Mountain Bike Tire Pressure

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October 18th, 2009

One of the most important aspects of riding any kind of bicycle is a tire pressure. If you want to feel more confident on the trail you should know how to set the tire pressure correctly. Mountain bike tire pressure can differ greatly but this always affects your riding and control of your bike. It’s much harder to cycle if the mtb tire pressure is too low. But too high pressure gives you an extremely bumpy riding.

Every rider try to set his individual mtb tire pressure. It’s usually motivated by personal preferences , the tire’s condition and other reasons. You should use a high quality pump and a tire pressure gauge to keep your tires at the optimum pressure. You can also get consultation from the manufacturer of the tire. Always use the same tire pressure gauge and pump if you are going to check your tires.

First, start with a higher mtb tire pressure. For example, set around 40-50 psi. Then you can lower it in order to find which pressure can suit you best. You should also take into consideration the influence of your weight to set a proper mtb tire pressure.

If you want to see how the tire behaves on the terrain, take a test bike ride. Drop 5 psi in both tires , if you have too much tire pressure. If your bike is stable and gains grip, keep this mtb tire pressure. Otherwise keep on dropping the mountain bike tire pressure in small increments to ride exactly the way you like.

But don’t overdo reducing the mtb tire pressure, if you really want to keep your tubes from getting damaged.

But what about tubeless mountain bike tires? If you have such tyres you can keep much lower pressure. I advise you to keep about 30 ? 40 psi for tubeless tires. Tubeless mountain bike tires have lower pressure than normal. But don’t set the tire pressure too low, because tires may roll under rims and it will be difficult to ride.

You should keep your rolling resistance according to your personal preferences. It will take more effort if the rolling is too increased. On the other hand it will offer you better control and allow you to climb easier. I think cross-country racers will like it but as for you, it can be another matter, I think. So it’s up to you to decide what kind of biking you prefer. Of course practice is also required.

There’s a simple technique enabling to estimate the mtb tire pressure without special gauges. Squeeze the tire and you will easily determine how the right tire pressure feels like. I’d like to tell you a secret: most of bike riders use this method. I think it won’t be a difficult matter for you. Good luck!

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