How to set your tyre pressures
A good tyre is no good if the pressure is unsuitable. Here's how to get your pressures correct.
A good tyre is no good if the pressure is unsuitable. Here's how to get your pressures correct.
We all know that tyres are important. They are arguably the most important thing on your whole bike since they are the first line of interaction between you and the dirt.
But even if you’ve got the most appropriate tyre for the ride ahead it’s still vital to get the air pressure right
Too hard and although they’ll be fast rolling they’ll also be harsh and offer less grip.
Too soft and they’ll be plenty grippy but they’ll be slow rolling and the risk of punctures – or burped tubeless tyres – is greatly increased.
You should get yourself a decent track pump with an accurate pressure gauge. Maybe think about getting a digital pressure gauge for consistency and ultra accuracy.
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As this video shows we recommend pumping them initially very hard (45-50psi) to ensure that the tyre bead seats on the rim properly.
After doing this, let air out to 30psi in the front tyre and 32psi in the rear tyre. The idea here is to have a baseline to start from. You need to know your initial pressures before doing subsequent tweaking. It will help you set up tyres in the future this way too.
Bear in mind that tyres do lose a bit of pressure over time. Even after a week some tyres will have lost a significant amount of psi. So it’s a good idea to check your tyres every week.