Psimet2001 

Pressure is esoteric. What works for one is not assured to work for you.

If it says 70 on the sidewall then try not to inflate it to 140. All things have a safety factor involved.

Keep in mind I still put 100 psi into dry rotted hookless Schwinn tires that roll in here on a daily basis.

Also keep in mind 70 on that big of a tire is most likely too high for your weight.

Have fun on your journey.

Razorrock

I'm a fat dude way over your weight. I run GP4000 32mm on my road/gravel bike. I run 60-80 in rear and 40-60 in front. (start at high pressure and add air when lower pressure is reached) never had any problems with flats. 70psi and below is where you want it. Might as well run 28mm tires if you run any higher pressure.

Metallifan33

Interesting. Thanks guys... I didn't realize how much individual preference/variation there is when it comes to tire pressure. I'll start dropping it from 70 and see how it feels.

Sy Reene

As someone else in this thread referenced, 72psi is result of from online pressure calculator for 225lbs total weight. I think that's with the 45/55 weight distribution. 40%/60% returns a 79psi result for the rear. What percentage of tire drop is safe to go to without fear of pinch flatting?

ThermionicScott 

That can't be answered with one number, of course.

WhyFi

That's where I'm at these days, too

I think that the interior of your rims is also significantly wider than mine, too. But yeah, I'm running 28s at 65/70 now.

bbbean 

I'm personally more interested in quantifiable, verifiable, and replicable studies than I am in "I like to ride at X PSI." Subjective anecdotes are just that.

Seattle Forrest

Yeah, there's no one right answer. A lot of things come together to figure out the best pressure, like how heavy you are, how you distribute your weight over the front vs rear wheel, the surfaces you ride on, and how you want your bike to feel. But most people think the lowest pressure you can get away with and be happy with is the right answer.

freeranger

Most tires will perform a bit better at less than their max limit. Here's an article I found informative: https://www.roadbikerider.com/the-ti...-jan-heine-d1/

Noctilux.95

I’m around 150-lbs and put 65/60 psi in my 32mm Conti 5000 TL’s.

BillyD

Nice job with the closeup photography, nice clear pictures, well lighted and in-focus, a rarity in these parts.

noodle soup

Okay then, what tire pressure works the best with 32mm Bontrager R1, for a 185-190# rider, on the roads in and around Phoenix? I haven't seen an article specific to our conditions, but maybe you can point one out to me.

The OP can probably benefit more from someone about his size, that rides a similar bike(a Domane), with similar tires, on the same roads. I have over 90k miles of experience riding the roads in his area, so I have a pretty good idea of what will work well.

xroadcharlie

I think the 15% drop method used by many online calculators to determine tire pressure is a good starting point for tubed tires.

I'm guessing a smaller tire has less room for error because 85% of a 25mm tire for suspension isn't much.

A stiffer tire casing may work well with less pressure, And if you don't plan on climbing curbs, we might get away with less pressure too.

That said I try to keep close to the min and max pressure range printed on the tire. Those numbers are there for a reason.

asgelle

Define best.

TakingMyTime

You know, it doesn't cost anything to experiment with different pressures to find out what works best for you.

noodle soup

I want the article to tell me that. According to some here, these tests can tell us all we need to know.

asgelle

The articles with data can explain how the various parameters affect performance so riders can dial in the behavior the think is best for them. Only someone with a very limited outlook would think their personal preferences would apply universally or that their solution for how to get to that point is the only one.

noodle soup

If you spent the amount of time I have on these roads(and worked in a few Phoenix area shops), you'd have a far better understanding of what works, and what doesn't(for riders with different needs). It's not just what works for me, but for riders that I deal with on a daily basis.

Racing Dan

Imo you should not exceed the max pressure recommended by the manufacturer, but other than that, its highly subjective what pressure is "right". Just take note of the pump gauge and try out different pressures for yourself.

bbbean 

I'm so happy for you.

Seattle Forrest

If I'm not paying attention and hit a lake, I want to float across to the other side.

altondavis2

The folks that write user manuals do not manufacture tires. Heck, they may not even ride bikes.
Stick to the numbers on the tire, the manufacturer knows the safety standards. I don't know who
makes the tires for Bontrager. My LBS sticks to whatever is on the tire. Ditto for your car tires.

bikerbill2

My 700 x 32 has on the side of the tire 50lbs psi minimum, 85lbs psi max, I'm riding on 80 lbs psi, think I'll drop to 70 and see how that works. Interesting thread here, and destroyed my thinking, which was, higher the psi the less resistance the more efficient the bicycle.

72andsunny

I have no idea how all of yourun such low pressures. I’m only 160 pounds and if I’m not within 5 PSI of the side wall recommendation, my rims are practically rubbing the ground.

bikerbill2

I'm 160 as well, so I'll see what 70lbs psi does coming off my 80lbs with the 85lbs psi max. I know that at 80lbs psi riding on a wet pavement I can see only a very small wet imprint on the front tire, which means a small tire contact patch with the pavement.