Tyre Pressure

[TomTurner]

Hi

I am planning on doing some touring in Europe and at the moment I am training hard and getting to know the bike in side-out, but I wondered if there is a optimal tyre pressure that I should use when on tour? I will be carrying all my gear with me, so fairly heavy loads. As I have it at the moment I have them both set at 60 psi, is that correct? What do other people find most comfortable for spending long periods on the bike?

I am using Panaracer Ribmo tyres on a Defy 3 bike if that is any help...

Many thanks,

Tom

[vernon]

You can take some guidance from the tyre wall information. You should find a max pressure value. Inflate your tyres to just under the maximum pressure and take it from there. Lower pressures can lead to more punctures.

[thirdcrank]

To a large extent, I think tyre pressure is a matter of personal choice, within the technical limits.

In broad terms higher pressure = less rolling resistance, lower pressure = more comfort.

Your tyre should have a max pressure displayed on the sidewall, and if they are too soft you risk so-called snakebite punctures and even rim damage when going over things like potholes.

[CREPELLO]

Apart from the tyre, the width would be helpful for us to know. As a guide, follow the maximum pressure rating marked on the tyre's sidewall. If your load is extremely heavy, you could go over that pressure by a margin.

As a practical guide, I would try sitting on the bike loaded up and press the rear tyre over a sharp edge, such as a step or stone on a rocky track. The tyre needs to be able to cushion the total load from the object, to stop the rim from pinching the tyre against such an object (leading to a pinch puncture, or at worst a collapsed/buckled wheel). If the tyre bottoms out, you will need more air in their. Or you need a bigger tyre.

The same test can be applied to the front tyre, but if you're not carrying panniers up front, you're more likely to want the pressure set just enough to avoid 'pinches' but low enough that you've got necessary grip. I'd say it's easier to over inflate the front, unless you've got luggage there.

[simonhill]

I was amazed at how much difference pumping my tyres an extra bit made - have a go and see!

I usually tour at 60psi, which copes with most road types and moderate loading. Recently when confronted with very good quality roads (obviously not in UK), I upped them to over 70 and the difference (ie it was easier and faster) was very noticeable. If I were you I would experiment a bit - softer for comfort and rougher conditions, harder for efficiency.

I ride 26 x1.75 Schwalbe Marathon HS 368s.

[squeaker]

CTC's guidance (bottom of page).

[scottg]

This is the Frank Berto suggestion.

Measure the width of the tire inflated to its printed maximum pressure tire with no weight on it.
The tire should be 15% wider when you are sitting on the bike with your panniers loaded.
Have a friend measure the width of the tire and let air out of the tire till the tire gets
15% wider, measure your tire pressure.

[CJ]

The Giant Defy 3 is more of a racing bike than a tourer, though it does have rack mounts and a triple. It comes with 25mm tyres and lacks the space to fit anything much wider, so with the additional weight of luggage and to avoid damaging those delicate wheels in a pothole, you'll probably want something like the maximum pressure marked on the sidewall.