it's the fact that it's an HD tube, but more likely that it's a natural latex rubber tuber, rather than Butyl rubber.

 

That's true, but when's the last time you saw people running natural rubber inner tubes these days in any numbers of users? Those tubes are often $40-$50. Back when I first started racing enduros in the 70's they were popular...and not so expensive. The butyl tubes weren't as good as they are now. The natural rubber tubes these days are overpriced nostalgia IMO, but nothing says you can't choose to use them.

 

I think you missed that one. He wasn't serious, just pulling our leg.

 

You could just fill you tires with 78% nitrogen. The air we breath has 78% nitrogen in it. Putting nitrogen in your tires will give no benifit accept lighten your pockets.

 

note that I did not ask for nitrogen.

I was charged $11.92 cents though.

Apparently the guy running the shop believes in nitrogen filled tires so much that everyone who gets tires put on there, gets charged for it.

A much better use of money would be to buy a good tire-pressure gauge and check tire pressure frequently.

 

I think the guy running the shop believes in the $11.92 in his pocket. If it was me if I didn't ask for it I won't have paid it.

 

$11.92 cents for nitrogen in new tires is a small price to pay for peace of mind for a while. IMO I think he was looking out for my best interest. It would have been a slap in the face to argue with him, he did after all Sell the tires to me nearly $100 cheaper than what I could have paid for the tires elsewhere. I figure I somehow contributed to others who may want the choice for nitrogen filled tired at his shop, awesome is how I would describe it.