Tyre pressure

[MartinS]

Being forced on to local estate roads by Co19 by social distancing rather than using cycle tracks to get out in the sticks I found the ride very rough - trying a hybrid with "mountain bike" type tyres was very much smoother. As Dutch Perfect 700*28C tyres had done 4k + miles and were almost smooth I fitted Schwalbe Marathon plus 700*32C. I reduced pressure to 60psi back and 50 psi front and it is much more comfortable. Given I weigh 10 stone 7 can anyone suggest the pressures I should use - for comfort not performance.

[reohn2]

You could reduce the rear by at least 10psi and the front by 15psi,but I wouldn't expect miracles though,M+ Tyres are one of,if not the harshest riding tyre on the market.

[MartinS]

Many thanks - I think Dutch Perfect were the harshest but, as stated in the ads, puncture proof. I am hoping Marathon are reasonably puncture proof and guess you don't get owt for nowt but will reduce pressures as suggested.

[531colin]

I'm 11 stone and I ride 32mm Marathon Supreme at 45psi front, 55 rear. They are a lighter tyre than yours, and you are lighter than me, so you can go lower pressure than me.

[MartinS]

Many thanks - clearly the answer is reduce and try - just trying to avoid going too far!!

[chris_suffolk]

Have a look here

http://www.dorkypantsr.us/bike-tire-pressure-calculator.html

[MartinS]

Hi, many thanks guys for all your comments and information. I'm now running f/r 35/50 p.s.i which seems perfectly acceptable and gives a much better ride on local roads. Interestingly the recommended min/max on tyre wall is 65/95 p.s.i but so far tyres have not moved on the rim and feel fine but I will have to wait and see if there are any long term effects!
I will close this now and thanks again.

[Marcus Aurelius]

Hi, many thanks guys for all your comments and information. I'm now running f/r 35/50 p.s.i which seems perfectly acceptable and gives a much better ride on local roads. Interestingly the recommended min/max on tyre wall is 65/95 p.s.i but so far tyres have not moved on the rim and feel fine but I will have to wait and see if there are any long term effects!
I will close this now and thanks again.

Those pressures are almost guaranteed to lead to pinch flats if you ride on anything less than perfect tarmac. I’d put the front up to 50 and leave the rear at 50 psi If was me. In fact I’d go to 60 on the rear to be fair.

[reohn2]

Hi, many thanks guys for all your comments and information. I'm now running f/r 35/50 p.s.i which seems perfectly acceptable and gives a much better ride on local roads. Interestingly the recommended min/max on tyre wall is 65/95 p.s.i but so far tyres have not moved on the rim and feel fine but I will have to wait and see if there are any long term effects!
I will close this now and thanks again.

Those pressures are almost guaranteed to lead to pinch flats if you ride on anything less than perfect tarmac. I’d put the front up to 50 and leave the rear at 50 psi If was me. In fact I’d go to 60 on the rear to be fair.

I shouldn't think so with M+ and such a light load.

[Tigerbiten]

I'd do it by feel.
Start with a low pressure in the tyres and do a loop around a block that has a bad surface.
Record how it feels and add 5 psi to the tyres.
Repeat the loop, record how it feels, add 5 psi.
Keep adding pressure until the ride gets to harsh or you're at max pressure.
Now repeat the whole thing starting at a high pressure and dropping it each loop.
You may well find that at a certain point a little difference in pressure makes a big difference in feel.
If you do, then I'd aim to be just under that pressure.

Luck .........

[Brucey]

FWIW with tyres like M, M+, I'm inclined to leave the tyres pumped up quite well and put up with a less comfortable ride, on most tarmac.

The reason for this is that the price of 'comfort' is a major increase in rolling resistance, like the brakes are dragging, all the time...

In a test done in the Netherlands M (or M+, I can't remember which) was compared with a nice tyre (Vittoria Voyager Hyper). The Hyper was measured as being a lot more comfortable than the M+ and about 2/3rds the rolling resistance at (the same) 'normal' pressures.

As an experiment the tyre pressure was reduced in the Schwalbe tyres until the 'comfort' was about the same as the other tyres, as measured using a vibration meter on a roughish surface. To achieve this the pressure was reduced to about 2/3rds in the Schwalbes. At this pressure the rolling resistance (on a more 'normal' surface) would be expected to be DOUBLE.

IME this is like pedalling in treacle; bloomin' horrible.

cheers

[Marcus Aurelius]

Hi, many thanks guys for all your comments and information. I'm now running f/r 35/50 p.s.i which seems perfectly acceptable and gives a much better ride on local roads. Interestingly the recommended min/max on tyre wall is 65/95 p.s.i but so far tyres have not moved on the rim and feel fine but I will have to wait and see if there are any long term effects!
I will close this now and thanks again.

Those pressures are almost guaranteed to lead to pinch flats if you ride on anything less than perfect tarmac. I’d put the front up to 50 and leave the rear at 50 psi If was me. In fact I’d go to 60 on the rear to be fair.

I shouldn't think so with M+ and such a light load.

M+ won’t get intrusion punctures easily, that’s for sure, they will pinch almost as readily as most other tyres though.

[reohn2]

Those pressures are almost guaranteed to lead to pinch flats if you ride on anything less than perfect tarmac. I’d put the front up to 50 and leave the rear at 50 psi If was me. In fact I’d go to 60 on the rear to be fair.

I shouldn't think so with M+ and such a light load.

M+ won’t get intrusion punctures easily, that’s for sure, they will pinch almost as readily as most other tyres though.

A stiffer carcass resists supports a low psi better than a supple carcass does and as a result resists snakebites better than a more supple carcass.
I've been riding very supple 700x40c(37 actual size) tyres in the form of Vittoria Voyager Hypers(3mm center tread thickness 1mm sidewalls 12oTPI carcass)for the thick end of a decade at 40psi front and 60psi rear with an all up load of 100kgs sometimes a little more,I ride these tyres on and off road sometimes hopping up kerb sized steps and upto 200mm drop offs hitting the odd pothole,etc,etc,I've rarely punctured and never yet had a snakebite pucture,in fact I've never had a snakebite puncture ever in 55+years cycling.
We used to ride the tandems on 32's @ 80psi with an all up weight of 170+kgs never a problem.
I firmly believe many cyclists are riding grossely overinflated tyres in the erroneous believe they're faster and prevent punctures.
YVMV my experience tells me otherwise.

[Marcus Aurelius]

I shouldn't think so with M+ and such a light load.

M+ won’t get intrusion punctures easily, that’s for sure, they will pinch almost as readily as most other tyres though.

A stiffer carcass resists supports a low psi better than a supple carcass does and as a result resists snakebites better than a more supple carcass.
I've been riding very supple 700x40c(37 actual size) tyres in the form of Vittoria Voyager Hypers(3mm center tread thickness 1mm sidewalls 12oTPI carcass)for the thick end of a decade at 40psi front and 60psi rear with an all up load of 100kgs sometimes a little more,I ride these tyres on and off road sometimes hopping up kerb sized steps and upto 200mm drop offs hitting the odd pothole,etc,etc,I've rarely punctured and never yet had a snakebite pucture,in fact I've never had a snakebite puncture ever in 55+years cycling.
We used to ride the tandems on 32's @ 80psi with an all up weight of 170+kgs never a problem.
I firmly believe many cyclists are riding grossely overinflated tyres in the erroneous believe they're faster and prevent punctures.
YVMV my experience tells me otherwise.

I suspect my mileage does vary ( by mine being tens of thousands per year higher ) I’ve found M+ to be no better regarding pinch flats than most other tyres, if you run them at too low a pressure. As was also mentioned above by another poster, the resistance goes from pretty high to like riding through treacle at lower pressures.

[reohn2]

[
I suspect my mileage does vary ( by mine being tens of thousands per year higher ) I’ve found M+ to be no better regarding pinch flats than most other tyres, if you run them at too low a pressure. As was also mentioned above by another poster, the resistance goes from pretty high to like riding through treacle at lower pressures.

With regards to pinchflats/snakebites I can only speak for many years of 7k to 9k average mileage on a few diffent tyres though only a few miles on M+ as they were so stodgy and slow I removed them PDQ.That said many utility riders ride them for their pucture resistance and don't care as much for ride quality but prefer their reliablity.
Pinchflats are rare unless crashing through deep potholes or similar at speed on grossly underinflated tyres.
Anyway we'll agree to differ and see how the OP gets on