Originally Posted by
noglider
I inflate my tires to the pressure that I figure is ideal for their width, so about 100 for 25mm width and about 70 for 32mm width. I've overinflated the tires on my 3-speed to 60, and that didn't make it faster, for sure. It made the ride pretty harsh, though. It's a slow bike, no matter what.
Recorded times on the different bikes is quite different. Maybe there's a psychological reason that rewards me for going faster on a light bike, but whatever.
Another interesting datum is that I had a Surly Cross Check, a heavy steel frame, and I put very light racing wheels on it. Overall, it felt like a light bike. Then I put heavy wheels on it with 37mm tires on it. It rode like a dog. So, draw your own conclusions. Mine is that I'm pretty sensitive to a bike's weight, especially at the wheels.
Most table that tell you what pressure for what width tire are giving you a pressure for "comfort." 37mm tires pumped up to the recommended pressure are going to roll
a lot slower than skinny race tires.
If you don't care, then leave it alone. If you want to see, put the same tire/tube and same pressure on different wheels and it will be much harder to tell the difference.
Cheers,
Charles