So I've just bought a track pump, the first one I've ever had… up until now I've been using my normal trail pump to inflate my tyres, no gauge on this so I've always just gone off 'feel'… now, with the track pump having a gauge I'm amazed at how obviously low I've been running my tyres up until now: 30psi at the max, more like 20psi would be the point where I'd stop pumping with the trail pump (and that's about 100 strokes 🙄 ) Now that I'm inflating tyres to at least 35-40psi, they feel way too hard, but they ride much much better 😀

Moral of the story? Get a track pump into your life and your tyres will ride as they should 😉

is that a Ti track pump you're using ? 😉

nope… just a regular run of the mill Edinburgh Cycles jobbie (highly recommended btw, it's a good bit of kit for £24 delivered 😀 )

40psi! 😯

too high? or too low?

Sounds high to me for off-road

see, that's the thing… on the tyres they recommend 35-60psi, so I've gone with 40 as a starting point… I do think they're a bit firm, maybe 35 would be better (or even 30…)

IME pressure recommendations on tyres tend to be high – try it at 40psi but you might find you are pinging off rocks – depends on the tyres and terrain of course

so you'd rather run your tires at a nominal 40psi than at the 25-30psi that gives better grip?

seemed good at Epping today, but that's rather a tame try out 🙂

25-30psi that gives better grip?

more drag and more punctures on "normal" non downhill tires

seems to be a trend on here for trail riding on minions and other such downhill tires – course you can run 25psi in them – used to run 16psi in comp24s when i raced downhill – personally ill take the hit on the deformation grip when riding xc and just buy a good tire and run it at 38-40 psi…..

Hmm – low pressures means more pinch puntures – its a battle between grip and puncture resistance IMHO – if you run low and doing mostly off road shuld be OK but if you get a pinch on every ride then you'll have to go up pressure or go tubless. Depends on what ansd how you are riding 🙂

I'd say that the company who make the tyres probably know better than some guy on the web what pressures to run their tyres at. I'm supposed to run my continentals at 50psi tried them at 35 and hated them, no grip at all, changed the pressure to 50 and was riding off camber roots and all sorts today at full tilt with no problem. Not "bouncing off things" but I have spent a lot of time getting the bike suspension set up right.

wow i fully expected to get flamed with my last post ….

even though i do understand what im talking about

On my ss I tend to run about 40psi on Conti VertPro's 2.3wide gives a good compromise on grip and no snakebite but run 35psi on my full suss.

wow i fully expected to get flamed with my last post ….

even though i do understand what im talking about

i thought you would as well, think the low pressures are also how the tubeless people are riding them. I also run 40psi just feels right to me but if 25 – 30psi is working for people then stick with it.

must admit i feel that running 40psi is limiting my grip and slowing me down no end in races. Its getting so bad i felt i needed to lower them to 25psi yesterday to keep up with the 2 guys in front of me …….

If the tyres deform at all when you sit on the bike then they are too soft. Who needs grip anyway. Just ski down everything and bounce off the edges of the trail.

30psi is spot on anything higher and your too fat! 😯

haha quality

30 at the front, 35 at the back. Grippy without pinch flatting.

In the alps (with DH tyres and 2.7 tyres) i've gone as low as 12psi…

Experiment. Different bikes, different tyres and different rims all require different pressures. I even change pressures depending on the trails I'm doing! 😮

My track pump always read 10-15psi out from my digi gauge….

Just got a topeak joe blow (thanks to my gf – a gift :))

Used it today, 30psi (what i thought my tyres were at) is no where near, corroborated by a digital pressure gauge (schwalbe). My tyres were being run at about 18psi!!

I hate the squirmy feeling of tyres rolling on the rim. 35 psi is about right for me.

How come you guys are all so imprecise? I run 31psi – 30psi is too draggy, whilst with 32psi I find I ping off rocks.

Front 31.765psi Rear 31.387psi is about right for the trails near me.

Err it does depend on what you weigh as well. I'm 10st soaking wet and run happily at 25psi. My mate is 20st and if he runs that low he pinch flats before he gets out of the car park.

36 front 34 rear for me….Or is that the car !! cant remember.

Something like that anyways.

30psi is spot on anything higher and your too fat!

I run mine between 35-40 psi depending on where im riding and conditions. my weight = lighter than most.

Kev

Used it today, 30psi (what i thought my tyres were at) is no where near, corroborated by a digital pressure gauge (schwalbe). My tyres were being run at about 18psi!!

So the gauge on the pump was accurate according to the digital pressure gauge (ie. both showed 30psi)?