Kettler- how much maintainance do the AIR tires need?

[jubilee]

I am interested in the air tires on a Kettler because we have really rough sidewalks. In reading the old posts, it seems the air tires need maintainance- but what exactly does that mean? Pump them up with a bike tire from time to time?? Someone mentioned an air compressor? Please help me out! Thanks in advance!

[NEVE and TRISTAN]

good question I'd love to know too if anyone has had to do anything to theirs...
We have not...had it since Jan, and use it often!

Neve and Tristan born Feb 25, 2003
***********************************
EDD with #2 March 18, 2005
heartbeat and "looking great" so far
************************************
Traveling in Jan insearch of the rest of our family-adopting in Ukraine
***********

[reyn74]

I got my Air Jumbo 2 years ago, I think. They were very new at the time, I remember that. I also know I read the manual, but don't remember about maintenance. Anyhow, my yard was very bumpy and rocky, and I could not let my son on the street in that neighborhood. So it stayed outside (no garage or shed) for a year and a half, and did not get much use. Right before we moved, we noticed both back tires were flat, and dug up our manual. The tires do not have an inner tube, so you have to use an air compressor to pump them up, a regular bike pump won't do a thing, because they have to have a lot of air at once to create a suction to stay inflated. My DH got both tires successfully inflated using a compressor that was powered by his car, but by the next day both were flat again, and have been ever since. The kids still ride on it, because the tires are so thick that they pretty much do their job without being inflated, but I think the ride would be much smoother and faster if they were truly inflated. Also now they are riding on nice flat driveways and roads, and the trike is stored in a garage. The manual says to take the trike to a gas station, and try to inflate them there. We've been meaning to do that for ages, but have not yet.

Anyhow, I needed another trike for my younger son, and got a Kettler, but there was no way I would get the air tires again! I actually got a Kiddio from TRU, and my kids MUCH prefer it to the first one. I think my new one is the supertrike 3, with the fake shocks and speedometer. The (plastic) wheels are bigger too, so I think it could handle any terrain that the Jumbo air could, but as I said I moved to a better trike riding area, so I'm not sure.

Anyhow, I don't know if mine is an anamoly or not. Or more likely the poor trike was just misused from being outside. BTW, it still looks brand new, even after being outside for so long, except the yellow handlebars have turned brown. I have not called the company or anything (am waiting to see if taking it to a gas station works).

-Sarah

[amp]

I believe they are supposed to be pumped up with an air pump (like the kind at the gas station, not a bike pump) once a month. We have not done that. BUT, if the tire deflates, I guess it's a major PITB to get it reinflated since you can't then just go and pump it. Like the previous poster said, something about having lots of pressure in there or something. I didn't really understand it, but DH agreed that was the deal. He, then engingeer though, believes that unlike everyone else, he could reinflate the tire without going to a professional. Lord help us!

[gisele]

Kettler air tires are tubeless. The issue with tubeless tires is that you need to seat the bead - the contact to the rim - correctly because it's the pressure that keeps the air in. My husband has done this with tubeless tires (motorcycle ones) in the past and used a regular Craftsman air compressor for it.

We have an Air Jumbo from the last co-op and have used it a lot. Haven't had to do any maintanance on the tires. Once the tires are pumped, you shouldn't have to do anything to it on a regular basis.

[houseof3boys]

Julie we havent' had to do a thing with the air tires on our Air Jumbo and I dont' regret for a second having the air tires. We just kept going back to how flexible it is to be able to have the air tires versus the regular ones when we decided on them months ago.

[miki]

I asked Kettler how much pressure the tires need. They said 36 PSI, which is not very high. DH was an automotive engineer and a cycling enthusiast. He said he did not think an air compressor was necessary because a good bicycle pump (the kind you would use for a road/racing bike) can get up to 180 PSI.