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Tire pressure for all around XC riding?

458K views 583 replies 276 participants last post by  Travolta 
#1 ·
I was curious to know what tire pressure is the best for all around xc use?
I had IRC Mythos on my K2 and ran them very high because someone told me that I would get pinch flats left and right if I didn't.
I now have Kenda Nevegals on my Cannondale Rush and was curious where people tend to have their pressure set. I normally ride pretty rocky/root filled technical terrain, with a little mud thrown in once in a while and some nice long downhills.
Any suggestions would be great. Thanks
 
#20 ·
Spanw, believe Shiggy and all the others, they know what they're talking about with lower pressures. At your weight you should easily be able to ride anywhere from about 24PSI up to prob 35PSI for trails. It may not seem right, right now, but trust me ;) When I first started I kept about 40 PSI in my tyres because it prevented pinch flats and helped them roll easier on the road. I've since come to realise that I needed the higher pressures with the tyre/rim combo I was using and my regular trail pressures now are between 24-30 PSI and I weigh 170lbs not geared up.

Spawne32 said:
well im about 165 pounds and 40 psi in the rear is usually where i feel comfortable, adding a bit more flex to the front tire might make it a little easier on my arms but i dont know how much more difficult it would be to accel the bike forward with lower tire pressure. I might play around with it a little more now that i got my CST copperheads mounted today.
 
#21 ·
trailville said:
It's fine. Remember, that pressure is in a wider 2.3-2.4 tire. Once you feel how your tires can conform to rocks and roots rather than bouncing off of them, you will appreciate lower pressures. To be honest, I've never had issues with pinch flatting. I think part of it is due to the the mainly rounded rocks we have around here (thanks glaciers), and part is due to the fact that I started mtn biking on rigid bikes and even though I run suspension now (front and full), I still unweight the bike as I go over and through stuff.

I've played with all kinds of pressures over the years. In the early 90s I started running between 30 and 35 psi because I was new to MTB and the people that knew what they were talking about recommended lower pressures (that seemed low to me at the time). Later on I got sucked into the "higher pressure is faster" thinking and started running 40 - 45. I also remember that some tires during the mid 90s started coming with separate pressure recommendations if you were riding suspension versus rigid (min pressure on suspension was like 5 or 10 psi higher), so since I was running front suspension then (if you can call a 63mm Judy suspension), I went with the recommendations.

Eventually (years later) I got sick of bouncing and glancing sideways off of every rock and root on the trail and started lowering my pressures again. Then in more recent years I discovered wider 2.3 - 2.4 XC tires (I had been running 1.95s to 2.1s up to that point) and even lower pressures, and a whole new world opened up to me. I was more than happy to trade some speed for better traction and control, but then I started reading in these forums that I probably wasn't sacrificing speed by running lower pressures anyway. So all is good:thumbsup: . Now I just feel like an idiot for running 40-45psi for all those years.
Well said!
 
#22 ·
Very well said trailville, Shiggy, Squash and others! :thumbsup: How long will it take to beat it into people that lower PSI is better. I ride with guys that insist on running upwards of 45 PSI and if you are behind them you can see their tires bouncing all over the trail. When I mention lowering pressure mostly I get the response that they don't want to pinch flat and they brush me off . Oh well, their lose.

BTW I'm 175 and on my Trek TF69er I run 22 PSI in the front Rampage 2.35 and 24 PSI in the rear Fat Albert 2.4, all tubeless with homebrew sealant (you should see my boogers!). And yes you can't just plow through rocks, roots and into logs. MTB riding should also incorporate at least a little finesse where you learn how to weight and un-weight the bike at the appropriate times.
 
#23 ·
Lugi said:
I was curious to know what tire pressure is the best for all around xc use?
I had IRC Mythos on my K2 and ran them very high because someone told me that I would get pinch flats left and right if I didn't.
I now have Kenda Nevegals on my Cannondale Rush and was curious where people tend to have their pressure set. I normally ride pretty rocky/root filled technical terrain, with a little mud thrown in once in a while and some nice long downhills.
Any suggestions would be great. Thanks
This is like asking what shoe size to wear. It is greatly effected by tire size, the tire sidewall, your weight, and where you ride.

I would start by lowering your pressure by a few pounds each ride until you either run into pinch flats or it just feels too soft.

FWIW, I am ~185 with gear, and run ~23 psi front (2.4 Big Betty) ~30 rear (2.25 Ardent). East coast rocks and roots, but not much in the way of sharp edges.
 
#24 ·
i am curious about....

what terrain and how you guys are riding it? shiggy, squash, trailville, lynx, kmacon, kapusta, le duke - how would you describe your riding style?

i would have to say i ride like a gravity racer whenever the chance presents itself. when i brake, i cram the bike into the ground, when i corner i cram the tires onto their edge. i weight and unweight as quickly as i can, everywhere i can. i try to hit the best lines i can, but anytime the trail points downhill i am usually pinning it, so sometimes the best line is over the obstacles. of course this is not an absolute - there are pedestrians, horses, blind corners, etc that i always yeild to. but if i have a clear view, i push my limits.

a little more remembering made me realized why i am running 36 psi in the rear tire: rim damage. long story shortened: several months ago i went out riding at one of my favorite places, riding it the way i like to ride it, and i had about 33-34 psi in my rear tire which seemed fine for the climbing and slower stuff. then i got to the fun part, and while bombing down the hill and really railing the corners something hit my rear tire so hard it bent the rim with a big "smack." i was very bummed because the rims are sun equalizer 29's and they weren't cheap. plus i had to do the whole junk task of changing a tube, not being able to pump it up enough etc, etc, not to mention losing out on finishing the bomb downhill because i had way too low pressure from not being able to pump it up enough. basically ruined the rest of my ride.

on the other hand, 28 or even a little lower seems just fine in the front.

another story: 2 weeks ago at northstar, i was having a great time riding all day with 36 psi in the rear tire (2 ply tire). then on my last run i decided to really pinnit down a somewhat rocky trail. i had a great run down, went to my car, loaded-up and went home. next morning had a flat on the rear - yep, big pinch slice. luckily i have big dh rims on that bike, so no rim dings.

there have been other such incedences, but i will not include them here. overall, i have had the best "general" luck with 36 psi rear on a 2.1-2.35 tire with a single ply casing. maybe i am missing out on the benefits of lower pressure, but maybe i need the higher pressure to keep things together?

so, does anyone think that i should still try lower pressures, or have i hit my "pinch limit" already? i will say that i HATE GETTING FLATS out on the trail, and i WILL NOT GO TUBELESS.

i REALLY want to be able to go with lower pressures, because i DO know all about the tire conforming to the irregulaties using less energy to continue forward vs non-conforming, and i have ridden with lower pressures and experienced the way the tires "float" over the ground. but.....i have experienced problems going lower than 35 psi with the tires i like to use, so............

?????????????? what next????
 
#25 ·
Well Mr.Niles, first up I'll say this .......... Look into buying a GOOD frame [ump so if you get a flat you can inflate your tyre(s) back to whatever PSI you so desire :skep: Seriously if the POS you currently have can't even get you tyres back to 36 PSI, just toss it in the garbage, don't even think about it :madman: The pump I carry is a Topeak Mountain Morph and can inflate ROAD tyres back to 100 PSI when the need arises.

Not sure how much skill I have or how hard I hit stuff, but so far I haven't managed to pinch flat a 29er :skep: My terrain down here in general is pretty slowish tech, with 1 or 2 DH's that have some rocks in them. I have one "nice" DH that I haven't ridden in over a year that's just a continous rock garden and last time I rode it was on my brand new Nano's, on my brand new RIP9, got way off line into the really rough stuff, faster than I normally ride the good line and didn't have a problem. However I will state that if I know I'm heading for that trail I prob run close to 30-32 PSI rear.
 
#26 ·
Wow thanks for the thread. I think I am convinced to drop my ridiculous pressures :)

So the lowest recommended pressure on my Maxxis Crossmark tires is 35.

I ride a heavy 32lb fs bike, weigh 200+ with gear and considering that I just got back into mtb after 10+ years of sitting on my arse, I ride like like a loose sack of bricks.

So I'll try 35 on my 26er.
 
#27 ·
MN, Sounds like you...

need to keep it just where you are. Everything is a compromise when it comes to tire pressure and what works for you. From the description of your riding style I wouldn't recommend tubeless unless you went full UST tires and wheels, and went with bigger tire, a true 2.35 or 2.4 and possibly DH casings. Tubeless isn't for everyone, there are allot of DH racers out there that won't run tubeless for some very valid reasons. Sounds like with the tires you're using, the terrain you ride on, and the way you ride, you've already found what works best for you. The only way you're likely to be able to go lower is changing equipment a bit. A larger volume heavier duty (read heavier as well) tire would likely let you run a bit lower and avoid rim damage and pinch flats. But if that isn't an option then your stuck. It sounds to me like your in that gray area where going with heavier duty equipment would hinder the rest of the ride, but would be appropriate when the trail points down. You're not flatting every ride, just occasionally. There are some options, but it doesn't sound like you really need or want them. It's one of those things, when your peggin' the fun meter there are times when you are going to exceed the capabilities of the equipment, in this case the tires. So your choices are, change the equipment, or try and keep the meter just off the peg.

Good Dirt
 
#28 ·
mr.niles said:
what terrain and how you guys are riding it? shiggy, squash, trailville, lynx, kmacon, kapusta, le duke - how would you describe your riding style?
I would agree with Squash: You've probably found what works best for you.

As I said above, I'm on the east coast, so most riding is pretty rocky and rooty. However, not a lot of sharp racks. Also, compared to a lot of riding in NoCal (I lived in Tahoe for two years and rode a LOT) it is not as fast (lots of tight and technical, instead), and I think speed is a BIG factor. Things in general seemed more wide open out there (as with most places I've ridden out west), with more sharp rocks, and I was not able to run the kind of low pressures I do here. For riding around Tahoe I could get away with around ~27-28 front. I was not running the Big Betty up front when I lived there, so that may have let me go lower, but even with tires with less thick sidewalls (like what I ran out there) I can go down to 25 here in the front no problem.

My riding style varies a lot, but if it is pointed downhill I try to hit it hard. That said, I think I must be a little smooth and/or slow because I seem to get less flats with lower pressure and thinner tubes than most people I know.
 
#29 ·
kboykin said:
Wow thanks for the thread. I think I am convinced to drop my ridiculous pressures :)

So the lowest recommended pressure on my Maxxis Crossmark tires is 35.

I ride a heavy 32lb fs bike, weigh 200+ with gear and considering that I just got back into mtb after 10+ years of sitting on my arse, I ride like like a loose sack of bricks.

So I'll try 35 on my 26er.
And maybe think about trying some burlier tires. Your description of yourself, bike, and riding style doesn't say lightweight racing tire to me. Get something fatter with a little more meat to it and have lots more fun.
 
#30 ·
trailville said:
And maybe think about trying some burlier tires. Your description of yourself, bike, and riding style doesn't say lightweight racing tire to me. Get something fatter with a little more meat to it and have lots more fun.
:eek:

Didn't realize the crossmark was a lightweight racing tire, yikes! My LBS rides 'em on the same trails and recommended them to me so I got them.

Haven't ridden them much yet, first ride out on them this week I had a small log jump up and lodge into my back wheel bending my der. hanger and the back wheel out of true. Had the pressure at 40+ just because I don't know any better :D But they are a LOT better than the ancient crappy tires I was riding on.
 
#31 ·
mr.niles said:
what terrain and how you guys are riding it? shiggy, squash, trailville, lynx, kmacon, kapusta, le duke - how would you describe your riding style?
...

?????????????? what next????
I ride smooth and "light". Started 26 years ago and never owned suspension until 1987. Riding rigid teaches you to pick good lines, be smooth and easy on equipment. Transfer that to suspension and you are even faster. I ride over or around things rather than through them. Trail rider rather than hucker: I jump over things rather than jump off them. I work the bike to keep the terrain from working me.

My local trails are fairly smooth with some rocks, lots of roots, but I do not really change my tire pressures when I go elsewhere, like Downieville or Gooseberry Mesa. I was running 28/30 psi in 2.2" tires on a hardtail with a 80mm fork at Downieville. Was at the front of the group on the lesser-known trails and slipped to the middle when we reached the main routes (I have little local knowledge of them). No flats, no cuts, no dinged rims.

In Utah I ride rigid, 2.2-2.5" tires, 18-26psi. In ~4 weeks (20+ rides) of riding there I had 2 pinch flats: both from slamming rock ledges while not paying attention.

In the early '90s I was at an XC race that used fast, rocky moto trails. I passed many riders on the descents and finished in the top 10% of the field. Afterward the guys parked next to me complained "I was using 50psi and I still flatted!" (and with suspension forks). I was rigid, 2.2', 32psi front; 1.8", 36psi rear (when tires were "smaller"). No flats. Passed people because I could steer around the big rocks rather than bouncing off of/into them.

Even on my Coiler "big hit" bike (6" travel, Marz 66 fork) the pressures are low (and the tires big) and the riding style does not really change. I may take rougher lines and ride off bigger lips but I still do not just plow in and expect the bike to suck it up. Last year I rode one of my favorite sections of trail several times, a 5 mile remote singletrack downhill filled with embedded rocks, big roots and tight lines. First on the Coiler w/2.4" tires, later on my hardtail w/100mm fork, 2.3" tires. Each time I took basically the same lines, took the same time to complete the section and had a blast. I did work harder on the HT, but I did not feel I could have safely gone any faster on either bike. A buddy (riding a fully) following me, commented that I looked like I was on a 5" fully while riding my HT. Smooth and fast.

What next for you? Bigger tires (volume) if you want to try lower pressures. Higher volume generally means you can use lower pressures as long as the tire is still well supported. Every rider is different in what works for them. You either adapt your equipment, or adapt your riding style. If you can do both, so much the better. And remember that with suspension, the tire pressure is as important as the shock settings. Change one and you may need to change the other for best results.

And the real bottom line: If you are fixing a flat, or crashed along the trail, you are not going very fast.
 
#32 ·
Ah, yeah :eek: That's what they are all right. Definitely a good tyre, but even I know that they're not a tyre suited to the riding style you describe. Try something more beefy like some Schwalbe Big Betty's, WTB MutanoRaptors, Maxiss Ardents, Panaracer Rampages, Kenda Nevegals all in the 2.3-2.4" range.
kboykin said:
:eek:

Didn't realize the crossmark was a lightweight racing tire, yikes! My LBS rides 'em on the same trails and recommended them to me so I got them.

Haven't ridden them much yet, first ride out on them this week I had a small log jump up and lodge into my back wheel bending my der. hanger and the back wheel out of true. Had the pressure at 40+ just because I don't know any better :D But they are a LOT better than the ancient crappy tires I was riding on.
 
#33 ·
LyNx said:
Ah, yeah :eek: That's what they are all right. Definitely a good tyre, but even I know that they're not a tyre suited to the riding style you describe. Try something more beefy like some Schwalbe Big Betty's, WTB MutanoRaptors, Maxiss Ardents, Panaracer Rampages, Kenda Nevegals all in the 2.3-2.4" range.
Depends on which Crossmark. I have a set of 2.25 UST that are pretty beefy and are good trail tires. The standard 2.25 is not bad either.
 
#34 ·
I'm thinking that this thread should become a sticky, as always Shiggy knows what he's talking about...Even now I'm experimenting with pressures and this thread has me reaching for the lower pressures.
What I started with recently was "Eskars performing best at 28-30 PSI whether tubbeless or tubed" MBAction...
 
#35 · (Edited)
sqaush and shiggy and kapusta, thanks a bunch for the advice and good stories! lynx, i'm going to get one of those pumps to put in my pack when i go into the wilderness areas.

i will most likely stay with my existing setup unless i can find a larger volume tire that has comparable weight, tread pattern, compound to the maxxis high rollers (which i'm having good experiences with right now).

shiggy......."Every rider is different in what works for them. You either adapt your equipment, or adapt your riding style. If you can do both, so much the better.'.......i am always attempting to do both, with the emphasis on the later. really this all about having fun, but fun to me is riding the best i can. so i am constantly working on my technique(s). shiggy you have your riding dialed. i agree that a hardtail is a terrific platform to train on in rough terrain. today i did 3 hours of cornering and slalom drills with cones. i have fun doing that sort of thing. it's most important to me to be a good rider. because if i'm a good rider, less than perfect equipment won't matter much, and i'll still have a blast!

once again, thank you all for the help.
 
#36 ·
kapusta, thanks for your insite about tahoe. it turns out that tahoe, and especially northstar bike park, are my yardsticks for bike setup and durability. if it can survive a weekend at the star, then it will live thru anything else i am likely to put it thru. also, because i have so much fun riding there, i tend to go looking for places with similar qualities for my rides. so, maybe that is the common denominator for my bike setup. i do make some equipment changes for regular trail riding, but my durability testing takes place in tahoe.

hmmmm.....ok, now that we are talking about northstar, i forgot to mention that i do jumps and hucks on all my bikes, so everything on them has to survive that, too.
 
#37 ·
add wtb prowler xt's

LyNx said:
Ah, yeah :eek: That's what they are all right. Definitely a good tyre, but even I know that they're not a tyre suited to the riding style you describe. Try something more beefy like some Schwalbe Big Betty's, WTB MutanoRaptors, Maxiss Ardents, Panaracer Rampages, Kenda Nevegals all in the 2.3-2.4" range.
i have done some serious torture testing of these and they came thru with shining colors - and excellent traction.
 
#38 ·
Ah yes, my bad, have to try and remember that not everyone is riding a 29er - yet ;) A guy I sometimes ride with has some 26" x 2.1" LUST Crossmarks and they're definitely a beefier sidewall than the standard version, but I wouldn't put them up for the same duty/terrain I'd trow on a Rampage or Nevegal - for down ehre the Xmark tread is plenty.

shiggy said:
Depends on which Crossmark. I have a set of 2.25 UST that are pretty beefy and are good trail tires. The standard 2.25 is not bad either.
 
#39 ·
Great thread! I had no idea.

After going through everyone's views, it tells me to move to the "dark side" (lower air)! I was running 35psi front and rear on my Schwalbe Albert 2.25's. I think many of us old school riders do the same mistake. I ride cross country.

I run a 100mm FS bike. I weigh in at 195 without gear. Now I have a Highroller 2.35 rear and Nevagal 2.5 on the front. Both are folding and tubed. Brand new tires.The experimenting should get interesting. :D

--
Bill
 
#40 ·
Cool Thread

There was a thread in here a year or two ago which detailed a study of rolling resistance for mountain bike tires. The basic conclusion was that high pressure worked well on pavement ONLY. Lower pressure created less rolling resistance on rugged terrain. They even had resistance measures for long grass. It was a very scientific undertaking, and got me to run as low as possible.

28 front and back, 175 lbs. Prophet with 150 in the rear shock. Learned on a hardtail, still use that stuff.
 
#41 ·
Lugi said:
I was curious to know what tire pressure is the best for all around xc use?
I had IRC Mythos on my K2 and ran them very high because someone told me that I would get pinch flats left and right if I didn't.
I now have Kenda Nevegals on my Cannondale Rush and was curious where people tend to have their pressure set. I normally ride pretty rocky/root filled technical terrain, with a little mud thrown in once in a while and some nice long downhills.
Any suggestions would be great. Thanks
A lot depends on the shape of the rocks.

In Idaho I pinch-flatted once or twice in about 20 years of riding with 25 psi front and 30 in the back.

Here in Arizona I've pinch-flatted as high as 38 PSI on a true 2.25 tire when I didn't notice a small square-edged rock in time and slammed into it. 36 PSI in the rear is pretty much a guaranteed pinch flat for me unless running ghetto tubeless or true tubeless.

I've even pinch-flatted my front road bike tire at 100 PSI on a small rock, because that rock was crushed gravel and had a sharp edge. (That's what we use instead of grass around here -- we save our water for the golfers :) ).
 
#42 ·
hikerdave said:
...I've even pinch-flatted my front road bike tire at 100 PSI on a small rock, because that rock was crushed gravel and had a sharp edge. (That's what we use instead of grass around here -- we save our water for the golfers :) ).
And the volume of the tire. The piece of gravel on pavement is also much more likely to cause damage than if it is on hardpan dirt.
 
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