Lose of Air Pressure (and other silly question)

[Bene]

Hi, just wanting some ideas on my air pressure in my tires. I seem to be losing about 4 psi on the front per week. Is this normal or do you think I have a slow puncture? Could the atrocious roads around here be causing such loss?

Thanks.

The other thing concerns what I think is just inexperience as a rider, not sure. Sometimes, usually early on in a ride, I find myself hitting neutral when going from 1st to 2nd. Of course then the engine roars when in neutral when I hit the gas, I then quickly get it into 2nd, but it annoys me when I do this. I only seem to do this early on in a ride so is this anything to do with the engine warming up or anything of that nature or just my rookie riding. Don't get me wrong I don't do this often, just occasionally, but when it happens I feel a bit of an idiot.

Thanks.

[Aff]

Could be a slow puncture, a bad valve or you might have corrosion on the rim.

You shouldn't really be loosing 4psi a week.

With the gear changes, it just sounds as if you aren't being positive enough.

If it's a persistent issue for you move the gear lever down a tooth or 2, will give you more leverage and help with the positive shifts.
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Current Bikes:Honda 929RR Fireblade, Honda CD200 Benly (Project), Stomp Z2 140
Electric Bike Project

[-Matt-]

I had same two problems few years ago.

Tyre - was a slow puncture in my case, didn't realise or think it was a problem at first until a few weeks later [10 minutes before my module 1 test.... ] it went flat as a pancake.

The gearing thing is just a beginners mistake i'd think, just take the time in your head whenever you pull away to think you need to give it a firm clear upward click, after doing that for a while you'll probably stop doing it.

I still do it once in a while even after 6 years riding and of course end up looking like billy-big-revs

[Bene]

OK thanks. So is it just a case of buying a new inner tube and trying that? The bloke who I bought the bike off said that it had a slow puncture but he had changed the inner tube though come to think of it, so could it be something else? I'm going to monitor it closely over the week.

[-Matt-]

I'd check the exterior tyre also, as if thats got something lodged in it it might just repeatedly puncture any new inner tube and if its noticably damaged it might not be safe longterm

[Bene]

Yes I've monitored it this week and I'm still losing about 4/5 psi. I'm going to order a new inner tube and see if that is the problem. Silly question but is it easy enough taking the wheel of and swapping the inner tube over?

[Az]

I don't think that is normal at all, i topped up my air for the first time in like 3weeks/600miles today and i only lost like 3/4 psi on rear and front tire.