Originally Posted by
Max C.
Hmm, wouldn't running them at a high pressure increase the chances of popping the tubes when hitting a pot hole? My tires are rated for 90PSI so I was thinking of following jeffpoulin's advice and setting them to 80PSI for a little more resilience. I know that worked well for my mountain bike but thats obviously a different beast.
Yes and no... high pressure makes the tires more likely to get punctures. However a "pinch" flat is caused by having too low of a pressure so that the tire hits a bump with such force that air in the tube more or less completely decompresses in that area, causing the tube to "pinch" and flat. Pinch flats usually look like a snike bite, with two small holes in the tube.
Running a max 90 PSI rated tires with 80 PSI is fine, and actually a good idea. PSI recommendations are generally a range, not a specific number. But running a max 90 tire at 50 will almost definitely give a pinch flat sooner or later.