# Questions re tire pressure, potential wheel damage and Gator Skins



## tbsurf (Apr 15, 2010)

I wanted to follow up on the thread re 23 vs. 25 mm tires. I have a 2010 Synapse, which I lovingly call my “Porsche” (it’s as close as I’ll ever get). I weigh 150 lbs. and always inflate the tires to the max stated on the sidewalls, 120. I often cannot avoid poor sections of pavement. I thought the idea was to use the max tire pressure, in order to reduce friction. Should I be using a lower tire pressure for a more comfortable ride? (How many lbs?) Can you damage or make the wheels out of true by going over bumpy pavement? Does slowing help to reduce the chance of wheel damage? The original tires on my Synapse are/were Schwalbe Ultremos. The LBS replaced a damaged tire with a Michelin Krylion Carbon (they don’t carry Schwalbe). I’ve since read about Continental Gator Skins – I like the idea of reducing the chance of a flat. I asked one of the high end salesman about Gator Skins (which the store carries), but he said the Michelins are better because Gator Skins are very difficult to get on and off the rim when repairing a flat. I appreciate your feedback re Gator Skins. Should I go to 25mm tires in the future? I don’t race, but do a lot of climbing. Thanks in advance, Terry


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

holy crap...there have probably been more threads about tire pressure in the last 6months than all the 'what bike/saddle/component/wheels should i buy' threads put together. use the search function, see what has been posted, and reposted, and then posted and argued about over and over again. then do some experimenting w/ lower pressure and see what you think. i'll tell you one thing, lower pressure is faster.


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## PJ352 (Dec 5, 2007)

At your weight there's no need to run max tire pressure. Here's a guide (keyword, _guide_) that I think you'll find helpful.
http://www.michelinbicycletire.com/michelinbicycle/index.cfm?event=airpressure.view

Generally speaking, rims can take a fair amount of punishment, but yes, depending on the impact they can go out of true or you can experience pinch flats, which is a reason to maintain adaquate tire pressure. Slowing will lessen the impact, but I don't think you should get so anal over this that it affects your rides.

As cxwrench mentioned, some of your questions are simply a matter of searching here and on the internet and experimenting with different tires and pressures. All else being equal, as has been mentioned in the other thread, 25mm tires will offer a degree of comfort, partly from running lower pressure. If you're curious, try them and see what you think.

Since I've never used them, I can't offer any opinions on the Gator Skins, but Continentals are quality tires. Go to some websites like Nashbar and Performance and see what reviewers are saying about them.


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## bigdaddy96 (Aug 15, 2006)

My experience with the gatorskins is, yes they are somewhat difficult to mount, but they do not flat easily, hence you very rarely flat and need to remove them. Before moving to gatorskins, I was changing multiple flats per season. Never had a flat with the gators, and they seem to last for ever...


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## frdfandc (Nov 27, 2007)

Working in LBS, I've found that the Conti's are no more difficult than any other tire on the market. The issue is that depending on the rim, some tires are more difficult than others. This includes Hutchinson, Vittoria, Continental, Michelin, Panaracer, Schwalbe, list goes on.

I've had some Conti's go on with a lot of difficulty. But then on the flip side, Conti's go on fairly easy on my DT Swiss 1.1 rims.


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## jhamlin38 (Oct 29, 2005)

there's tons of info on the benefits of using 25 vs 23, and the general consensus on this forum, and in many magazines is that lower pressure is the trend. max psi at your weight would be pretty uncomfortable.
if I were 150psi, i'd ride them at 85-90, however the tire and rim might give you a squirmy feel while cornering, depending on the tire/rim.
I'd suggest 100psi, and dropping 3-5 psi every ride till you realize the benefit of lower pressure, and find your comfort zone.


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