Originally Posted by Al K
Hi MTBers,
I've been experimenting on my dualie and hardtail with tire pressures. At 36 psi on both, ride was harsher and bouncier. Front tended to come off ground more. At 24 psi on both, ride was much smoother and traction was much better. Speed did not seem to be slower at 24 psi, in fact, in climbing steep hills, speed was better. So far, no pinch flats at 24 psi.
Tire pressure is one of the most important factors affecting mtb performance, and experimenting with various pressures has been useful to me.
Lower psi, and 24psi is a lot lower than I would run, will give you more grip at the expense of increased drag. Then again many factors come into it. How heavy are you? What size tyre? How aggressive are you on cornering and downhill? I run a 1.8 or 1.95 tyre at 50 psi f&r on a hardtail. I weigh 145lbs, and I am aggressive on the downhills. I can just about go down to 40psi on softer ground but the rock hard trails at present mean snakebites on a hard landing at that lower pressure. Sod the harsh ride, but for 30miles + XC, I don't need to have drag, At this time of year grip is not at a premium, and I don't fancy a snakebite at 35mph downhill. (Which incidentally is what we got on the Tandem last night at 60psi on a 2.1 tyre on a very rough downhill)