Shoutout to the guy who told me to stop over-inflating my tires

I used to pump my tires up to 80 psi every morning because I thought harder meant faster. Then this older commuter at the bike rack in Denver said I was just making my ride harsh and losing grip on wet pavement. He showed me to check the sidewall rating and aim for around 60 psi instead. After a week I noticed way fewer bumps jarring my wrists and I actually felt faster on the hills. Now I check pressure every Monday and it's made my 7-mile commute way smoother. Anybody else run their tires lower than the max?

2 comments

2 Comments

white.grant7d ago

Yeah, running lower than max is the real trick. My mountain bike tires say 65 psi max but I run them at 50 for better grip on gravel paths. Took me a while to learn the hard way that high pressure just rattles your teeth out.

milap357d ago

My friend tried 60 psi once on gravel and @white.grant is right, she said it felt like riding a jackhammer.