Originally Posted by
ratherbpiping
However, would the higher pressure not reduce rolling friction? Also, I would think as a bike leans on cornering as opposed to a car, I would think more pressure would give more stability. I do see that making the contact area smaller would increase wear.
A question on the weight though, should that be the weight of bike and rider?
Higher pressure reduces rolling resistance only on perfectly smooth roads. On normal roads with a slightly bumpy surface, over inflating your tires causes your whole bike to bounce around, slowing you down. When cornering, the correct tire pressure causes your tires to flex a little and increase grip.
I believe the Michelin chart assumes a normal bicycle (around 20 pounds). If yours is much heavier or much lighter, then add that to the rider weight.