MTB tire pressure "feel"

[Newboy]

We had a thread a while back on what pressure you ride your tires. This weekend I started experimenting a bit. First I pumped my tires till they felt good using my hand. (these are 29 er Bontrager Dry X).

 

I rode them and they felt nice. Then I measured the pressure with my pump and then with my Topeak gauge. Both measured 1.6 Bar. Now this looks extremely low to me.

 

Question to all the clever guys: Does the size of the wheel have an effect on how a certain pressure will feel? i.e Will the same pressure feel harder in a 29 than in a 26?

[Dicky DQ]

The feel will depend a lot on the type of tyre an the thickness of the sidewall. I would say if they feel right when you are on the bike and you do not bump through, who cares what the presure is.

 

I just find that the lower the presure the better the grip. Up to a point where the sidewalls flex too much and I get the squidgy feel.

 

For me 1.8 Bar works a treat and i an about 90kg.

 

[Red Zone]

Depends on tubes or tubeless, tubeless you can go softer.

 

When my tyres (with tubes) feel realy great and give excellent grip, particularly climbing singletrack, they are at too low a pressure, they deform nicely over bumps and roots but if I hit something too hard ssssssssssssssssssssssss. I weigh 70 kg

 

I think that under 2 bar is too low for tubed tyres.

[Tumbleweed]

i would worry running anything under two bar (and i weigh less than 70kg). would be scared that it would unseat under heavy cornering. 

[hagar]

holy what would you reccomend I am 95kgs and have got tubless geax front and rear ??? 2.5 or 3.0 bar ???

[Tumbleweed]

hagar, go as low as you can without a drag feel.

[hagar]

thanks !!!! my first ever mtb race i did a few years back my tires were so soft i could not get away and ever since i have pumped the tyres to the max recommended on the tire wall so was just wondering  but thanks for the tip

[Tumbleweed]

hagar, i'm pretty much the same. i don't really buy into the whole you-can-run-lower-pressure-without-adding-to-drag school of thought.  

[Canaris]

I go tubeless and go for the minimum pressure on the side wall.  Many go for softer.  My reasoning is that the tyre tread is designed for a particular pressure, so as to have the most efficent contact surface with the trail, going harder or softer only messes with this.  Also if you get a puncture (which you will) you need some  backup air for it to seal.

[TitusTi]

Try boy, those 29'er Dry-X's work best on a low pressure, I'm running mine pretty low as well, no issues with it.

[Newboy]

Thanks Titus. How low is low? Which other tires do you use and where do you get them?

[TitusTi]

I've got Specialized (Fast Trak and Captain's), Maxxis (Crossmark), Kenda (SmallBlock Eight), WTB (ExiWolf), Stan's (Velcrow) and 3 different types of Bontrager's.

Really easy to get hold of. Also the Hutchinson guys are bringing in the Python, haven't used them yet though.

Of these the Spesh choices are my favourites.

What pressure, under 2 bar most of the time.