# tips on setting tire pressure



## bikerx92 (Jun 8, 2010)

Hi guys

Quite new to road cycling. Would like to ask if there's any tips in setting tire pressure? Is it always better to pump to the max recommended pressure for the tire? Assuming the road is relatively smooth. Between my weight is around 55kg.


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## Mike T. (Feb 3, 2004)

There will be a few opinions on this but I prefer to have the pressures as low as I can get away with but high enough to prevent -

Pinch flats.
Rim dents.
Reason for low pressure -

Comfort over a teeth-jarring ride.
The tire conforms to road irregularities and thus the bike spends more of its time going forward rather than being jolted upwards. This, of course, slows the bike down as energy is being absorbed.
It's been proved that wider tires with lower pressures have a lower rolling resistance compared to narrow, hard tires - on anything but a dead smooth surface that is.

Many of us have abandoned the "normal" 23mm wide tires in favor of 25mm ones. I would never go back. I use 80psi front and 90psi rear with Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX on my main road bike. They are a light 210 grams - lighter than many 23mm wide tires.


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## Hank Stamper (Sep 9, 2009)

bikerx92 said:


> Is it always better to pump to the max recommended pressure for the tire?


55kg is about 120 pounds right? If so, definitely not max recommended. By 'max recommended' they mean what the tire can take not what they recommend you use. 

I'm not sure what someone your weight would be best with. Maybe start at 100 and experiment up and down 5 at a time. Most likely down from 100 will be where you find what works. 

For reference: I'm 160 and 110 back 105 front seems to work for me. This is fairly typical for my weight though I see a lot of post on-line with people my weight using less. It's less than ideal on bad roads (lower would be a little better) and I could probably go a tad higher on perfect smooth roads but it seems a good balance for all conditions.


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## bikerx92 (Jun 8, 2010)

Thanks for the tips. Shall start with 100 psi for usual group rides.
Planning to start racing too. If the race course is really smooth, should I bring up my tire pressure? Refering to road race and time trial.


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## Hank Stamper (Sep 9, 2009)

bikerx92 said:


> Thanks for the tips. Shall start with 100 psi for usual group rides.
> Planning to start racing too. If the race course is really smooth, should I bring up my tire pressure? Refering to road race and time trial.


I add a few pounds pressure if I'm sure I'll only be on super smooth roads but I have no idea if it's helps, or hurts, with speed. Not enough to show on my very unscientific observation of my speeds if it does. I just like high pressure when I can get away with it because the ride feels a little more lively to me. My lively is another person's bumpy and another person's smooth is my dead feeling......so again probably need some experimenting here too. I wouldn't go crazy low (or high) for a race but wheather you should add a few pounds to what you use for ordinary riding on worse roads.....not sure. Probably won't change race results either way.


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## cxwrench (Nov 9, 2004)

adding a few psi for a race won't make you any faster, but it might limit your traction in corners a bit. the harder the tire is, the less grip you'll have.


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## bikerboy337 (Jan 28, 2004)

check these sites out, helped me dial in my tires, i run mich. PR2s and conti gp4000s at 110 rear, 95 front and they both ride great, it takes a bit of playing with it to figure out what works best for you though. 

http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/images/TireDrop.pdf

http://www.dorkypantsr.us/bike-tire-pressure-calculator.html


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*another*

Here is what Zipp recommends:

*Recommended tire pressures by rider weight:*
<TABLE id=sizeChart cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TH>Rider Weight</TH><TH>Front psi (bar)</TH><TH>Rear psi (bar)</TH></TR><TR><TD><125 lbs
(<57 kg)</TD><TD>107 (7.38)</TD><TD>110 (7.58)</TD></TR><TR><TD>125-150 lbs
(57-68 kg)</TD><TD>112 (7.72)</TD><TD>116 (8.00)</TD></TR><TR><TD>150-175 lbs
(68-79.5 kg)</TD><TD>115 (7.93)</TD><TD>119 (8.20)</TD></TR><TR><TD>175-200 lbs
(79.5-91 kg)</TD><TD>118 (8.14)</TD><TD>122 (8.41)</TD></TR><TR><TD>>200 lbs
(>91 kg)</TD><TD>122 (8.41)</TD><TD>125 (8.62)</TD></TR><TR><TD>Triathlon/TT</TD><TD>Use Rear Press.</TD><TD>Same</TD></TR><TR><TD>Rain or rough Roads</TD><TD>Minus 2-4 psi</TD><TD>Minus 3-5 psi</TD></TR><TR><TD>Indoor Track</TD><TD>125 (8.6)</TD><TD>125 (8.6)</TD></TR><TR><TD>Outdoor Track</TD><TD>Plus 2-5 psi*</TD><TD>Plus 3-5 psi*</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
**Not to exceed 125 psi/8.6 bar*
*The above tire inflation pressures are recommended for optimal rolling resistance and grip. These pressures are for room temperature tires and rims. Tire pressures may increase as much as 25psi due to high rim temperatures caused by prolonged braking or as much as 5psi from high ambient or road surface temperatures.*

http://www.zipp.com/accessories/detail.php?ID=72


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## bikerx92 (Jun 8, 2010)

Fixed said:


> Here is what Zipp recommends:
> 
> *Recommended tire pressures by rider weight:*
> <TABLE id=sizeChart cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 border=0><TBODY><TR><TH>Rider Weight</TH><TH>Front psi (bar)</TH><TH>Rear psi (bar)</TH></TR><TR><TD><125 lbs
> ...


Quite a good guide. Thanks for that. But its rather hard to pump pressure such as 107. mine be easier to just pump around 105 and 110 instead. I'm using topeak joeblow sports floor pump.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*pump*



bikerx92 said:


> Quite a good guide. Thanks for that. But its rather hard to pump pressure such as 107. mine be easier to just pump around 105 and 110 instead. I'm using topeak joeblow sports floor pump.


If your pump has a hard time with 107 psi, I'd get a new pump, or hit the gym ;-)


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## Opus51569 (Jul 21, 2009)

Fixed said:


> If your pump has a hard time with 107 psi, I'd get a new pump, or hit the gym ;-)


I think he meant it's hard to pump to exactly 107, but I could be wrong.


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## Fixed (May 12, 2005)

*oh*



Opus51569 said:


> I think he meant it's hard to pump to exactly 107, but I could be wrong.


Just shoot for half way between 105 and 110? This is not an exact science kind of thing, anyway. You'd never know the difference between 105 and 107. As soon as you start riding the pressure will change.


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## pacificaslim (Sep 10, 2008)

Here's a chart from Michelin that seems to recommend a bit lower than Zipp.


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## 11.4 (Mar 2, 2008)

Zipp pressures are for tubular (especially since they mention track), while Michelin pressures have to be for clincher? 

These are good generally, but I'd still take them with a grain of salt. The real answer to your question is that you need to ride a lot at different pressures and then with different tires. You'll find the lowest pressure at which you don't pinch-flat, the pressure at which you feel most comfortable when cornering fast, the pressure that gives you the best puncture resistance, etc. etc. Interpolating among all these, your experience will tell you what pressure to ride. I see some riders riding tubulars at 110 psi who puncture a lot and do better going down 10 psi, others at the same weight who hit potholes straight on because they don't pay attention and pinchflat tubulars at 110 psi and need 125 psi. It really is unique. Those numbers quoted above are starting points, but you need your own experience to tell you your optimum pressure in the end. Some riders like the cushy ride of a larger tire, which they can also ride at slightly lower pressures. Others like Conti Competitions which have a very narrow range of viable pressures, compared to Vittoria Evo Corsa CX's. Basically, this is a bigger question than just your body weight and a chart. And the road surface will alter the pressures you ride as well. Just as an example, on my home roads (chipseal) I ride 23 mm Vittoria Evo Corsa CX II tubulars at 105 psi (I'm 185 pounds), which takes the buzz out. Racing crits on actual rolled asphalt I'll go up to 118 psi. On a concrete outdoor track I'll ride 140 psi with 22 mm Evo Pista CS tubulars, but if I get on a track with section joins I'll go down to 130 psi really fast and on a race day on a wooden indoor track I'll go up to 155 psi. You just need to learn what works for you. The rider next to me on the track may be 30 psi different, and I put riders I coach on very different pressures from my own.


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## Clevor (Sep 8, 2005)

I dug this thread up because of some interesting recommendations from Maxxis technical support. I just bought some Maxxis Radiale tires to try out (the world's only radial bicycle tire!). These are 23 mm tires. The sidewall says 135-145 psi. As I've never run more than 105 psi before with previous tires like Michelin Pro Race and Hutchinson, I asked Maxxis tech support if I HAVE to run at least 135 psi when I weigh 175 lbs. Their answer: I cannot recommend running lower than the minimum recommended tire pressure.

I guess I'll ignore that and try around 105 front, 110 rear. I'm just leery of that kind of tire pressures.


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## Ventruck (Mar 9, 2009)

I'm close to Michelin's chart, but a bit under even. ~62kg and running 70 psi on 700x25c tires. If the ride is beyond 50miles, or running 700x23c tires, I'm adding another 15psi. 

Only pinches I've had were when I went hard on chipped road, which since Spring was like...3?


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*No minimum*



Clevor said:


> I asked Maxxis tech support if I HAVE to run at least 135 psi when I weigh 175 lbs. Their answer: I cannot recommend running lower than the minimum recommended tire pressure.


Nonsense. The tech "support" line guy had no idea what he's talking about. Effectively there's no such thing as a minimum pressure except to prevent pinch flats and to keep the tire stiff enough so that it doesn't wander in corners.


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

The Michelin chart is closer with in my trial-error method. My rear tire gets about 5 psi more pressure than the front. In most instances, 95-105 front and 100-110 psi rear seems to hit a good range for me at 155#'s.


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## specialc728 (Oct 23, 2010)

Wow. I'm running way below suggested. I'm 195 and have been in the 90psi range but tires max is 125. What should I expect at the higher pressure? Harsher ride? Less rolling resistance? Less cornering grip?

Thanks.


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Expectations*



specialc728 said:


> Wow. I'm running way below suggested. I'm 195 and have been in the 90psi range but tires max is 125. What should I expect at the higher pressure? Harsher ride? Less rolling resistance? Less cornering grip?


Higher pressure means faster tire wear, less comfort, loss of traction. It may mean slower if your road surfaces are rough, but at your weight 90 psi is low for a 23 mm tire. However if you're not getting pinch flats, then higher pressure might not bring any real joy. Reduced rolling resistance might be a small number, but the only way you can find out is to do controlled roll-down tests.


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## Trek2.3 (Sep 13, 2009)

The BEST source for info that I've found.

http://www.adventurecycling.org/resources/200903_PSIRX_Heine.pdf


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## andulong (Nov 23, 2006)

I think riders need to experiment with their own tire pressures. These charts etc are a good place to start but not ideal. Michelin chart does not even distinguish between front and rear tire pressures. We all know there is more weight on rear thus the rear tire (if the same size) should be at a higher pressure. I am 150 pounds, have experimented over the years and found that with a 23 mm tire...I get good results with 95 front and 105 rear. Don't be afraid to try different pressures till you find what works for your particular weight, tire size riding conditions etc...


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## LigonierA1 (Aug 12, 2005)

specialc728 said:


> Wow. I'm running way below suggested. I'm 195 and have been in the 90psi range but tires max is 125. What should I expect at the higher pressure? Harsher ride? Less rolling resistance? Less cornering grip?
> 
> Thanks.


As said, take it with a grain of salt. I'm 211lbs, run Conti 4000S in a 700x25 and find that 92ish ft and 98ish rr makes for a comfortable, fast ride. Haven't flatted in 3000 miles and that's on a LOT of chip seal roads as well as generally rough roads. I'd say keep going lower until you find a reason that you don't like it. Add 5psi back in, call yourself done....


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## specialc728 (Oct 23, 2010)

LigonierA1 said:


> As said, take it with a grain of salt. I'm 211lbs, run Conti 4000S in a 700x25 and find that 92ish ft and 98ish rr makes for a comfortable, fast ride. Haven't flatted in 3000 miles and that's on a LOT of chip seal roads as well as generally rough roads. I'd say keep going lower until you find a reason that you don't like it. Add 5psi back in, call yourself done....


Sounds good.. Thanks a lot.


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## Wheelspeed (Nov 3, 2006)

andulong said:


> I think riders need to experiment with their own tire pressures. These charts etc are a good place to start but not ideal. Michelin chart does not even distinguish between front and rear tire pressures. We all know there is more weight on rear thus the rear tire (if the same size) should be at a higher pressure. I am 150 pounds, have experimented over the years and found that with a 23 mm tire...I get good results with 95 front and 105 rear. Don't be afraid to try different pressures till you find what works for your particular weight, tire size riding conditions etc...


Yes, the front pressure suggestions on that AdventureCyclist chart seems crazy low. If those really are best suggestions for rolling-resistance, comfort, etc., then we should all be using two different sized tires... 23C on front and 25C on rear.


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## TomH (Oct 6, 2008)

On dirt its night and day, a lot of mtb tires have drastic differences in handling between pressures.

On my road bike i cant tell a difference between 100-125psi. everything seems jarring on a aluminum road bike.


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## ralph1 (May 20, 2006)

Here is one for you, a mate is just getting into cycling....we went out the other day on his new OP rims with Ult hubs, while riding I looked down at his shiny new wheels saw that his tyres were bulging out at the sides. I asked him what was in them and he said "dunno, maybe 40 psi":mad2: I enlighteded him that he needs around 100psi in them.

After I pumped them up to 100, I asked him if that felt better........funny he said they roll and corner better.:thumbsup: 

cheers

Ralph


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## twiggy73 (Jan 19, 2010)

I love my tires hard 

at 176 pounds (80kg) i like to have them at 110 to 120psi 

They are just to soft other wise. they crn much better and just roll so much faster especially on the decents. 

Will be trying so Vredestines soon so will be giving them a go at 120psi plus 

twiggy


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*Loving perception*



twiggy73 said:


> I love my tires hard
> 
> at 176 pounds (80kg) i like to have them at 110 to 120psi
> 
> ...


You may like the feelings you get from higher pressures, but it is unlikely that your tires either roll faster or corner better. They probably don't corner as well because there is less rubber in contact with the road, and if you pump them too hard they will actually be slower because they don't conform to road surface irregularities. That, and they wear faster and are less comfortable at higher pressures. Otherwise, it's all good.


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## pdh777 (Oct 7, 2005)

Just a note on the Michelin chart above. Michelin tires max PSI (116) is generally less than many of thier competitors for racing tires (Vittoria, Conti etc.) Maybe they know something. 
Personally what I have used is close to thier chart and regardless of tire brand and have had very few flats. The people I ride with who use high psi seem to get many more flats.
Front 100psi / Rear 105 psi - I weigh 155 lbs.


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## twiggy73 (Jan 19, 2010)

Kerry Irons said:


> You may like the feelings you get from higher pressures, but it is unlikely that your tires either roll faster or corner better. They probably don't corner as well because there is less rubber in contact with the road, and if you pump them too hard they will actually be slower because they don't conform to road surface irregularities. That, and they wear faster and are less comfortable at higher pressures. Otherwise, it's all good.


I dont think i am to far off the recomended pressure for my weight i have always had then around the 110 to 120 . just have always prefered it that way 
anything under a 100 and they seem to soft 

twiggy


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## purplecu22 (Sep 25, 2005)

*tires are passage suspension*

Our tires are passage suspension. So if you make the springs harder it ride harsh and doesn't corner as well. We don't have a suspension on road bike, unless you have a Dks, or bent stays, That's another topic. 

You see the greatest effect of tire pressure and how it effect grip, handling and ride quality is in motorcycle race bikes.

This is my opinion which is from a motorcycle background.


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