36 to 24 psi - What a difference!
 

Hi MTBers,

I've been experimenting on my dualie and hardtail with tire pressures. At 36 psi on both, ride was harsher and bouncier. Front tended to come off ground more. At 24 psi on both, ride was much smoother and traction was much better. Speed did not seem to be slower at 24 psi, in fact, in climbing steep hills, speed was better. So far, no pinch flats at 24 psi.

Tire pressure is one of the most important factors affecting mtb performance, and experimenting with various pressures has been useful to me.

Amen!

i was actually going to ask a question about that, is 24psi what the average mnt biker rides? i've been riding on and off for a while, been getting into it a lot more lately.

This might sound nuts to you guys, but i run real high pressure..I dont like it when i corner and the tire feels like its folding around underneath me, so somewhere around 40 or higher for me.. :D

I ride a pretty high pressure as well...usually no less than 40psi. I experimented w/ lower pressure but kept getting pinch flats. I'd rather live with the bouncing around than chaning a tube every other time I ride.

45 PSI on 2.1" tires for me.

are you running tubless? id never do that with a tubed tire, youd get pinch flats every other mile. The only reason i run my tired between 35-40 is so i dont get pinch flats

I weigh a solid 200, and run around 26-30 in my front tubed tires, and 38-40 in my rears (depending mainly on size, where bigger rubber equals lower pressure).

It is very much a personal choice, but pays in spades to experiment. Sometimes the difference between scratching up a loose climb and bailing is a scant few psi.

Lower psi, and 24psi is a lot lower than I would run, will give you more grip at the expense of increased drag. Then again many factors come into it. How heavy are you? What size tyre? How aggressive are you on cornering and downhill? I run a 1.8 or 1.95 tyre at 50 psi f&r on a hardtail. I weigh 145lbs, and I am aggressive on the downhills. I can just about go down to 40psi on softer ground but the rock hard trails at present mean snakebites on a hard landing at that lower pressure. Sod the harsh ride, but for 30miles + XC, I don't need to have drag, At this time of year grip is not at a premium, and I don't fancy a snakebite at 35mph downhill. (Which incidentally is what we got on the Tandem last night at 60psi on a 2.1 tyre on a very rough downhill)

I weigh 180 and run 35psi front and rear on my xc HT. Much lower than that and the corners get a bit squirrelly (the rear tire starts to roll). Much higher than that and I tend to spin out when climbs get sketchy. Seems just the right level for optimum speed <> control, too.

i pump my hand pump until i get tired :D, usually about 30-45 psi ( weigh 150 with 2.2 tires)

Pressure is dependent on weight ...

Bigger riders need to run larger pressures to resist tire deformation. Your tire should deform "just enough" to the ground.

Basically, you need those side knobs to come down and "grab" the trail. Any more is too much. Any less and you are risking pinch flats and tire rollover.

I weigh 200 pounds. Hardtail has 2.1'' tires and dualie has 2.5'' tires.

i totaly agree. i don't have a pressure gauge as i only have a hand pump, but i always go as hard as i can get it. i need better grip, but whenever i lower the pressure, my rim contacts the tire and ALWAYS flats. comments?

I'm running around 55-60 psi in the front and the rear and I only weigh about 145 lbs. and if I run much less than that they get way to squishy for me...

my tires are set at about 40 front and back. i tweek it around 15 psi depending if i am going to ride the rocky, rooty stuff or the tight hardpack trails.

it really does make a difference.

65 front and rear...love it. Hardtail w/ 2.3 Got a flat last week but the slime sealed it before it went completly flat...rode the rest of the ride on 35-40 psi...much more effort required by me and gun shy of pinch flats the whole rest of ride.

I can't imagine 24 PSI. I would keep checking to see if I had a flat. I got 2.1 continentals on rear and front and usualy run 45-50 PSI. Nice and grippy but lots of speed up an downhill. For rainy days I runas low as 35 on the back for more traction.

I run 40 psi on the road and off road its about 25-30psi.

195 lb's here and I run about 50 both front and rear.

As some have noted, optimal tire pressure is dependent upon the size and type of the tire, width of the rim, weight and riding style of the rider, and the terrain. Lower pressure equals more traction due to a larger contact patch, but also increases rolling resistance.

Experimentation is the only way to decide what works best for you.

I run at 30psi (I weight more than most) and never get pinch flats, not even on the biggest drops or roughest terrain. Most downhill riders tend to ride a little less air. Its most of the reason I ride dh tires on all my bikes.

Not going to reiterate but it is entirely based on the riders attributes and the tire etc...

35 PSI max front and rear on my 2.25 Cinders. 40psi max on my 2.3 Weiwolfs. 45 min. on my Trailblasters. I weigh 200 pounds, have Mavic321 rims, and ride aggressive XC. the side walls can make a difference in pinchflats also. my racing weight tires need higher psi to be stable

I cant run low PSI at all I get a flat every time, I like the feel of the lower psi better it feels like I have more control. But in the end its just not worth it for me, I have to spend all day repairing flats!