What is the right psi for your mountain bike tire?
The right psi for a mountain bike depends on the style and weight of a rider. My believe is the lower the psi, the more handling you have, and the faster you will be on the trails. As a general rule I say keep the rear tire at 30 psi or under and for the front 20-25 psi. This number of course can vary because of the different types of tires, materials and even the track condition.
I think most people do not have the right psi because they do not know what the bike should feel like. More than anything, figuring the perfect balance of air happens as you start to play with numbers and you push limits.
Finding the perfect PSI
You have to know when you are too low. That's the secret. If you want get a feeling for it quickly just put 10 psi in the front tire, then go and ride on the pavement. Putting pressure on the handlebar should make the tire feel as if it was rolling out of the rim. That's not a good feeling. It makes the handling unpredictable on the bike, not to mention dangerous. Put more air until you stop getting that feeling from the tire. I would start around 20 psi for the front tire. After you figure the front tire do the same for the rear. Start with 20 psi in the rear tire and start doing figure 8 on concrete. Place all your weight on the rear tire as you turn leaning the bike. You go through the same process of putting more air until the tires stop giving out.
Now two things to note: Low air pressure equals pinch flats and if running tubeless even tire burps. A pinch flat is not a big deal because is basically getting a flat tire on the rear tire. Unless you are doing mountain biking in the mountains I would not worry about it. Burping a front tire is somewhat of a concern. Burping occurs with tubeless setups when the bead of the tire separates from the rim and allows air to escape. This is bad if you are going on a reverse switchback. So say you are going downhill and you have to make a tight turn.
So I don't have a magic number for most individuals. What i can say is that anything above 30psi is excessive. Getting to the right number is a constant changing evolution because just switching a tire makes a huge difference. I weigh 235lbs right now and found that for most conditions 28-30 rear and 20-25 front is optimal for all types of riding and places.
Update 2/28/2012
REAL LIFE EXAMPLE: Remember what i was saying about knowing the limits. Well, in Miami I was always riding with 20 psi in the front tire. It just so happens because of the amount of thorns plants in Myrtle Beach and the amount of times i've punctured my tires, i started to put 25 psi and sometimes even 28 psi.
Just the other day I went for a ride and the bike was handling so much better and I was been so smooth. I thought I must have been having a great day. Well, it turned out that i had forgotten to put air in the tires. When I checked, 19 psi front, 28 psi back. It was not a big difference from 25 psi front and 30 psi back but it definitely felt a lot different. So don't be scared! I was and the ride was not as comfortable.
I think most people do not have the right psi because they do not know what the bike should feel like. More than anything, figuring the perfect balance of air happens as you start to play with numbers and you push limits.
Finding the perfect PSI
You have to know when you are too low. That's the secret. If you want get a feeling for it quickly just put 10 psi in the front tire, then go and ride on the pavement. Putting pressure on the handlebar should make the tire feel as if it was rolling out of the rim. That's not a good feeling. It makes the handling unpredictable on the bike, not to mention dangerous. Put more air until you stop getting that feeling from the tire. I would start around 20 psi for the front tire. After you figure the front tire do the same for the rear. Start with 20 psi in the rear tire and start doing figure 8 on concrete. Place all your weight on the rear tire as you turn leaning the bike. You go through the same process of putting more air until the tires stop giving out.
Now two things to note: Low air pressure equals pinch flats and if running tubeless even tire burps. A pinch flat is not a big deal because is basically getting a flat tire on the rear tire. Unless you are doing mountain biking in the mountains I would not worry about it. Burping a front tire is somewhat of a concern. Burping occurs with tubeless setups when the bead of the tire separates from the rim and allows air to escape. This is bad if you are going on a reverse switchback. So say you are going downhill and you have to make a tight turn.
So I don't have a magic number for most individuals. What i can say is that anything above 30psi is excessive. Getting to the right number is a constant changing evolution because just switching a tire makes a huge difference. I weigh 235lbs right now and found that for most conditions 28-30 rear and 20-25 front is optimal for all types of riding and places.
Update 2/28/2012
REAL LIFE EXAMPLE: Remember what i was saying about knowing the limits. Well, in Miami I was always riding with 20 psi in the front tire. It just so happens because of the amount of thorns plants in Myrtle Beach and the amount of times i've punctured my tires, i started to put 25 psi and sometimes even 28 psi.
Just the other day I went for a ride and the bike was handling so much better and I was been so smooth. I thought I must have been having a great day. Well, it turned out that i had forgotten to put air in the tires. When I checked, 19 psi front, 28 psi back. It was not a big difference from 25 psi front and 30 psi back but it definitely felt a lot different. So don't be scared! I was and the ride was not as comfortable.
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