View Single Post
Old 07-12-17 | 08:54 AM
  #29  
ThermionicScott's Avatar
ThermionicScott
Senior Member
10 Anniversary
 
Joined: Aug 2011
Posts: 22,676
Likes: 2,643
From: CID

Bikes: 1991 Bianchi Eros, 1964 Armstrong, 1988 Diamondback Ascent, 1988 Bianchi Premio, 1987 Bianchi Sport SX, 1980s Raleigh mixte (hers), All-City Space Horse (hers)

I've been drinking the Berto/Heine "15% drop" Kool-Aid for 7 or 8 years now, and it hasn't steered me wrong yet. I'm far more comfortable than I was when I maxed out the tire pressure, haven't had any pinch flats, and it doesn't seem to have slowed me down any.

But, I think Jobst Brandt had a legitimate objection to the low front tire pressures these calculations give if your bike has a lot of weight in the rear (40/60 or 35/65 weight distribution) on level ground -- if you're touring on steep hills and need to brake hard on a downhill, nearly all of your weight will transfer to the front wheel, and it needs to be suitably inflated to avoid bottoming out at that critical moment.

So, I use a 45/55 weight distribution for every bike in my stable, whether that's "correct" or not. And then I take whatever the calculator gives me and round up to the next 5 lbs for ease in reading my pump, and to give a little safety margin.

Thus, for the example in the OP, with a 231 lb total weight and a 45/55 weight distribution on 37mm tires (these Schwalbes are marked 37-622), the calculator tells me to put 46 psi in the front tire and 56 psi in the rear. Round those up to 50 and 60, and you'll have something that's a hell of a lot more comfortable than 80 psi, but still very resistant to pinch flats.
ThermionicScott is offline  
Reply