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What PSI are you running in your 26x2.0 tires

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What PSI are you running in your 26x2.0 tires

Old 10-30-14, 09:47 PM
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What PSI are you running in your 26x2.0 tires

I'm going back to my relatively upright steel mtn bike for around town. Sometimes I'd rather take my time and enjoy the ride. I still have my 80s steel road bike if I'm in a hurry. I bought some 2 inch wide Kojaks. Bike,stuff, and rider are pushing 240 lb. Wondering what pressure you all are running in your fat 26ers.
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Old 10-30-14, 10:05 PM
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Originally Posted by T Slinger
I'm going back to my relatively upright steel mtn bike for around town. Sometimes I'd rather take my time and enjoy the ride. I still have my 80s steel road bike if I'm in a hurry. I bought some 2 inch wide Kojaks. Bike,stuff, and rider are pushing 240 lb. Wondering what pressure you all are running in your fat 26ers.
Running 26 X 2.0 kojaks on my Ross MTB Porter, my GVW is around 245 and have the front at 50 and the rear at 65.
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Old 10-30-14, 10:05 PM
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It doesn't much matter what anyone else pumps their tires to.

There are too many variables to make it matter to you specifically to you and your bike.

Start here. Use the second "Weight of (Fully-dressed) Rider & Bike" set of values and insert yours.

Adjust.
[h=3]Disclaimer: It's just an opinion that I have. It works for me. I am not the forum "Tire Pressure Police". Others may disagree. And....................YMMV.[/h]

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Old 10-30-14, 10:07 PM
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I run 2" slick road tires for the commuter. Pressure is abut 50 front and 60 rear. Any higher and it's like riding on basketballs.
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Old 10-30-14, 10:12 PM
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Sixty at both ends.
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Old 10-30-14, 10:13 PM
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2.0 Big Apples have a max inflation of 70lb. I run them at 60, let them go down to ~35. Repeat.
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Old 10-30-14, 10:20 PM
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I see a pattern emerging. Looks like I have a good starting point.

Kickstart: how do you like the Kojaks? Any pitfalls to be aware of?
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Old 10-30-14, 10:20 PM
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Marathon Mondial's at 60 psi for most days.
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Old 10-30-14, 10:34 PM
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I'm your size, I have a beautiful 80's custom made steel MTB that i used to commute on. We're talking paved surfaces right? Then Id' go 65+ for sure. Max it out and push it as high as those fat boys will go. The air volume and the width will be enough of a cushion. After riding that for a while If you hate it then back it off or push it up. What ever makes you most comfortable in your riding situation, You get to decide what is right and wrong.
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Old 10-30-14, 10:40 PM
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Originally Posted by T Slinger
I see a pattern emerging. Looks like I have a good starting point.

Kickstart: how do you like the Kojaks? Any pitfalls to be aware of?
They are my first fat slicks, but I really like them.
Traction is very good in the current wet fall conditions on pavement, gravel trails and even short grass. I've only experienced a couple of momentary loss of traction on leaf covered mud.
I have a couple hundred yards of very steep, twisting single track on my commute, its too steep to ride up in the am. but is no problem maintain full control and braking going down it in the dark in the pm.

other than avoiding mud, there isn't anything to worry about.
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Old 10-30-14, 10:49 PM
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Originally Posted by modernjess
I'm your size, I have a beautiful 80's custom made steel MTB that i used to commute on. We're talking paved surfaces right? Then Id' go 65+ for sure. Max it out and push it as high as those fat boys will go. The air volume and the width will be enough of a cushion. After riding that for a while If you hate it then back it off or push it up. What ever makes you most comfortable in your riding situation, You get to decide what is right and wrong.
The Kojaks definatly get faster the higher the pressure, but my commute is mostly poor condition roads, a little bit of single track, railroad crossings, and a long gravel driveway. I'm happy to give up a little speed for a lot more suppleness in the ride.

Conditions ridden are a major factor.
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Old 10-31-14, 02:29 AM
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When i had a cruiser, the big tire (rear) was always inflated to 65 psi, front was 80, both max on the inflation range.

- Andy
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Old 10-31-14, 04:56 AM
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60psi front and back. But as someone else said, you're the best judge of where to put them, once you're in the zone where you've reached enough pressure to avoid pinch flats and squashed rims.
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Old 10-31-14, 07:51 AM
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My tires say max pressure 65 psi. That's what I fill them to.
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Old 10-31-14, 08:04 AM
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Studded tires in the winter, 30 -35 PSI. Kenda K-Rad park/jump tires, 30- 40 PSI. Depends if I'm rolling pave or dirt for the Kendas.
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Old 10-31-14, 10:11 PM
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Originally Posted by T Slinger
I'm going back to my relatively upright steel mtn bike for around town. Sometimes I'd rather take my time and enjoy the ride. I still have my 80s steel road bike if I'm in a hurry. I bought some 2 inch wide Kojaks. Bike,stuff, and rider are pushing 240 lb. Wondering what pressure you all are running in your fat 26ers.
~ 275 pounds here, also upright on an old steel MTB, running 2.15" Schwalbe Big Bens (Big Apples with slightly deeper tread). Running the front at 42 PSI and the rear at 50 now. I started out much lower to see how it was and having been inching my way up to where I am now.
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Old 11-01-14, 06:05 AM
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front 55 and read 60, hope this will help
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Old 11-01-14, 06:58 AM
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The lower pressure range is good for traction and decreases the tension on the carcass enough so that punctures are a tad less likely, but you get increased rolling resistance and increased chance of pinch flat. I have found that running fatter tires at max PSI has a direct correlation with more punctures, but pedaling is easier. It was a good trade-off for me, because my town has a few not so fun long gentle hills that can really punish you if you're on floppy tires. Basically it meant that once i warmed up i could effectively ride all day, and the times i forgot to top off the pressure, i could really feel it.

- Andy
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Old 11-06-14, 12:30 PM
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I've been inflating my tires to 40 PSI, and decided to try and ride with 60 both in the front and back for the first time last week. Everything was fine when I left it. However, now the bike looks like this.



The back tube had a hole in it (the Bell inner tube from Walmart), but the front help up fine it seemed. There is nothing sharp inside the rim, and nothing in the tire since it has been cleaned thoroughly and checked. My tires say they can be inflated up to 80 PSI, but I do not know whether these inner tubes can handle this pressure? Anyway, off to Walmart to buy a new inner tube, and continue to inflate both the tires to ~40 PSI again...

Last edited by SpotOn; 11-06-14 at 12:33 PM.
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Old 11-06-14, 04:53 PM
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It would have to be a seriously crap tube to not hold up to 80psi. Also,if the tube malfunctioned,it would burst,there would be more than just a hole in it.

Where was the hole? If on the outer part of the tube,then it was something in your tire. Line the tube up with the tire to find the approx location,and actually turn the tire inside-out to see if there's something hidden in the carcass. If it's on the inner part of the tube,then there's either a gap in your rim tape or something in the rim itself. You can carefully run your finger around the rim to feel for imperfections,or use something like a cotton ball and look to see if something snags it.
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Old 11-10-14, 07:12 PM
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Originally Posted by dynaryder
It would have to be a seriously crap tube to not hold up to 80psi. Also,if the tube malfunctioned,it would burst,there would be more than just a hole in it.

Where was the hole? If on the outer part of the tube,then it was something in your tire. Line the tube up with the tire to find the approx location,and actually turn the tire inside-out to see if there's something hidden in the carcass. If it's on the inner part of the tube,then there's either a gap in your rim tape or something in the rim itself. You can carefully run your finger around the rim to feel for imperfections,or use something like a cotton ball and look to see if something snags it.
Thank you for the tip. There was a little (visible) hole on the inner part of the tube (against the rim). I ran my fingers on the rimtape, but did not feel any imperfections. I put a layer of electrical tape on top of the rim tape just in case, for an extra layer of "padding".

I did not see a "max PSI" on the packaging for the tube itself either. However, it is all fixed now, but I will be cautious on not inflating the new tube to more than 50 PSI. I am also carrying a spare tube inside the seat bag, in case something happens during a ride.
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Old 11-10-14, 11:46 PM
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Thanks to all for the replies. I've done about 150 miles on them and have settled on 45F 55R. Smooths out the chip seal pretty well. The Kojaks stick well, even through some MUPs with dew soaked leaves. Overall seems to be a good tire for the money. Time will tell on reliability.
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Old 11-12-14, 05:48 PM
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I ran my 70psi on marathon supremes. Handling felt kinda sloppy at ~45-50, I'd air them up then. It took a couple weeks.
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Old 11-12-14, 06:55 PM
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I don't ride MTB tires. On my road bike, I have 35mm tires, and I inflate them to 50 or 60. I'm under the impression that with wider tires, lower pressure would be appropriate. I expected you folks to roll on less than 40 psi. Why not?
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Old 11-12-14, 06:59 PM
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Marathon Supremes and normally 70-75 in each.
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