Everything You Need to Know about Maintaining the Tires on Your XPO Trainer
Check out the interview below with Armored Fitness Equipment partner, Mark Schulte, who answers some of your most frequently asked questions about XPO Trainer tire maintenance.
Tires tend to be the biggest maintenance issue for customers with the XPO Trainer. Why is that?
It has everything to do with keeping the air pressure in the tires. These tires are much like the ones on a ten-speed bike except they're smaller, which means they can't hold as much air. And losing air is super easy to do. About a pound or more can be lost just by snapping on an air gauge. Plus, most people, if they don't have an air compressor or electric air pump, try to add air to the tires with a hand or bicycle pump. That’s an easy way to lose a lot of air unless you have a screw-on adapter that secures the pump with a clip once you put it on. All that to say: You have to pay attention to your tires, and you have to know how to air them up well.
What is the ideal air pressure for the front and back tires?
The back tires hold 30 PSI. I’ve found that you can safely air them to 35 PSI, but don't go beyond that because the tire will come over the rim, and you'll have a blowout. The front tire holds 50 PSI. You could go to about 55 on that.
What are some best practices customers can follow to care for their tires? Is there a specific process they should be aware of?
Start by checking the air pressure. The easiest way to do this, I’ve found, is just to step on them. If the tire is firm under your foot, don't bother getting your air gauge out. That goes for the front tire and the back tires. Just put some weight on them and see. As long as they’re firm, you're good to go and not going to have any issues.
If the tires need air, I recommend using an air compressor. The pressure is already built up inside the unit, so all you have to do is snap it on and start letting air in. Then you pull it right off before checking with an air gauge to see whether you need more air. The second best way to air them up would be one of those little twelve-volt pumps (the ones used for cigarette lighters). These pump up slowly but are very powerful. Some can deliver up to 200 PSI. That said, the front and back tires (as mentioned above) can only hold certain amounts of air, so be sure to snap the pump off pretty quick.
How often should customers be airing up their tires?
If you’re using your XPO Trainer daily, I recommend checking the air pressure of your tires at least weekly, if not more often.
Is there a specific surface that helps the tires maintain air or last longer?
Personally, I prefer using the XPO Trainer on asphalt. With asphalt, you don't typically need to put any weight on top of the XPO Trainer because the tires don’t slip on that kind of surface. The purpose of adding a weight to the XPO Trainer is to keep the tires in contact with the surface you're pushing it on. However, if you have a weight, feel free; you won’t be doing any harm by tossing it on. On most surfaces, there will be times when the tires slip so slightly that you won't notice it. Over time, that will wear out your tire, so be careful. When unsure, add weight.
What typically happens when the tire pressure is too low, and what is the appropriate course of action?
Let me just start by saying that these tires are tiny, so they don’t take long to deflate. Once they become pretty deflated, when you try to turn the XPO Trainer around at the end of a run, the tire and tube can turn on the rim, pulling the valve stem inside. This will make it appear as if there is no way to fill the tire with air. In this case, you will need to push the tire away from the rim to find the valve stem. You’ll notice that the hole the valve stem is supposed to go through will be in one place and the valve stem in another. Simply turn the rim around until the hole and the valve stem align and, since there isn’t much air in the tire, you should be able to push the valve stem back down and through the hole.
From there, you can put air inside the valve stem using your inflation device. If the valve stem is hard to hold, sometimes I hang onto it with needle-nose pliers. Another option once you’re at this point is to use the valve stem extension that came with your XPO Trainer—Definitely keep the tools we send you! Just screw on that extension, and hold it while you inflate the tire to make the process easier.
Another thing that can happen when the tires are SUPER flat, of course, is the XPO Trainer can stop moving correctly or altogether. Never let this happen to you as this might ruin your XPO Trainer.
What should customers do if one of their tires blows out?
Replace the tire like you would any other! It’s not a complicated process at all. For a replacement front or back tire, simply click one of the previous hyperlinks. If you are in need of a new inner tube for your tire, you can order it on Amazon here. For further customer support, email support@armoredfitness.com or click the question bubble at the bottom right corner of any page on our site.