Originally Posted by
marvelous
i recently purchased a kona sutra. it comes with iso standard 584 diameter wheels. i have looked into this size wheel and apparently it is not very common. as a result there is a lesser selection of tires that fit these wheels. none of them can be inflated to more than 85 psi. is there something i should know about? im used to riding road bikes where the minimum tire pressure by my standards is 100psi. is it preferable to have less air in your tires when carrying heavy loads? if so...why?
I used to think that higher pressure and (theoretically) lower rolling resistance were important. Over the years, my thinking has changed. Lower pressures have their advantages. Sheldon Brown deals with this issue well -- you can probably still find his writings on the subject online.
I found the higher pressures to be overrated. They cause more fatigue over long hours and days of riding. Also, over some surfaces the lower pressures are definitely more efficient.
The ideal pressures for you would depend on a variety of factors. If you experiment, and go by empirical or experiential results rather than theoretical ideas about pressure, you'll probably arrive at something more experientially satisfying.