When I lean forward and standing up on my mountain bike, the front tire bows outward at the base, normal?

Question

It's sides bow outward where the tire touches the pavement. I am a big guy, but I doubt that is normal. i dont have a tire gauge. Should I get an air pump with one? Or is that normal?

Answer 1

Yes, that's normal unless you have your tires inflated to higher pressures like 50-60psi.   Even then, you can still see the tire squish like that most of the time.  

Don't worry about it....just make sure you have enough tire pressure in there to avoid pinch flats.  If you have troubles there (you don't say exactly how big of a guy you are), then you could go to a larger tire with more volume...it will allow you to run lower pressures (better for traction and cushion) while still having lots of air to keep the rim off the ground.

Answer 2

There's always SOME sidewall flex, but you really ought to have a pump with a guage.   Pinch flats are a pain in the a**