What should bike tire psi be at

Will the bike be used mostly on roads? Or is it supposed to travel on dirt tracks? A special topic here are single purpose mountain bikes , because the topic of tyre pressure is a lot more complicated with them.

On smooth road surfaces like tarmac, choosing the right tyre pressure is comparatively easy. Good roads without potholes mean a tyre pressure at the upper end of the limit values provided on the tyre flank. Rolling resistance will be reduced and the bike will run smoothly, with plenty of propulsion. Once you have to factor in potholes or ridges like the edges of pavement - as is often the case in daily traffic - tyre pressure should be relevantly reduced.

Every tyre has cushioning properties, which come more or less to the fore depending on tyre pressure. Unfortunately, lower tyre pressure also means a higher rolling resistance on smooth road surfaces. Gravel tracks can further complicate things. Depending on the grit size of the gravel, low tyre pressure may significantly increase comfort for the rider, because the tyre is soft enough to absorb surface impact. However, the lower the tyre pressure, the higher the risk of a puncture, e.

If your tour will include a lot of gravel paths, then using a lower tyre pressure is recommended. If you do experience a lot of punctures that way, then you should increase pressure levels slowly, until there are no more punctures. Another negative factor with low tyre pressure is the increased rolling resistance on smooth tarmac.

While the rolling resistance decreases on gravel at low tyre pressures, because gravel is simply deflected instead of rattled over, resistance increases on smooth ground, because the tyre is compressed more and therefore under a lot more strain. Touring wheels are very versatile, they can deal well with a great variety of surfaces. While many tours will take you along good, tarmacked bike lanes, others may take you across gravel tracks with pointy rocks.

Another issue to consider when selecting the correct tyre pressure is the load the tyres will have to carry. Not only the weight of the rider plays an important role, but very importantly: the weight of the baggage. So it stands to reason that you should be running proportionately less pressure up front.

Experiment with tire pressure by deflating front and rear, say, 5 percent each percent, not PSI, because remember, front and rear are different and should be changed proportionately. Ideal tire pressure gives you a comfortable ride with a confident feeling in corners. Once the front wheel starts to feel the least bit squirmy in hard cornering, add a few psi back in.

Measure front and rear with your gauge and write it down as a baseline, but remember—the perfect pressure may change according to conditions, terrain, weather, and if you switch tire sizes or brands. Bikes and Gear. United States. Type keyword s to search. Today's Top Stories. Are Wider Tires Always Faster? Trevor Raab. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Related Story. Best to do this using a good quality floor pump with a gauge. As you can see, we recommend a lower pressure in the front tyre. Your front tyre leads with traction and direction, your back tyre mostly just follows.

If you have This website uses cookies to enhance your experience. That's because -- with a smaller surface area and less need for traction -- higher PSI allows road bike tiresto sit firmly above the ground with a minimum of surface area in contact. The tires don't sag down and create a large surface area, because it's simply not needed.

A typical road tire should be inflated to something between 90 and PSI. Mountain bike tires, on the other hand, tend to run at much lower PSI. This is because thicker mountain tires have more surface area touching the ground at any given PSI, reducing the amount of load per unit of area, but also because with mountain tires you generally want a bit of sag to increase contact with mud, gravel, snow, and other low-traction surfaces.

Most mountain bike tires are inflated to between 25 and 40 PSI. Too high of a tire pressure can make your ride feel very bumpy and harsh, but may increase performance on fast turns and boost efficiency a small amount. With mountain bikes, high pressure can also cause a tire to "bounce" off obstacles rather than rolling over them smoothly. On the other hand, lower pressure can make your bike handle sloppily and reduce efficiency -- and also put you in additional danger of pinch flats -- but can improve traction in adverse conditions and generally provides a more comfortable ride.