Tyre Pressures 68kg rider (or Tire for my American Brothers)

mclaren1986
mclaren1986 Posts: 23
edited July 2014 in MTB beginners
Hi Guys,

I recently started red route mountain biking and after bouncing over my handle bars a few times I swapped my hybrid bike for a Trek 8.6 elite with a decent fork (rockshock air suspension).

Unbeknown to me my tyres were only 25psi. What should I hike them up to? My friend I go with likes his at 45psi but he is much more experienced than me. Does a lower pressure provide a beginner with a bit more stability and room for error? I've started to grasp the basics of shifting my weight around over the rocky bits but I'm far from an accomplished rider.

Please help recommend a tyre pressure to try.

Comments

  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    Impossible to say. Hard enough not to get pinch flats, soft enough to get good grip.
    Depends on the rider, tyre size and personal preference.
    FWIW I am a lot heavier than you (in the 90kgs somewhere (I don't own a scale)) and run roughly 25-30 front and 30-35 rear.
    Or using the thumb test, a bit of squidge.
    I don't do smileys.

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  • welshkev
    welshkev Posts: 9,690
    cooldad wrote:
    Or using the thumb test, a bit of squidge.

    I like this test.

    a guy at the wentwood endure got really arsey with me once as he asked what tyre pressures I was running and I squeezed the tyre and said "about that much, I have no idea really" :lol:
  • drlodge
    drlodge Posts: 4,826
    cooldad wrote:
    Or using the thumb test, a bit of squidge.

    Its a good test, whether wide MTB tyre, road tyre or even car tyre! Obviously doesn't work on very thick tread tyres since the rubber won't deform - but try it on the softer wall of a car tyre and you'll find it will deform a little just like on a 23c road tyre :lol:

    Sometimes the simplest things are the best.
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  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    welshkev wrote:
    cooldad wrote:
    Or using the thumb test, a bit of squidge.

    I like this test.

    a guy at the wentwood endure got really arsey with me once as he asked what tyre pressures I was running and I squeezed the tyre and said "about that much, I have no idea really" :lol:
    That's so #enduro.
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

    London Calling on Facebook

    Parktools
  • kajjal
    kajjal Posts: 3,380
    I weight about 100kg and both my tyres are at 40 psi on my hardtail. I tend to ride XC rather than trail centres and prefer having no punctures and putting the miles in.
  • marcus'73
    marcus'73 Posts: 41
    Tyre pressures are all down to personal preference and the riding you intend to do. I'm running tubeless as I like to run my tyres quite soft and don't want to worry so much about pinch flats from being on a hardtail. I like 20PSI in my front tyre and 25 in the back for trail centre riding as I like a grippy front end and I will put in the pedal effort to combat the drag. If I'm riding somewhere really rocky I'll add another 5PSI at the rear (or fit a bigger stiff walled tyre) to stop my rim taking hits. For long cross country rides I'll add 5PSI at each end - unless it's wet. My commuter bike is a older hardtail and I run 40-45PSI in that but it's deeply unpleasant if I decide to take some sneaky singletrack long routes home unless I let a bit out first. I guess what I'm trying to say is there is no "correct" pressure and you need to experiment to see what is right for you.
  • roger_merriman
    roger_merriman Posts: 6,165
    I tend to initially test the tyres riding over a kerb and feeling how much it deforms, lot depends on the tyres, big burly AM/DH ones can be run a fair bit lower on the whole, I tend to do longish rides on bridle ways etc so have narrower, lighter tyres that tend to need a bit more air.
  • njee20
    njee20 Posts: 9,613
    drlodge wrote:
    cooldad wrote:
    Or using the thumb test, a bit of squidge.

    Its a good test, whether wide MTB tyre, road tyre or even car tyre! Obviously doesn't work on very thick tread tyres since the rubber won't deform - but try it on the softer wall of a car tyre and you'll find it will deform a little just like on a 23c road tyre :lol:

    Sometimes the simplest things are the best.

    Actually it's a shit test, you can't tell any real difference between pressures like that. All it really tells you is that your tyres aren't flat, as long as you're happy with that.

    Personally, I run about 25psi, similar weight to you.
  • cooldad
    cooldad Posts: 32,599
    You are so #notenduro
    I don't do smileys.

    There is no secret ingredient - Kung Fu Panda

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    Parktools
  • mclaren1986
    mclaren1986 Posts: 23
    Thanks for all your help guys, I experimented a bit and found 40kg bounce me about a lot and I wasn't doing the camber bends as well so trying to get used to 35psi. Will try 30psi another time a go. Now my air suspension I ring is only 15mm from bottom out so I need to invest in a suspension pump. Fellow mtb bikers are so helpful thanks again.

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