Simple Guide to Cycle Tire Pressure
Tyre pressure is a highly debated topic among cyclists. So where do you begin, if you got a road, mountain, or hybrid bike?
Conveniently, every bike tyre has recommended PSI stamped into the rubber on the sidewall. Tire pressure has a huge impact on safety and how a bike performs. It’s amazing how easily we miss one simple and free way to improve how our bikes ride: getting the right tire pressure.
Higher PSI (pounds per square inch) makes the tire harder. Lower PSI makes it feel softer. You need to find the sweet spot for a tire and figure out where the high pressure doesn’t have any risk of blowing off the rim and the low pressure won’t rip off the rim.
Higher PSI (pounds per square inch) makes the tire harder. Lower PSI makes it feel softer. You need to find the sweet spot for a tire and figure out where the high pressure doesn’t have any risk of blowing off the rim and the low pressure won’t rip off the rim.
Tyre pressure dictates 2 aspects of your ride, Grip & Rolling Resistance.
- Grip: The more a tyre can conform with the surface that it is rolling over, the greater the grip level that it achieves, which means that an over-inflated tyre that bounces over a surface and rolls only on the central strip will not have optimum grip.
- Rolling resistance: On the other hand friction that occurs between tyre and surface is rolling resistance. An underinflated tyre will provide too much contact with the surface, and therefore too much rolling resistance. Funnily even an over-inflated tyre also increases rolling resistance; because it constantly bounces on the surface, rather than rolling over smoothly.
The best tyre pressure for your bike will depend on
- the kind of bike you have
- the kind of tyres you have fitted
- factors like rider weight, road conditions and weather conditions.
Mountain bike tyres run at a lower pressure than road tyres so that the tyre can conform to the terrain, and provide added grip.
Suggested tyre pressure 36/38PSI
Road bike tyres run at a higher pressure than mountain bike tyres, to reduce rolling resistance and the chance of 'pinch flat' punctures.
Road bike tyres run at a higher pressure than mountain bike tyres, to reduce rolling resistance and the chance of 'pinch flat' punctures.
Suggested tyre pressure 90/100PSI
Hybrid/Gravel tyres run at a higher pressure than mountain bike tyres, but a lower pressure than narrower road bike tyres; providing the best compromise between grip and rolling resistance.
Hybrid/Gravel tyres run at a higher pressure than mountain bike tyres, but a lower pressure than narrower road bike tyres; providing the best compromise between grip and rolling resistance.
Suggested tyre pressure 50/55PSI.
Take the guesswork away and the most precise way to achieve the right tire pressure is to use a bicycle pump with a gauge and there are tons of options in the market.
To mention a few with (price in the ascending order):
Finally, before every ride inspect the tyre condition, look for any signs of wear/abnormalities and check for right tyre pressure.
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