Interesting. I'm like you in that I prefer hard tires but I've been afraid to go higher than the stated max, especially on the ten dollar tires my dad put on this bike! My Trek 7.2 FX had tires at 80 psi and they took sharp corners fine. The 730 has tires at 75 psi and the front one feels flat when I take a sharp corner. I guess I'll bring it up at the bike shop when I take it in for an overhaul.