Cyclocross - what psi?

I just started cross...what psi should I be at? 700x35 tires and I weight bout 194

start at 40 and see how low you can comfortably go. different course conditions will dictate your psi as well. make sure you have proper tubes to run as road tubes will stretch out inside those tires and be more susceptible to flats. i'm 240 lbs and run 40 in the front and 45 in the back most of the time.

start at 40 and see how low you can comfortably go. different course conditions will dictate your psi as well. make sure you have proper tubes to run as road tubes will stretch out inside those tires and be more susceptible to flats. i'm 240 lbs and run 40 in the front and 45 in the back most of the time.

Are you on clinchers or tubulars? What tires?

I weigh 160 and don't feel safe going below 40 psi on maxxis locusts. But to be fair, one place had lots of roots and rocks, and I felt it strike rim (but didn't flat). Wissihickon and Granogue were grassy and fast and I maybe could have gone lower.

I think tire pressure has a lot to do with style too. I tend to smash through things that get in my way, but I'm working on getting smoother and protecting my tires w/ different lines. So maybe I'll be able to drop psi with practice.

Also, remember to talc your tires to help avoid pinch flats.

Also, remember to talc your tubes to help avoid pinch flats.

fixed

i'm riding michelin mud2's. most of the courses i've been on this year are grassy and not too rocky(the one rocky course i pumped the tires to 50/55 just in case)

fixed

I guess I've been doing it wrong. :)

i think i'll try running 50ish for today's ride...i just figured since i was a heavier guy i would need a little more psi..

...make sure you have proper tubes to run as road tubes will stretch out inside those tires and be more susceptible to flats...

for 700x30-32, if not road tubes, then what are you using?

i used 50 psi for today and it worked out pretty well!

for 700x30-32, if not road tubes, then what are you using?

I would imagine he means 700x28-35 tubes and not 700x18-23 tubes.

I guess I've been doing it wrong. :)

I talc the tire. Poor the talc in the tire then rotate it and cover the whole of the inside. When you remove a tube later you will see the tube is totally talced up. IOW same difference.

I agree, I do the same thing. I think its easier to roll the tire around with a bunch of talc than cover an uninflated tube.

i usually run about 45psi in the tires when i take it off road and for races but i ride my kenda kwicks at the max when i ride to the trails and to work.

I would imagine he means 700x28-35 tubes and not 700x18-23 tubes.

exactly...thanks

I agree, I do the same thing. I think its easier to roll the tire around with a bunch of talc than cover an uninflated tube.


Agreed, that's how I do it too, but I can just see someone talc'ing the _outside_ of their tires because they read it was the thing to do on the internet.

I run as low as 30 but thats with tubulars. Generally the course will dictate your tire pressure and its really a matter of experimenting until you find the threshold of pinch flatting. Obviously do this in practice. People with a road background tend to run too high a pressure.

I ran 25 front and 30 back at this weekends race, should probably have run more but I was guesstimating at the start line.

Worked out ok, hit a couple of bumps pretty hard but no flat, running Mud 2's

To the op, it depends on the conditions, less pressure gives better grip in mud.
For a dry, smooth course 45-50, mud 30-35 for clinchers.