Originally Posted by
ochizon
Do any of you guys overinflate your tires?
I am running 25c gatorskins to max recommended psi (120) and still squish the rear tire quite a bit. I would like to reduce this squat, but am not sure how much to inflate it to, or if it would be safe.
Any thoughts?
Inflating tires beyond the recommended is usually okay. Most tire pressure limits are lawyer limits. Let me explain that the engineer designs a new tire capable of say 180PSI, the legal department, wanting to prevent lawsuits from exploding tires, want a low limit. Marketing wants a high limit because people have the idea that a tire with a high pressure limit is a better quality tire, better quality means you can get a higher price so accounting will ask them to negotiate. If 120 is the agreed upon amount, then that's what is on the tire sidewall.
The problem we don't know as tire purchasers is who won the battle, if it's legal there could be quite a bit between the design limit and the moulded in limit, if marketing won the battle it could be fairly close. Pumps with guages could be a little high or a little low too. I wouldn't go above. Now realise something else, you actually want the tire to squish down a bit, if it doesn't then you could rattle your teeth out, especially on a stiff aluminum frame.