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I wanted to ask about proper tire pressure specifically for the bike I got.

The model is Oryx Volt 26". Tires specs are: 26" / 2.125". I believe Toronto Police used such bikes. Recommended pressure written on tires is 40 - 65 PSI. I drive mostly on roads and forestry parks. Don't have any mountains. Weight 82 kg, 180 lb.

How should I inflate my tires? To a recommended 60 PSI or so? Should I inflate tires equally?

What confused me is that tire pressure articles I read on the web say that for mountain bikes tire pressure should be around 25 PSI. But my tires have recommended pressure 40 - 60 PSI.

Thanks.

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    For your conditions probably 40-50 pounds would be about right. May 27, 2020 at 22:05
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    25 gives a much better ride in the terrain, but you would need a tubeless setup. I forgot to pump up my gravel tyres and went for a ride at 28 PSI but they are tubeless as well, so it worked. May 27, 2020 at 22:12

2 Answers 2

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Your tyre suggests 40-65 PSI, so that's a good start.

The lower pressures are much more likely to pinch-flat as the rim bottoms out on the ground, if you're riding over a rock or lump or kerb/curb.

For your weight, on a MTB on the road I'd aim for 50-55 PSI, and vary it by a little to see if it feels better or worse.

Generally the rear wheel is holding about 60-70% of your whole weight, so it makes sense to add 5 PSI more in the rear. Again, try and see how it feels for you.

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  • Thank you! Pumped the front wheel to 50 and the rear - to 55 psi. Very smooth :)
    – monstro
    May 29, 2020 at 11:21
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For maximum tire pressure I’d stick to the limits set by the tire and rim. Too high and your rim or tire can be damaged.

For minimum tire pressure the main problem is pinch flats when you ride over sharp edges. I like to use the following trick: Find a nice sharp edge like a curb stone or stairs. Put your front tire on the edge and press down with all your weight. If you can push all the way to the rim your tire pressure is probably too low (or right at the limit). At very low pressures the tire can buckle sideways and roll off the rim in turns, so you might want to try a few sharp turns and watch for any buckling or unstable feeling.

Low pressure will improve comfort and grip on loose/uneven surfaces. High pressure will improve rolling resistance.

On smooth surfaces you can go as high as you want (up to maximum pressure). The only disadvantages are reduced comfort and reduced grip if you unexpectedly encounter gravel or other bad surfaces.

There are some theories and studies (though only bad ones as far as I’m aware) stating that very high pressures can be counter-productive at some point because you lose energy to all the small vibrations and up/down movement. So you might not want to overdo it. With good, supple tires rolling resistance increases surprisingly little when you lower pressure.

A lot of it depends on circumstances. Surface, tire, rider weight, weight distribution, bike geometry, bike suspension, speed, riding skills, importance of comfort …

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  • Citation needed for "High pressure will improve rolling resistance." for MTB. FSA says going above 30-32 PSI is rarely beneficial for anything but the smoothest surfaces. fullspeedahead.com/en/fsa-world/… That is well below the OPs minimum. May 28, 2020 at 7:08
  • @VladimirF how would you reconcile one maximum being below another's minimum ? The FSA numbers don't specify a tyre width, and reading between the lines, its about offroad. OP wants onroad and some light offroad.
    – Criggie
    May 28, 2020 at 8:19
  • @Criggie There is nothing to reconcile. FSA is about what is good for performance, tyre minimum is what the tyre construction will allow. The OP also speaks about parks and I assume gravel surface there. May 28, 2020 at 8:31
  • @Criggie even on the tarmac it is not so clear slowtwitch.com/articles/images/5/… May 28, 2020 at 8:36
  • @VladimirF do consider adding an answer of your own - there's some good points there.
    – Criggie
    May 28, 2020 at 8:51

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