Classic & Vintage - Tire pressure Re: 1984 Team Fuji

I just got my first road bike- a 1984 team fuji- and had a quick q. about tire pressure: the tires say max psi 120; do I need to inflate them to ~120 psi in order to avoid damaging the wheels? The bike shop only pumped them up to about 80, I was unsure if that was due to some constraint imposed by the rims or w/e.

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120 is the max.
~80 is a min., much below that and you risk getting pinch flats. For everyday riding, run them ~100-120.

thanks for the quick reply.

what norskagent said. With a lower pressure you will get a more comfortable ride. With a higher pressure your bike will be noticeably faster. I always keep my tires near at the max pressure

I typically ride mine at 120 psi rear and 115-118 psi on the front. I don't usually go lower than 100 psi.

Tire pressure needed depends on tire size and the weight it needs to support. If you're a featherweight, you can go close to the bottom of the range. If you're a brick, go near the top.

what norskagent said. With a lower pressure you will get a more comfortable ride. With a higher pressure your bike will be noticeably faster. I always keep my tires near at the max pressure

That depends a lot on the tire, and again, on tire size. I have 26mm tires that I pump to about 85 psi in front, 90 in the rear. They have a max pressure of 110 psi. I routinely coast down hills faster than people with 23's pumped to 120 (even heavier people). Obviously, if you're underinflated, you'll go slower, but there's a lot more to a fast tire than simply size and psi.