Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Road Cycling
Reload this Page >

how much air should I put in my tires

Search
Notices
Road Cycling “It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.” -- Ernest Hemingway

how much air should I put in my tires

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 02-20-12, 05:32 PM
  #1  
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Posts: 417
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 41 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
how much air should I put in my tires

I have 700 x 25c tires on my road bike, i weigh about 147 pounds, shoud I put 100 psi in ??
cvcman is offline  
Old 02-20-12, 05:40 PM
  #2  
Senior Member
 
wi.flash's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Port Edwards, WI
Posts: 173
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Responses are going to vary, but the sidewall of the tire will tell you the max. I usually do about 115 psi on front and back. My maxes are 125.
wi.flash is offline  
Old 02-20-12, 05:43 PM
  #3  
Full Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Seattle
Posts: 446
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Liked 18 Times in 4 Posts
Probably around 95 front, 110 back.


Max means *max,* you don't need to go up that high. I weigh about 20lb more than you, and ride 23c tires (so higher pressures,) and do about 115 rear, 100-105 front.
JustinHorne is offline  
Old 02-20-12, 06:11 PM
  #4  
Senior Member
 
pablosnazzy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: fruita, co
Posts: 1,701

Bikes: rocky mountain SLAYER!!!! trek, voodoo, surly, spot, bianchi, ibis

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
put 100 psi in. see how that works. adjust as needed. don't put more than the number on the side of the tire.
pablosnazzy is offline  
Old 02-20-12, 06:43 PM
  #5  
Slower Member
 
and1homer's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Boulder, CO
Posts: 328

Bikes: 2009 Giant Defy 1

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Depends what you want - rolling resistance, ride comfort, pinch flats and I guess a lot of other things are all affected by tire pressure.

Max on my tires is 120psi. I pump front and back to about 110psi. FWIW.
and1homer is offline  
Old 02-20-12, 06:54 PM
  #6  
OMC
 
revchuck's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: South Louisiana
Posts: 6,960

Bikes: Specialized Allez Sprint, Look 585, Specialized Allez Comp Race

Mentioned: 199 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 461 Post(s)
Liked 116 Times in 49 Posts
Originally Posted by cvcman
I have 700 x 25c tires on my road bike, i weigh about 147 pounds, shoud I put 100 psi in ??
I weigh 195, and run 90 psi in the front and 100 in the rear in my 700x25s. Michelin's recommendation for a 154 lb. rider is 6 bar/87 psi. For you, you might want to try 80 psi front/85 rear. FWIW, I'm running 80 psi front/90 rear in a pair of Conti Grand Prix 700x28 tires with no problems.
__________________
Regards,
Chuck

Demain, on roule!
revchuck is offline  
Old 02-20-12, 07:07 PM
  #7  
Campagnolo
 
WarLordZ's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: France
Posts: 135
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
110 for those would be plenty.
WarLordZ is offline  
Old 02-20-12, 07:11 PM
  #8  
Slogging along
 
rubic's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: San Fernando Valley, SoCal
Posts: 1,148

Bikes: Cannondale Synapse '06, Mongoose titanium road bike '00--my commuter. Yes, Mongoose once made a decent ti road bike.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
For your 147 pounds and 700 x 25c tires, 90 psi front and 100 psi rear sounds reasonable for starters.
rubic is offline  
Old 02-20-12, 08:23 PM
  #9  
Should Be More Popular
 
datlas's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Malvern, PA (20 miles West of Philly)
Posts: 43,027

Bikes: 1986 Alpine (steel road bike), 2009 Ti Habenero, 2013 Specialized Roubaix

Mentioned: 560 Post(s)
Tagged: 2 Thread(s)
Quoted: 22572 Post(s)
Liked 8,918 Times in 4,152 Posts
Originally Posted by rubic
For your 147 pounds and 700 x 25c tires, 90 psi front and 100 psi rear sounds reasonable for starters.
I agree.

Just because the max is 120 or 115 doesn't mean you should go that high. Very common newbie mistake.
__________________
Originally Posted by rjones28
Addiction is all about class.
datlas is offline  
Old 02-20-12, 09:09 PM
  #10  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Haunchyville
Posts: 6,407
Mentioned: 9 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 13 Post(s)
Liked 10 Times in 6 Posts
I agree with those recommending 90f-100r. I'd rather roll down the road than bounce.
canam73 is offline  
Old 02-20-12, 09:15 PM
  #11  
Beer >> Sanity
 
bikerjp's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Colorado
Posts: 3,449

Bikes: 2014 Evo DA2, 2010 Caad9-4, 2011 Synapse-4, 2013 CaadX-disc

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by canam73
I agree with those recommending 90f-100r. I'd rather roll down the road than bounce.
I'm in the 200lb range and ride approx 95F and 100R. I think at 147 you could drop a bit lower. Experiment and find what you like.
bikerjp is offline  
Old 02-21-12, 08:06 AM
  #12  
Senior Member
 
JimF22003's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 2,654

Bikes: 2008 Trek Madone 5.5, 2009 Cervelo R3SL tdf edition, Cervelo R5 with Di2

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
It can depend on the wheel shape as well. I use 115 on standard-shaped Ksyrium wheels, but 100 on the Zipp 101's that have a wider shape. I believe some of the Hed wheels also take a lower pressure.
JimF22003 is offline  
Old 02-21-12, 08:24 AM
  #13  
Senior Member
 
Nick Bain's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Driftless
Posts: 1,832

Bikes: Caad8, Mukluk 3, Trek Superfly, Gary Fisher Irwin.

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 105 Post(s)
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
compliance factor. lower pressure can absorb bumps more gooder. depends on the brand and tire design though and proabbly tpi.
Nick Bain is offline  
Old 02-21-12, 01:13 PM
  #14  
Ride 365
 
Lucky07's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: NYC/UpperDutchess, NY
Posts: 1,882

Bikes: '06 Cannondale Six 13 Pro 2, '05 Specialized Allez Elite, '04 Jamis Satellite, 90's Raleigh M-45 single speed conversion, 80's Fuji Team single speed conversion, 70's Schwinn World Sport

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Once you have enough air in them to avoid pinch flats, it's really up to you. Experiment with different PSI on different days riding the same route & see what works best for you.
Lucky07 is offline  
Old 02-21-12, 02:13 PM
  #15  
pan y agua
 
merlinextraligh's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Jacksonville
Posts: 31,296

Bikes: Willier Zero 7; Merlin Extralight; Calfee Dragonfly tandem, Calfee Adventure tandem; Cervelo P2; Motebecane Ti Fly 29er; Motebecanne Phantom Cross; Schwinn Paramount Track bike

Mentioned: 17 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1442 Post(s)
Liked 711 Times in 365 Posts
Originally Posted by WarLordZ
110 for those would be plenty.
We run 110 psi with 700x25c tires on our tandem with a team weight over 350lbs, without any problems.
__________________
You could fall off a cliff and die.
You could get lost and die.
You could hit a tree and die.
OR YOU COULD STAY HOME AND FALL OFF THE COUCH AND DIE.
merlinextraligh is offline  
Old 02-21-12, 02:17 PM
  #16  
Senior Member
 
JTGraphics's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: So Cal
Posts: 2,678
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
On my 700 25c's on my commuter I run 90 - 100 psi I weigh 160
__________________
It may not be fancy but it gets me were I need to go.
https://www.jtgraphics.net/cyclist_bicycles.htm
JTGraphics is offline  
Old 02-21-12, 02:18 PM
  #17  
Senior Member
 
FlatSix911's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Los Altos, CA
Posts: 1,775
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 70 Post(s)
Liked 8 Times in 6 Posts
From Michelin

FlatSix911 is offline  
Old 02-21-12, 02:23 PM
  #18  
Two-Wheeled Aficionado
 
ColinL's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: Wichita
Posts: 4,903

Bikes: Santa Cruz Blur TR, Cannondale Quick CX dropbar conversion & others

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 5 Times in 5 Posts
It's a good start, but not that accurate. There are a ton of BF members over 180 pounds who run way less than max sidewall. They're not pinch flatting or bending rims.
ColinL is offline  
Old 02-22-12, 01:03 AM
  #19  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2009
Posts: 189
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
180lbs, and I run 95/120. I could probably even let the rear down a bit. I ride some fairly rough roads, and hit plenty of bumps with no issues on pinch flats. That is with Gatorskin 23's. I have had significantly less hand pain since lowering the pressure from 110 or so in the front.
momo15 is offline  
Old 02-22-12, 06:32 AM
  #20  
Newbie
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: Northern VA
Posts: 37

Bikes: Independent Fabrications, Raleigh Glider

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 2 Times in 2 Posts
https://www.bikequarterly.com/images/BQTireDrop.pdf
billDennen is offline  
Old 02-22-12, 06:59 AM
  #21  
Pretend Racer
 
dcvelo's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Northern Neck
Posts: 1,281
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Most of the above recommendations are on the high side. I run 85 front/95 rear on my bike with 25mm tires and I'm 10 pounds heavier than he OP. I'd say 80-85 front and 90-95 rear would be better starting points.
dcvelo is offline  
Old 02-22-12, 07:56 AM
  #22  
Fred-ish
 
rogerstg's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Rhode Island
Posts: 1,800
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
Originally Posted by billDennen
There's a site with an online calculator that uses those principles here

FWIW, it's what my wife and I use now, and since changing over to it a few years ago I've had zero pinch flats. I'm 175# and my wife is 100#.
rogerstg is offline  
Old 02-22-12, 09:26 AM
  #23  
*
 
adriano's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Baltimore
Posts: 6,876

Bikes: https://velospace.org/node/18951

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 1 Time in 1 Post
that calculator is on the money.
__________________

α
adriano is offline  
Old 02-22-12, 05:26 PM
  #24  
Senior Member
 
nastystang's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Edmonds Wa
Posts: 645

Bikes: 2014 Felt F2 2015 Specialized Tarmac Sport

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
I am about the same weight and run 105 front and back. Based off of Vittoria website recommendations for my tire choice and weight.
nastystang is offline  
Old 02-22-12, 06:12 PM
  #25  
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 312
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 0 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Originally Posted by nastystang
I am about the same weight and run 105 front and back. Based off of Vittoria website recommendations for my tire choice and weight.
Same here...anywhere between 100-105 psi. Anything lower and it feels a bit mushy to me. When I get out of the saddle to climb I do not like a lot of tire deflection and compression.
Rippin is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.