Lenkearney

I weigh 220 and ride a touring bike. I replaced the tires with a 28C to get a little more speed.

Bike is cannondale 700 (aluminum) and the saddle just beats me to death. I installed a compression seat post and that helps some.

Normally I fill by tires to 120 lbs. Recently read an article that suggested I should only be using 80 lbs. So I am confused.

Do higher PSI help prevent flats or rim damage? lowering the pressure should improve the ride which would let me go longer.

Looking for opinions, recommendations. Thanks, Len

Bikewer

Considering your size, I'd go for the maximum pressure indicated on your tires. Otherwise, you'll be collecting a lot of pinch flats. Each tire is specific, you must look at the manufacturer's minimum/maximum pressures on the sidewall.

desertdork

I think you'll find some variance in the recommended PSI between varying 28mm tires. What tires do you have? What tires did you replace?

Failing to inflate your tire to a minimum PSI can leave you more prone to flatting (pinch flats) and possibly rim damage. So you can only lower your pressure so much.

A heavier rider would require higher PSI than a lighter rider, all other factors remaining constant.

There's a good possibility that a larger tire (such as a 30-32mm) at a lower PSI would be just as fast...but more comfy...than your 28mm choice. Lots of opinions on this, though, and the variances in tire construction and materials used will play a role here.

All opinions, of course...

peripatetic

You're heavier, so you should have higher pressure in your tires:

(from Jim Langley's site)

"The Right Pressure Makes a Big Difference
Most people put too little pressure in road tires and too much pressure in off-road rubber. Road tires usually take from 95 to 125 pounds per square inch (psi). If you weigh less than 150 pounds, go toward the lower end and vice versa. For mountain tires intended for off-road use, a good range is from 35 to 45 pounds. Use the same rule for weight. With off-road rubber, you’ll find that less air means a softer ride and improved control because the tire has a larger footprint on the trail."

desconhecido 

28mm tires @ 110 to 120 psi should not be too hard -- particularly if you weigh 220. I'm kind of a fatty being 205, down from about 240, and I run my 28mm tires (Panaracer Pasela TG) at about 110 or so and ride a B17. It's not a problem as far as comfort. My limiting factor, recently, is getting enough hydration in the Houston heat -- it's quite a chore to drink enough liquid to replace the liquid lost (maybe 1.5 oz/ mile). The 28mm tires @110 psi are plenty squishy on any Houston roads, maybe you're running rougher roads. I have one bike with 35mm tires (Schwalbe Marathon Plus) that I run at 100psi. Anything less feels like riding on jello.

Just a thought, if you find that you're putting a lot of weight on your saddle, you might want to try raising the saddle height a bit. Most of your weight should be carried by your legs, not your butt.

wrk101

+1 May well be more a problem with set up (seat too low). +1 You need max/near max air pressure in your tires.

Retro Grouch 

Here's a couple of data points.

My wife and I used to ride a Santana road tandem with 700 X 28c tires. I inflated them to 100 psi front / 110 psi rear. We never had a pinch flat and, trust me, the two of us together weighed more than you. Previously, for a long time we had used 120 psi front and rear. When we tried the lower air pressure we didn't notice any decrease in performance but the ride quality improvement was huge.

I weigh around 200 and one of my bikes is a Bridgestone with 700 x 28c tires. I run those at 90 psi and don't pinch flat.

ciocc_cat

What make of saddle are you using? When I was in my late 30s my Selle Italia Super Turbo felt just fine, but now that I'm 55 I've had to switch to a Selle SMP TRK to keep certain vital male parts from going numb during extended rides.

DMF 

28C is a pretty wide tire. At 220 lb there's no way you should be riding 120 psi. Try 80. You'll probably stay there.

FBinNY 

Tire pressure and tire section work together to determine ride properties. Nowaways lot's of people are moving to narrower tires looking for more speed, and many are compensating with crazy high tire pressures. That's a wrong approach, and leads to poor traction, more vibration, and lousy handling on poor roads. In some cases excess pressure increases the likelihood or rim failure.

At 220# you'd be far better off using a larger tire if your frame has clearance and dropping pressure back below 95psi. (possibly as low as 75-80). You won't encounter any more rolling resistance, reduce your chances of denting rims, and get a better ride.

Moving to narrower tires makes as much sense for you as putting small sports car tires on your SUV and inflating them to 50psi to get the rims off the ground.

furballi

Try 80 psi. Pinch flat should not be an issue at this pressure with 28c tire. I'm 148 and I run 70 psi with 23c. Also go with 32c or 35c if these tires will clear your frame. FBinNY gives good advice.

I'd also investigate a sprung saddle like the Brooks Flyer to dampen road vibrations.

DMF 

Also work on spending more time out of the saddle. Remember, it's a saddle, not a seat. You're not supposed to have your butt on it all the time.

barturtle

I'm 238 (down from 285) and also ride 28s. At your weight you don't need 120psi. I run 85/95 front/rear in my tires and have had no problems. When I was 285, I was only running 100/110 front/rear.

davidad

https://www.adventurecycling.org/res...SIRX_Heine.pdf

Lawrence08648

I agree with a lower tire pressure. A heavier person does not need higher pressure, they need a wider tire, either 25 or 28 would work in your case. A tire needs to bounce on the road, what I mean by that, the sidewalls need to flex when you go over bumps. With a higher pressure, the sidewalls can't flex. If the sidewalls don't flex then the wheel takes the brunt of the bumps, potholes, and undulations in the road and your wheel life will be shortened. Manufacturers design tires and bikes to have a 15% tire drop, means when the rider sits on the tire, the tire will drop or squash 15%. If it doesn't, you either need to adjust the tire pressure or the width of the tire.

wheelgrabber

Tire pressure is a personal thing. Rolling resistance is bull.

I weigh 200 lbs. I ride 120 psi front/rear. I have tried to ride with 110 psi on my full carbon racing bike. However, I can see and feel the front tire buckling when climbing out of the saddle. The rear tire is sloppy when descending at speed in the saddle. The carbon soaks up most of the road on my bike. At 110psi the cracks in the road are less noticeable; however, there aren't enough cracks to justify lower pressure.

Rarely will you read someone riding less than 120 psi at you weight, however it a personal feel.

barturtle

You might want to state what size tire you're using, as that will make a huge difference as to what pressure you are going to run for any given weight.

For example rarely will you read of someone of any weight riding a 700x60c at 120psi.

DMF 

If you don't care about rolling resistance, that's your choice. But most of us do.

Counter-intuitively, an over-inflated tire is less efficient. If the sidewall can't flex, then the entire mass of the bike is lifted over a bump, dispersing much more energy than would the softer tire. A "harsh ride" indicates that the tire is not absorbing the bumps, and that you're wasting energy.

rumrunn6

80? that's nuts! at least for me and my tires. my tires are quite comfortable even at their MAX pressure but not all tires are like that. mine ar Specialized All-Condition Armadillos (the smooth ones). I crank them to 120. I might go softer like 110 but never lower. There's a bit to the technique of riding that I'm inclined to mention, meaning: getting out of the saddle and coasting over the bumps. I see guys riding over nasty rtoad surfaces that I would be just off the saddle for. try lifting yourself off the saddle an inch or two and give your bottom a break!

DMF 

I wouldn't ride 80, either. But I'm heavier and I ride 23C.

Do what you want, but don't say that 80 is "nuts". I know riders his size that ride 23C at 85-95 and don't flat.



Well, no more than the rest of us...

dscheidt

Of course, maybe the people you see seated have sane tire pressures, and dont' need to abuse their knees to do the tire's job.

rumrunn6

it depends on the tire of course. if the max is 165 then 80 might be a bad idea, (even nuts). if the MAX is 90 then 80 is within reason. I'm 219 and would not ride 80 on my Armadillos

DMF 

Huh? Stated Max PSI has nothing to do with this question.

DMF 

"abuse their knees"?? More likely they're not fit enough to stand for any length of time. (Check them for locked elbows.)


Or remember to use your smilies.

rumrunn6

when asking for opinions you get what you get. I'm not asking for your opinion of my opinion