Winter Cycling - How should a properly filled Nokian M&G "feel"?

I'm just installing my M&G's and the only pump I have has no pressure gauge. How tight should the tires feel to the squeeze, or to the pressing of my palms with my upper body weight behind them, for decent usability?

I'll be checking them with a gauge as soon as I get the chance, but I'm without one at the moment and I'd like to make lemonade out of lemons.

Feel is subjective. People feel things differently. Get a gauge first, then you can possibly learn the feel.

Well, I'm going to have to take the bike to the store in order to get a gauge anyway, so I won't have used a gauge before I've ridden on them. Even something subjective should help.

If I place both palms on the tire and lean onto it with my upper body, should I feel any give? If so, how much? Feel free to use terms like "a little bit" and "a tiny little bit," because even those directions might help me from exploding a tube.

I'm running mine pretty soft right now in an attempt to get them to bite. We are having some melting so i will probably air them up a bit. Right now, my back tire I can easily dent the sidewalls with my fingers when i squeeze moderately hard. ;)

A solid pinch should yield a few MM's of depth. They should deform a bit when ridden. They are NOT high PSi tires.

I think I filled them to a decent pressure. Rolling resistance was surprisingly not so bad, and I definitely heard the studs so there was enough give for them to be contacting the ground all the time. I'll check the pressure for real as soon as I'm able.

Well, I'm going to have to take the bike to the store in order to get a gauge anyway, so I won't have used a gauge before I've ridden on them. Even something subjective should help.

If I place both palms on the tire and lean onto it with my upper body, should I feel any give? If so, how much? Feel free to use terms like "a little bit" and "a tiny little bit," because even those directions might help me from exploding a tube.


If you really squeeze hard you should be able to deform the tire.

Then sit on the bike and be sure the tire does not collapse and is rideable. It can bulge but not let the rim get too close to the ground.

Now that we've gone through "tiny bit" "little squeeze" etc. could someone share optimal pressure reading with a gauge?
grazie

I do about about 40 psi when there is not much ice around, 30 psi when it is more
treacherous out.

This depends incredibly on your weight, my 140# friend can run a tire 40 psi less than 195# me.

This depends incredibly on your weight, my 140# friend can run a tire 40 psi less than 195# me.

It depends on your weight, the size of the tires,the design of the tires, the terrain, and the way you ride. It takes experience with that exact set up to find the idea pressure.

It depends on your weight, the size of the tires,the design of the tires, the terrain, and the way you ride. It takes experience with that exact set up to find the idea pressure.

Cross-section of the rim will make a difference, too.

Different snow/ice conditions will reward different pressures. Sometimes you want low pressure to try to "float" over semi-hard-packed snow. Sometimes higher pressure so you'll cut through the snow to an undersurface with more traction. Sometimes low pressure on a trail with really chopped up and rutted ice, to allow the tire to deform around the ruts/footprints, etc. Sometimes higher pressure for lower rolling resistance on a trail that has patches of occasional snow or reasonably flat ice, but also sections that are dry pavement.

Bottom line: Bring a good pump. And spare inner tubes or a patch kit in case you go too low and get pinch flats.

Cross-section of the rim will make a difference, too.

Very true, thanks for bringing it up. :beer: