The High PSI Thread
 

Does anyone else besides me like riding a high tire pressure? Lately I feel like the trend is to get big balloon tires and run them at 80psi like you're getting ready to ride the cobbles or something.

700x23 GP4000s, 120 rear, 115 front. Never had an issue with excessive flatting or "comfort."

Bontrager R3 Tubeless 700x23 85-90psi both tires

I am about 170, give or take some cheeseburgers. Riding tubeless really makes the difference.

120r 110f

Stick around cycling long enough, and I am sure we will see this go back to the way it was before... Plus ça change... ;)

not me, i run my 27x3/4" (630mmx19mm) and 700cx23mm at about 80PSI front and rear. (i'm at 155lb)

High pressure is not associated with flatting (pinch flats) - it's only when you reduce the pressure on the narrower tires that it becomes a concern.

The comfort though - it is true that people have different priorities about that. I'm not much concerned about how soft the feel is, but I seem to be pretty sensitive to how pressure affects high speed cornering and I like to have lower resistance. The question to me is what pressure (and tire) provides that, and it isn't really a matter of comfort vs speed.

I have a strong suspicion that the optimal pressure depends largely on the particular construction and materials of a tire, more so than on the width even, so I'm a little skeptical that the 15% deflection rule is valid in all cases. More specifically I think that that the most desirable deflection depends on the type and amount of flat protection (if any), and also the thread count. For lower TPI tires with puncture layers there seems to be a threshold point for pressure, where the rolling resistance suddenly shoots up if you get below that pressure. Between that and the sidewall pressure max, I'm not so sure but I suspect that somewhere close to that threshold is optimal.

700x23. 105f. 110r.

I run about the same.^

me too

I stopped blowing up my tires to 120psi a long time ago. Run @5psi higher than this chart recommends.

http://www.crw.org/safety/12safetyPgs/12nov-table.gif

http://www.crw.org/safety/12safetyPg...v-pressure.php

My Conti Ultra sports are rated for 130 and I keep them at 120 front and rear. When I started riding road bike I was told high psi (proper inflation for your tires) helps prevent flats and make the ride more comfortable. It's never failed me yet

Whoever told you that was wrong

There is probably no reason for most people to ride a really high PSI. Different tires and preferences will dictate what is best, but most high pressure riders can probably drop 10 or more PSI and find that the ride the same or maybe better. High PSI also has less traction. I ride 90f/100r on 23mm tires and I'm 200lbs. No issues for me and a very nice ride. Of course, I also ride nice tires which makes a difference too.

I run 90-95 each, usually 95.

700x23 gatorskins

I run about 90 psi front and rear with my 700x32 marathons.

I worry about too much pressure and the sidewall on them so I am hesitant to go higher. I have had two sidewall failures on marathons on four years and only one or two punctures (I honestly do not recall any but I have a hard time thinking there were none). If it were not for the sidewall concern I would run 100 with minimal hesitation.

For half on my commute I do not even fall in any of those weight ranges.

I do notice a performance difference if I let the pressure drop below 80 psi.

But remember, less air in the tire means less rotating mass. ;)

Whoever gave you advise had no clue what they were talking about. I don't think it's even debatable that a higher psi will in fact be a rougher ride. As far as flats, I got them all the time until I lowered my pressure and now I almost never get them, including pinch flats. I think my last flat was about 3000 miles ago, and that's because the cheap tube split at the seam.

I've tried less air pressure than the 110f-120r, but it just feels mushy and squirmy to me.

I'm at 90f-100r on 25mm tyres, 72-74kg body weight. I find the front starts to feel squirmy when pushing it if I go lower than that, and I don't see a reason to go higher than that.

High PSI is probably the wrong term. Filling within the recommended psi range for the tire is more accurate. I prefer less rolling resistance and feels faster. I've ridden different size and width tires up to 700x38 with 65psi and my 700x23 high psi feels best to me. I haven't had an on road flat in 2 years ...knock on wood

Rolling resistance can increase with overinflation. The psi range shown on the tire isn't for individual riders.

I run 100 front, 120 rear on both of my 23mm and 25mm GP4000s. If it's comfortable, why not pump it up to highest you can go? Comfort wise I mostly felt a difference when it came all the way down to around 80, maybe even less which is getting into pinch flat territory. 120 vs 100? Not so much.

I am 195lbs

Conti 4000s 25mm.. 110psi front...120psi rear

As someone who has gone (at times) over 15,000 miles without a flat, I feel the need to comment. The single biggest thing you can do to avoid flats is not ride near the edge of the road, especially if using a shoulder. Flat proof tires, like Specialized Armadillos, give some additional protection as well from tiny chunks of glass/shell (the latter near the ocean thanks to seagulls). My big chunks of flatless miles were riding Armadillos and Schwalbe Marathons (heavy tires but I never once puncture flatted). My Continental GP4 Season's are far lighter but have let some tiny chunks of glass through (maybe 5 flats over the last 12,000 miles). Way down on my list of how to avoid flats is tire pressure. I never ride a severely under-inflated tire but don't religiously top-up for each ride either.

"Feels faster" doesn't equal "is faster". A lot of road buzz translates to a feeling of speed regardless of whether you're actually going faster. I've just replaced old 30 TPI tyres with much more supple 150 TPI ones, and the new tyres feel slower although they roll just as fast, if not faster (as confirmed on a known descent).

That said, if you're not racing, "feels better" equals "is better" and that's all that matters.