# Deflating tyres for flight?



## barnesy (16 Jan 2011)

Hi, I will be flying easyjet to Paris in may to do a French and Spanish tour.

As I will have just a mini pump with me and not my track pump I'm wanting to know if I can pump my tyres to max psi and then fly the bike or do tyres need to be deflated for flying?

I remember reading something before saying they had to be deated due to pressure differential.

Anybody able to advise?


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## vernon (16 Jan 2011)

barnesy said:


> Hi, I will be flying easyjet to Paris in may to do a French and Spanish tour.
> 
> As I will have just a mini pump with me and not my track pump I'm wanting to know if I can pump my tyres to max psi and then fly the bike or do tyres need to be deflated for flying?
> 
> ...



It varies from company to company and even from airport to airport. You are best of checking with the airline.


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## TheDoctor (16 Jan 2011)

The holds are pressurised, so I wouldn't bother deflating them.
Even if you were to put the bike into space, it's only like an extra 15 psi in the tyres.
I'd forget the mini pump and get a Morph of some sort, though.
They can inflate tyres to a decent pressure, rather than a limp-home pressure.


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## TheDoctor (16 Jan 2011)

Here we go - this from Ryanair. Easyjet site is silent on the topic of tyres.

*Special advice for the carriage of bicycles*<br style="font-family: Verdana, lucida, Verdana, helvetica, sans-serif; ">The pedals must be removed (or fixed inwards) and the handlebars must be fixed sideways. *The bike MUST be contained in a protective box or bag*. It is not necessary from a safety perspective to deflate typical tyres found on bikes and wheelchairs for carriage in the hold. However, to eliminate the small risk of them being damaged by bursting, you may wish to deflate the tyres.


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## mark (16 Jan 2011)

The pressure differential between sea level and a pressurized aircraft hold is not enough to make a difference; as TheDoctor says, even putting the bike tire into a vacuum isn't going to create a big enough pressure differential to blow the tire, unless something is already wrong with the tire or rim. Nonetheless, I've had a couple of British Airways baggage people (Heathrow and Gatwick) get very nasty about insisting that the tires had to be completely deflated, even though the BA website says that this is optional. BA employees elsewhere (Denver, Catania) have been much more reasonable. I suspect that the BA employees who made me deflate the tires just wanted to make themselves feel important.


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## frank9755 (16 Jan 2011)

I always follow CTC's advice on this which is leave them inflated and if asked if I have deflated them, to lie. 

There is an urban myth amongst baggage handlers and check-in staff that there is some sort of risk from bike tyres. Occasionally one will insist on them being deflated, in which case you have to comply to get on the plane (given it is a religious thing rather than a rational fear, there is no point arguing - or asking questions like 'will you be deflating the aircraft's tyres too?) or they will deflate them for you. That has happened to me so you do need to have a capable pump just in case.


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## dodgy (16 Jan 2011)

Ask the baggage handlers if they'll be deflating the tyres on the aircraft, which aren't in a pressurised container


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## hubbike (16 Jan 2011)

If you have to deflate them don't worry. Paris has bike shops, believe it or not, and they will let you use their track pumps for free. you'll be up to pressure again in no time.


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## andym (16 Jan 2011)

I think it's worth taking a proper pump. after all if you have a puncture in the middle of nowhere you would need to pump the tyres up. if you're not confident about your mini-pump then get something better - speaking from painful experience, there's nothing like a rubbish pump to ruin a holiday.

(That said, you can get little adapters that will convert a presta to a schrader valve and allow you to use compressed air 'pumps' on garage forecourts - use with care though).


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## Davidc (16 Jan 2011)

andym said:


> (That said, you can get little adapters that will convert a presta to a schrader valve and allow you to use compressed air 'pumps' on garage forecourts - use with care though).



Most forecourt pumps can't get to a high enough pressure, about 50 psi max, certainly not 120 to 130 psi. They're only good for a get you home half inflated job. You'll get more pressure from a Halfords cheapest version of mini pump.


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## bikepacker (16 Jan 2011)

dodgy said:


> Ask the baggage handlers if they'll be deflating the tyres on the aircraft, which aren't in a pressurised container




When have you ever got to find out who is going to load the bike? In my experience, which is considerable, baggage handlers take great pleasure in letting down tyres. I have had a bike bag opened and tyres let down by some handler of low intelligence.

What I do is attach a sign to the bike or bag in English and the language of the country I am visiting, stating that the tyre pressures have been reduced in accordance with airline recommendations. This has proved to be the best solution for me as only once since I started with this have tyres been let down.


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## iAmiAdam (16 Jan 2011)

I don't see the problem with mini pumps anymore, I managed to get mine to about 115 psi today.


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## Bodhbh (16 Jan 2011)

frank9755 said:


> I always follow CTC's advice on this which is leave them inflated and if asked if I have deflated them, to lie.



Yes, it's a bit of a pain. Last time I flew, I got asked by 3 different members of BA staff (and several times by one of them) if i'd let the tyres down as I was dismantling the bike at Heathrow. I lied each time but I was wondering if one was gonna actually start inspecting them.


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## canadiense (21 Jan 2011)

I have flown my bike two times, both to Asia. Once on Cathay Pacific and once by Air Canada. On both trips I was asked if I had deflated my tires but only on departing Canada. In both Bangkok and Hong Kong the subject never came up. In all cases I had let out about 15 pounds of pressure - just in case. Also I would not have to resort to lying if asked.

I use a Mountain Morph pump which is a fantastic pump for larger mountain bike tires. I was very popular in Laos with a couple who had a deflated motorbike tire. With my Mountain Morph they were on their way in a few minutes. 

If you are looking for high pressure consider the Road Morph pump.


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## Bodhbh (22 Jan 2011)

canadiense said:


> Also I would not have to resort to lying if asked.



Yes, it's a not a great feeling boldface lying to someone who is otherwise being friendly. My tires were already down to 30-40psi, and good for upto 60, so I could have deflated them for the flight all they knew. White lie !


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## Brains (22 Jan 2011)

Letting tyres down seems to depend on the individual baggage handeler, ignore whatever the company/airport may. or may not, say on the issue.

The (actually valid) reason for letting down the tyres is that all aircraft/airline/airport rules state that 'no pressurised containers are permitted in the hold'
Whilst we can all agree that a tyre going BANG! is not going to do any damage to anything other than the innertube that does not stop an aircraft returning to the stand to find out what caused the bang.
(I speak from experience here. Half a day late back from HK due to an alarm clock in a back going off in a bag in the hold)


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## jay clock (22 Jan 2011)

just let them down. Regardless of the science which says otherwise you WILL get asked to. Even the Ryanair one that says optional does not stop them saying that the airport has different rules.

You could get arsy and ask them if all the cans of deodorant and shaving foam in the hold have to be emptied too.... but not worth the argument.

When touring I have a couple of pumps like the Topeak Road Morph that work as a tiny track pump and have had no problem getting good pressure. I also take an adapter to allow garage air lines to be used. And contrary to the comments above these will readily go to explosion level if pushed.

The car rental places at the airports are perfect for getting air......

Final comment, I believe plane tyres are inflated with nitrogen.......


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## Kirstie (22 Jan 2011)

I found out recently that you're allowed to pack two CO2 canisters in a bike bag that you're going to check in. So even if you do let your tyres down, take a couple of those and you'll be sorted in no time at the other end.


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## frank9755 (23 Jan 2011)

jay clock said:


> just let them down.




There are two reasons you don't want to do that!

1. Half of the time you are not asked if you have deflated them

2. Bikes, even in a bag often seem to get get dragged along on their wheels. Having air in protects both your tyres and rims. 

Obviously, if someone insists or does it for you, you don't have any choice, but why concede if you don't have to?


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## frank9755 (23 Jan 2011)

Brains said:


> Whilst we can all agree that a tyre going BANG! is not going to do any damage to anything other than the innertube that does not stop an aircraft returning to the stand to find out what caused the bang.
> (I speak from _[irrelevant]_ experience here. Half a day late back from HK due to an alarm clock in a back going off in a bag in the hold)



That's not the point - the tyre won't go 'bang'. 

I have never come across a reported example of this happening!


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## Brains (23 Jan 2011)

frank9755 said:


> That's not the point - the tyre won't go 'bang'.
> 
> I have never come across a reported example of this happening!



errrr, why not ?
You must be one of the few people that have never had a tyre go bang. 
I've had at least 4 that I can remember. Two caused by glass, one caused by over inflation, one caused by a tyre wall failing.
No reason why a tyre should not go bang in an aircraft hold, have you seen how sharp the damaged corners of the aluminum containers they use for bags get ?


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## frank9755 (24 Jan 2011)

I had thought it was obvious from the context that I meant 'go bang while in an Aircraft'.

My mistake!


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## recombodna (23 Sep 2011)

"Most forecourt pumps can't get to a high enough pressure, about 50 psi max, "


A forecourt pump will blow your tyre clean off the rim if you're not careful. ( In my experience anyway)


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## Ticktockmy (24 Sep 2011)

If you see how bikes and other luggage is handled by some baggage handling teams, when loading or unloading the smaller planes then worring about if to deflate your tyres is least of the problem. personally I always deflate the tyres, but only till they are a little soggy, then they will still protect the rim when some hairy arsed handler drags it from the hold or pod. or decides it is easier to drop the bike out of the hold rather than put it on the Conveyer belt.

One point to know, these days apart from BA, the checkin and Luggage handling is outsourced to other companies, its best to find out who handles the airline and chat with them as to what rules they apply.
Bob G.


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## doog (24 Sep 2011)

My tyre exploded (tyre / rim problem) as I was cycling away from Girona airport, it must have been mighty close to going at 30,000 feet with the estimated extra 14psi that occurs with a flight.


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## Mitz (24 Sep 2011)

I flew with my bike to the UK with BMI Baby and back with Ryanair. BMI Baby ask you to deflate tyres as a condition of carriage. Ryanair say that you can leave them inflated. However having been to the check in desk you have to take it to the oversize luggage desk, and there the airport security check it. I was immediately made to deflate both tyres even though the airline were happy to leave them inflated. He said if they werent deflated then they werent going on the plane. It's only common sense really I guess


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## gotanypegsdave (12 Nov 2012)

Fuselage pressurised to the equivalent of 2000 m. I'm sure many of us have happily cycled at over 5000 m. Nothing happens. The whole thing is nonsense, but it doesn't stop airline personnel enforcing it. Rather like mobile phones in petrol stations.


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