Tyre pressure - comfort or speed?

[Vorix]

I upped the tyre pressures on my road bike (700 x 25) from around 85 to 95 psi at the weekend and after 2 rides of under 90 minutes my hands felt like they had been using a hammer drill. The roads around Bracknell are pretty appalling but I was surprised at the difference it made. What pressures do others run and are the performance gains from higher pressures that noticeable? I'm not sure I could tell but interested in more experienced views.

[numtumfutunch]

Have ridden for longer than I care to remember and in the last few years have backed off the pressure on best bike running 25mm from 110+ to 90 PSI with no noticeable difference in speed, but lots more comfort, and have new commuter/foul weather bike running 28mm tyres at 70 PSI which rides like a limousine

I also wear decent gloves, but not necessarily heavily padded, and use cyclocross bar tape for extra comfort - the roads here are rubbish

[citizenmtb]

Interestingly this was just covered on GCN...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEBXg9-GvZU

Although, since I started cycling (3 years ago) I've been running 110psi on road bikes. It seems I've been going too high!

[gl20]

Still new to all this and have been religiously checking psi before each ride and going for around 110. I'm on 25mm and about 70kg. The firm ride doesn't bother me that much but was more concerned about pinch punctures. How low can/should you go without that being a problem?

[loudlashadjuster]

25mm tyres, I'm 76kg
100 front
110 rear

Nothing to do with speed, all about preventing pinch flats. Never have any problems, even after 6 or 7 hours on the bike.

I have unremarkable bar tape (currently being swapped for Lizards Skins but only because I'm redoing my brake cables) and nondescript gloves with minimal padding, but my bike is steel so I guess may take a bit of the fizz out of proceedings.

[scherzkeks]

gl20 said:

Still new to all this and have been religiously checking psi before each ride and going for around 110. I'm on 25mm and about 70kg. The firm ride doesn't bother me that much but was more concerned about pinch punctures. How low can/should you go without that being a problem?

It depends on your weight. I would not go below 95 on 23mm tires or 90 on 25s, and I am about 77 kg. Usually go with 110 on everything for simplicity's sake, and I don't want to check them every day. Front should be a little lower than rear.

[neenaw]

There was an interesting article on Jan Heine's blog about tyre pressures a while back:

https://janheine.wordpress.com/2016/03/09/tire-pre...

I run wider tyres on my road bike, 38c's, and I followed the advice in his blog and ended up running 45psi front and rear. It was much more comfortable with no noticeable drop in speed compared to running the tyres with 60 or 70 psi in them.
The only issue is the possibility of snakebite punctures with lower pressures but I've not had any issues with this so far.

[Dannbodge]

As above

25c tyres
74kg rider
100psi front and rear.

Never had a pinch flat and only ever had one flat fullstop

[Kawasicki]

23c
I weigh 62kg
100psi front
115psi rear
I ride on smooth roads

[gl20]

scherzkeks said:

gl20 said:

Still new to all this and have been religiously checking psi before each ride and going for around 110. I'm on 25mm and about 70kg. The firm ride doesn't bother me that much but was more concerned about pinch punctures. How low can/should you go without that being a problem?

It depends on your weight. I would not go below 95 on 23mm tires or 90 on 25s, and I am about 77 kg. Usually go with 110 on everything for simplicity's sake, and I don't want to check them every day. Front should be a little lower than rear.

Thanks (likewise, other posters). Will probably try dropping just a bit then, particularly the front.

[yellowjack]

You should be OK with them a wee bit softer even.

I was just now out in my garage checking my bike over after a century yesterday. Upon connecting up the pump I found the pressures were...

70f - 80r

I hadn't checked the pressures before riding yesterday (other than with my thumb ). Normally I go for 85f - 95r, but today I've nudged them up to 90f - 100r. No reason, really, other than to see if it feels any less comfortable with the higher pressures I think we all used to run.


The tyres are Schwalbe Ultremo 23c with "whatever's cheap when I need some" innertubes. I was last weighed nearly a year ago, but I don't think much has changed. I was 74.2kg then.

The only time I've had a pinch flat on road tyres so far was when I tried to go "gravel racing", chasing after an elusive KOM. 25mph+ over big stones and potholes, and a double pinch flat was the result.

[Vorix]

Thanks everyone - I'm carrying a bit more than most of you (hence the cycling!) but an interesting set of results. I'm going to back off back to 80/85psi on the front for a ride this evening and see what things feel like.

[Vorix]

Much nicer ride with 85 in the front and 95 on the back - might be too low for some and doesn't match the recommendations from the GCN video (good link, thanks) but works for me.

[ArnageWRC]

Unless you ride on roads which are billiard smooth, then it's surely got to be comfort.

Bought another bike for wet, summer days; a Trek Domane 2.0, and rode it for the first time and the tyres were rock hard; could feel every vibration from the awful roads. Checked the pressures and they were over 100psi....took air out to about 80-85. Made a huge difference - even more so when i swapped the Bontrager tyres for Challenge Strade Bianchis......

[egor110]

When i picked my bike up it was 90psi today i whacked it up to 100psi and the hills did feel a bit easier.

I'm 85kg so should i go up to 110 or back down to 90?

[loudlashadjuster]

ArnageWRC said:

even more so when i swapped the Bontrager tyres for Challenge Strade Bianchis......

That's a good point, tyres can make a huge difference. I swapped from Conti GrandSports to Schwalbe Duranos recently and they feel very 'squishy' in comparison at the same pressure. I've sure even lighter tyres (GP 4000S II?) might give even more.

[ecs]

I've noticed wheels make a difference too - I've just switched from Shimano Ultegras to Fulcrum Quattros and they seem to be a lot more supple and forgiving, I'm running 110 PSI in my Continental Gatorskins.

[madzo14]

I've a 23mm on the front and 25mm on the rear. I tend to go for 95-100 psi on the front and 90 psi on the rear, I'm 72kg by the way. Roads around my way aren't exactly smooth!

[scubadude]

Hilarious figures you lightweight snakes!

105kg
28mm tyres
95 front
115 rear

When I change bikes, getting a frame that takes 30mm+ is a consideration, have a buddy with one of these "Gravel" bikes running 32mm and he's still faster than me- unsurprising :-)