Chatting to another rider at the end of of club ride today and he commented that racers reckon a lot of amateurs put too much pressure in their tyres.
I run Rubino Pro which will take a massive 145psi but run them 120-125. It's a carbon frame and fork so this isn't uncomfortable and I get no punctures, which is nice.
But are there any disadvantages to this? Smaller contact patch = less grip for e.g?
This isn't for racing, just wondering if racers have better insight into what's best
Lots of recent research indicates that pressures of 120psi and above are pretty much counter-productive. I did find a weight/pressure chart somewhere suggesting that nearer 100psi was good for me.
Edit here's one http://www.vittoria.com/tech/recom-tyre-pressure/
80-85 front, 90-95 rear.
I'm under 100 - tyres are 25s though, if that matters
i run 95-100, its a nice balance between progress and comfort on the shoddy south gloucester roads....
95 - 105. I find too high and it can 'bounce and judder' when cornering hard.
110psi. It does feel firm.
I remember reading Ian Cammish puts no more than 115 psi in his tubs. The general feeling is that any higher and they 'bounce' rather than roll.
Saying that I have a mate who regularly puts 145 psi into his clinchers. 😯
What was the question again?
i have run 145psi in my tyres on occasion, if you can find a smooth stretch of tarmac you really do fly, but how often do you find smooth tarmac? Usually i pump the tyres upto 110, then top them up a few weeks later when they feel soft/draggy.
I still let mine down after a ride, dunno why always have.
The idea is to get a certain %ge of "Sag" in your tyres, I cant remember what the actual figure is. So no use really except to say it will depend on the type/size of tyre and you + the bikes weight. Me being heavy I worked it out to 110 psi rear and 100 psi front for 23c Michelins
i weigh 12stone anderbit, in my 25mm tyres i run 80front, 90 rear. any more and my teeth get shaken out, any less and i feel a bit close to dinging potholes.
(we have fields of potholes that stretch as far as the eye can see, it's not as if i can just avoid them)
i suppose higher pressures might roll a bit easier, but i doubt i'd be tearing strava to shreds if a whacked 'em up to 120..
About 100ish. Never more than that alhtough the tyres I've got are rated to 130psi. For my weight and the tyres I've got on I find it's the best combination of grip, comfort and puncture resistance.
On the track I run about 120psi.
I run 23c's at 105 on the front and 110/115 on the rear. If its wet ill drop 10psi but normally I just ride out on that.
GP4's BTW.
85 front, 90 rear
running 25mm tubeless.
90 front and 95 rear in 25c Vittorias. Put them up a bit when we race on the motor circuit as it's beautifully smooth tarmac.
23 Conti 4000s - 110 psi
20 Veloflex Masters - 100 psi.
Why would you run lower pressure in smaller tyres?
I was running 100-110 in my 23c gatorskins on the old bike. The new bike has yksion pro's on R-Sys wheels and I nearly died on the first ride with max pressure! On monday I ran 120 and the thing was unbearable on a rough stretch of road. I'm about 12 1/2 stone and found 110-115 fine on sundays long ride.
