How high do you pump?

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Moderator: robbosmans

What average tire pressure do pump to - most often?

Poll ended at Mon May 26, 2014 1:25 am

<80PSI
6
7%
90PSI
16
18%
100PSI
32
37%
110PSI
22
25%
120PSI
10
11%
130PSI
1
1%
140PSI
0
No votes
>150PSI
0
No votes
 
Total votes: 87

weightLight
Posts: 22
Joined: Wed Jan 01, 2014 1:40 am

by weightLight

Maybe 40 before the penultimate vinegar stroke.

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ayrej2
Posts: 59
Joined: Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:03 am
Location: London

by ayrej2

Must admit, I'm surprised so many people feel the need to pump up hard to avoid the "snakebite" pinch flat.

Keeping an eye out for pot holes and avoiding them is the best place to start, but even in situations where you have to ride over (like being pinned close to the kerb by a passing car), you can always "un-weight" the bike as you ride over them - or hop if they are really big.

I'm around 80kg, ride 10K km a year on some pretty terrible roads and know I haven't had one in at least 4 years. For me at least, the harsh ride of super hard tyres isn't worth it, but like I said, I'm on poorly maintained & rough chip seal so that probably factors. If I was riding beautiful smooth hotmix, then I would add 10psi.

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Franklin
Posts: 400
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:09 am

by Franklin

I'm 66 kg and pump my clinchers to ±5 bar (72 PSI) and happily ignore the recomendations Michelin and Continental give me. I used to do 6-7 bar, but since I learnt that that just gives more discomfort and higher roll resistance I settle for much less. And nope, no bumps/snakebites, no wobbling or other handling issues.

User avatar
Elrey
Posts: 557
Joined: Sat Oct 23, 2010 11:13 pm
Location: Denmark. Yeeees

by Elrey

95kg. running 25mm. 100-110psi isn. Never above 110.

toronto-rider
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:58 pm
Location: Toronto

by toronto-rider

Ok so just finished mounting my Vittoria Corsa Elite in 23 on my new carbon wheels. 1st time gluing tires, not the pretiest job I have seen, but very proud that I attempted it in the 1st place. There is some glue on the tires, that I have to figure how I am going to remove.

Ok back to my question, I have always assumed you run Tubulars at lower pressure than clinshers. I run my clinsher at 105 PSI.
The printing on the tire says min 115PSI. SO I should not put less than 115 PSI?

Oh last question, how bad is it that the tire rotation on the rear is the wrong way. There was just one arrow on the tire, and I only saw it after mounting the tire.

Zoro
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:52 am

by Zoro

toronto-rider wrote:Ok so just finished mounting my Vittoria Corsa Elite in 23 on my new carbon wheels. 1st time gluing tires, not the pretiest job I have seen, but very proud that I attempted it in the 1st place. There is some glue on the tires, that I have to figure how I am going to remove.
If you can find it - naphtha will take glue and most paint off you rims and tyres. Lacquer thinner works for clean-up, as does acetone. Some glues work better with some thinners. Schwalbe makes some glue remover.
All that stuff is bad news to get on you or on stuff around you and is bad for the environment (I'm told that is why some areas do not carry naphtha). Use in open space.

toronto-rider wrote:Ok back to my question, I have always assumed you run Tubulars at lower pressure than clinshers. I run my clinsher at 105 PSI.
The printing on the tire says min 115PSI. SO I should not put less than 115 PSI?
How much do you weigh?
What are the roads like?
What kind of rising are you doing?

Tubulars you can go lower and higher as very little energy is lost in the casing.
23mm is pretty wide and those are supple tyres. You can go lower pressure than the min 115PSI, although it makes you wonder why they post a min that is higher than most here said they pumped.
All bouncing to the point of losing contact with the road is bad. An over-inflated tyre does this. Otherwise its about ride, grip and puncture resistance (lower pressure tends to puncture less).

As they are Vittoria you might see what the factory says: http://www.vittoria.com/tech/recom-tyre-pressure

Many here think the numbers you get are way too high.

toronto-rider wrote:Oh last question, how bad is it that the tire rotation on the rear is the wrong way. There was just one arrow on the tire, and I only saw it after mounting the tire.
No experience on this one. My belief having seen lots of tyre cases that only the tread is off (as opposed to the manufacture of the tyre case matters). There could be something with how it is sewn - but as I said, I don't know. IMO removing and re-gluing the tyre is worse. If you are on dry I can't think of the issue. Might have minor traction impart.


On the clincher thing. Clinchers often - not always - are tougher/stiffer cases. Basically because people use them for training more than racing and reducing punctures/ability to change a puncture inexpensively matter more. Inherently because of their design where more air is hidden between the rim walls, for a given weight they do not handle as well as tubulars.
A stiffer case takes more energy to flex. It is not a spring that returns all its deflection without cost. It is more like a shock absorber. That deflection generates heat and takes energy. Look at the rollers available in different diameters for different resistance - that is all based on sidewall/tyre case deflection.

So...
Minimize case flex. Stiff tyres take more energy to deflect. Clinchers are usually stiffer. Therefore I think they need pressure higher than what a what a supple case typical tubular needs, yet they also cannot take the higher pressure a tubular can. They also pinch flat more easily, but you should be inflating beyond that being an issue on normal roads.

toronto-rider
Posts: 134
Joined: Wed Sep 27, 2006 7:58 pm
Location: Toronto

by toronto-rider

I weigh 165 and ride on ok roads. Based on the winter we had, a lot of roads have pot holes and or the holes have been filled which makes them not smooth at all.
Road with them today at 110PSI, and would like to run lower pressure, felt a lot of the bumps.

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btompkins0112
Posts: 2635
Joined: Fri Feb 11, 2011 3:04 am
Location: Mississippi

by btompkins0112

175 and I go 95 front and 100 rear

Zoro
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:52 am

by Zoro

Just saw this July 22 on Cyclingnews what the pros do. Note the 145psi number for TTs:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/tou ... e-pressure

Dry Wet Cobbles Time Trial
Astana 7.5-8 bar 7-7.5 bar 6 bar 7.5-8.5 bar
109-116psi 102-109psi 87psi 109-123psi
Cofidis 7-7.5 bar 7-7.5 bar 6 bar 10 bar
102-109psi 102-109psi 87psi 145psi

kulivontot
Posts: 1163
Joined: Sun May 16, 2010 7:28 pm

by kulivontot

Please stop double posting

Zoro
Posts: 352
Joined: Wed Oct 30, 2013 12:52 am

by Zoro

kulivontot wrote:Please stop double posting

The other thread - I gave a quote supporting my opinion, which I thought was not appropriate for this thread which is fact based.
I apologize if that bothers you.

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