80 psi what a difference it has made to enjoyment of bike.

gmacz

110psi on the standard giant defy 25s and i just hated the bike. No enjoyment at all.
It was just far too harsh and speed suffered badly.
100 psi - never noticed any difference, rough finished roads were the worst, felt the fillings rattling in the teeth.
Seat height, reach etc means nothing when it is just not comfortable, even standing up was just as vibey etc.
80 psi - What a difference, much faster, really comfortable, you can "feel" the road, it just totally transforms the bike into "fun" again.
Defy mudguards lasted 50 miles before the little tag snapped on the rear mudguard.
No reply from bike dealer of any kind, they have had the whole of Monday to at least answer the email, am I being a bit impatient, probably.
Anybody running lower than 80psi or at 80 psi.

solboy

I will try this as i hate fast decents when the bike starts to rattle etc. How heavy are you though because i am 14 stone and when i push hard at lower PSI the tyres feel like they are moving off the rim.

gmacz

Same weight as you.
I know what you mean about fast decents, you have to slow down or your joints start to part company from the sockets.
30 psi on the mtb and then 110 on the roadie is too big a jump.
Maybe it is a newbie thing and you eventually get used to it.

grindsuphill

Totally agree tyres inflated to 80-85 psi are the best option to cope with our less than smooth roads. This does promote more compliance to following road undulations rather than the energy sapping "skipping" up & down & is definitely faster

Whatever theories other posters have about higher the psi equals better, this is not found on the crabby roads of West Yorkshire

gmacz

Good to hear it is a popular thing to do.
Actually looking forward to going out again tomorrow.
That is a first on the road bike.

Bobbinogs

Yepp, I have been experimenting with pressures over the while and I have now found that F/R of 80/90 to be about right for me (at 65kg). The CTC website guide for min pressures is a bit vague because not many of us know the exact weight distribution on the bike but I reckon my official recommended min is 75/85 for my weight and 80/90 just feels great. Bike zips along and there's a nice subtle cushioning effect.

The lower pressure does mean that one is more susceptible to snake bites but there is a balance to be had, IME.

sloppyschleckonds

Is this about mountain bikes? 30 psi is best

McBoom

110psi sounds high for 25s to me, but I'm only basing that on my Gatorskin 25s for which the recommended pressure is 95psi. 110 on these would be pretty devastating on W.Yorks roads, as grinds has alluded.

I have been running them at 95-100, which feels a bit harsh, but is within acceptable limits. I think you've inspired me to drop them to 90 at least. I definitely notice an increase in comfort when I've not checked the pressure for a while and it's fallen. Only downside is it maybe feels a little spongy on really steep climbs? and I guess puncture chances will increase, not that I've had any...

Peddle Up!

Very interesting in that it seems to run counter to "conventional wisdom". I'll give it a go.

Barrzy257

Everyone to the own I suppose! Went out today, 10miles in and I felt terrible on the bike! Slow sluggish and unstable almost, realised I've not checked pressures for a while so stopped, had 75 in so got them back up to 95/100 and it felt like a whole lot better, and my love for the bike came back within a few miles!

LeicesterLad

Must be an each to their own things, I feel really sluggish at such a low PSI, couldn't imagine dropping below 95/100 on my roadie to be honest.

kayakerchris

just moved to tubeless and one advantage is that you can run them lower with no increase in risk of snakebite punctures.

This is on the new bike so difficult to tell a comparison with clinchers but may swap them with the old bike to try and get an idea.

desweller

I find the bike feels compliant in the corners and difficult to accelerate when I run low pressures. I like the lively feel that 100/110 F/R gives. Although, I am a bit weird; I preferred my old aluminium frame over the new CFRP one as it felt much more 'connected' to the road due to the extra stiffness. Shame it was too big.

smurfylicious

grindsuphill wrote:

Totally agree tyres inflated to 80-85 psi are the best option to cope with our less than smooth roads. This does promote more compliance to following road undulations rather than the energy sapping "skipping" up & down & is definitely faster

Whatever theories other posters have about higher the psi equals better, this is not found on the crabby roads of West Yorkshire

I ride in West and North Yorkshire, currently on 700x23 at 115psi front and rear. I've encountered the odd stretch of rough road, but never more than 100 yards or so. A week or so back I went down Greenhow hill at ~50mph on that setup with no problems.

What are you riding? I only ride steel, which is perhaps more forgiving than some of the more modern frame materials.

Speedmenace

i'm currently running 130psi on my 23's, tri bike. thinking i should let them down to 85

are you more likely to buckle your wheel at such a high pressure?

guv001

I run 110-120 psi and find the ride much better.

DesB3rd

Maybe not as far down as 80psi...

When I first got a road bike (@80kg) I did the inevitable & went ~120 all round & it was, lively/damned uncomfortable. Now run 90-95 front & 110-115 rear, the difference is certainly noticeable; this took a bit of experimenting, going lower made the bike increasingly numb & wallowy so stumped for the above as acceptable in both respects.

mikebikemike

I'm not sure of the merits of 80 psi over 110 psi but I'm certain that 25 psi is really really bad on a 23mm tyre.
The other week, I terrified myself by launching off down a hill on my Giant only to work out as the tyres tried to flop off the rims that I should check the pressure now and again.

nferrar

Main reason to go higher than 80 psi is to reduce the risk of a snakebite puncture if you do hit a pothole/raise man-hole cover, 140psi on a surface that's not dead smooth is no faster, it might feel it but it isn't. At 14st myself I tend to run 90 front/100 rear but if I went tubeless I'd run lower. Minimum psi would depend a lot on your weight but also you do need a certain amount to keep the tyre seated on the rim under load, wouldn't want to go below 60psi personally even if I was an 8st whippet

rick_chasey

Most pros run around 6-7 bar, and a little less when wet, so all this chat about 80psi being REALLY low is a bit far off the mark.

Obviously if you weigh more than the average pro you'll need a little more pressure, but 80psi is not soft.

jonny_trousers

I find my ride on crappy London roads to be vastly improved when I maintain around 100psi. Anything lower begins to feel sluggish. But then, like the poster above, I get my damping through riding steel.

keef66

I'm 70kg and have 25mm Conti 4 seasons on my alu framed / carbon fork bike.
I have found by trial and error that 70 / 80 psi is the best compromise in terms of comfort / puncture protection.

gmacz

I am wondering what 70psi would feel like as well.
I might go with a 70/80 split as well.
There is a big difference between the fun riders and the more serious rider.
It is just fun for me and a little more serious on the mtb.
At 70 to 80 they are tyres with some give, at 110 they may as well be solid tyres.
Still no contact about the dodgy mudguards, good cs when selling, not the same with problems.

jonny_trousers

Like I say, you can have your cake and eat it if you opt for steel.

sagalout

I run low pressures all the time. Can't say I notice any difference in actual speed either way, but its more comfy and the bike feels smoother, and never had any issues with punctures.

I generally run anywhere from 60 - 80 psi. Any lower than that and the handling deteriorates as the tyres deform on high speed corners

Headhuunter

110 in the front 120 in the back. I weigh about 12.5 stone... I like that connected feeling to the road, any softer than 100 and it feels weird on corners and squidgy when accelerating out of the seat...

rodgers73

12.5 stone

Aluminium frame

90 front and rear (or thereabouts - never too anal about it)

This set up feels fine and my commute involves a few rough roads and some nice smooth ones.

Alibran

8.5 stone, alu frame, 100-110 front and rear.

The roads round here have really bad potholes and collapsed stretches, but where they're good, the surface is fast and smooth. I find it's worth suffering over the bad bits (and reducing the risk of punctures) for the smooth, fast ride on the good bits.

Rodu

I now feel like a knob for running between 110-120 having been reading that is the recommened for 23 tyres and following manufacturer guidelines. Afterall, I have been breaking on some decents because its just too rattly. I'm going to try less air too.

gmacz

I am still at 80/80 and it really is like a different animal.
Have cancelled the new mtb (not in stock anyway and still billed for it) and will run with my old gt and the road bike. Have been emailing 3 days to the bike shop about broken mudguard and no replies, is that normal cs in the bike world.

keef66

TBH some of them are pretty crap at answering emails, others seem to regard the telephone as the invention of the devil.

I'd try several different means of communication till you find one they respond to.