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Tire pressure thoughts

Old 03-22-23, 10:44 AM
  #26  
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
Sorry, but if I was a newbie asking about 7-10 mile rides and someone sent me to that train wreck thread, I'd be looking for revenge later.
I'd only look for revenge if I had pinch-flatted from following some of the advice given there.
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Old 03-22-23, 10:45 AM
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Originally Posted by tFUnK
Compressed air and thumb test? I'd feel irresponsible recommending that as an inflation method.
I wouldn't worry about the thumb test being adequate if it wasn't for the compressed air. It's hard enough to overfill a tire using a hand pump or even a floor pump that it doesn't happen unintentionally.

I do use the thumb method on roadside flat fixing on my 25c tires because I find that trying to gauge it is just more trouble than it's worth. I invariably have to add several psi when I get home, but the ride back is generally fine and my thumb is a pretty good gouge of sufficient hardness to be safe..
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Old 03-22-23, 10:48 AM
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Originally Posted by shelbyfv
Yes but he would only have to read the first response to get the info he wants.
And skip the next several pages arguing whether or not it was wrong? Way too much "how many angels can dance on the head of a Silca" navel gazing in that thread to not be confusing.
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Old 03-22-23, 10:52 AM
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Originally Posted by tFUnK
I'd only look for revenge if I had pinch-flatted from following some of the advice given there.

The whole thing about being a newbie is that you really can't tell who's giving solid advice and who's BSing.
That thread was a trainwreck.
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Old 03-22-23, 10:52 AM
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
I do use the thumb method on roadside flat fixing on my 25c tires because I find that trying to gauge it is just more trouble than it's worth. I invariably have to add several psi when I get home, but the ride back is generally fine and my thumb is a pretty good gouge of sufficient hardness to be safe..
Yup, as do I. I've typically been in the mini pump camp, and just have to settle for rolling home on 60psi on my 25mms. Have used CO2 on and off over the years, and again more recently. Much greater confidence now.
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Old 03-22-23, 10:55 AM
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i've realized from all the back and forth (both ridiculous and otherwise) about tire pressure lately that i run WAY LOW pressures compared to most people and most recommendations. GP 5000 TR S tubeless in 28mm or 30mm, often running in the 40-50 range. thousands of miles with no problems at all other than the tires not lasting as long as i'd like. comfy ride.

given what the online calculators and most of BF says, i'm now gradually increasing to see how that goes, but the "working range" for my setup seems quite wide. stated max for the tire is 73psi, iirc, 21mm internal rim width. 185lb rider, 15lb bike/gear. fully functional envelope seems to be as low as 30, all the way up to 73.
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Old 03-22-23, 10:57 AM
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Originally Posted by tFUnK
Yup, as do I. I've typically been in the mini pump camp, and just have to settle for rolling home on 60psi on my 25mms. Have used CO2 on and off over the years, and again more recently. Much greater confidence now.

I've ridden as far as 50 miles on that 60 psi, and the truth is after the first couple of miles, I forgot about it. It really doesn't make a dramatic difference.
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Old 03-22-23, 11:00 AM
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Originally Posted by livedarklions
I've ridden as far as 50 miles on that 60 psi, and the truth is after the first couple of miles, I forgot about it. It really doesn't make a dramatic difference.
Whereas I count my blessings if I can make it home without pinch-flatting, and it certainly sucks the joy out of the rest of the ride for me. Maybe because I'm a bigger dude and ride rough roads? 🤷‍♂️
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Old 03-22-23, 11:02 AM
  #34  
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Originally Posted by mschwett
given what the online calculators and most of BF says, i'm now gradually increasing to see how that goes, but the "working range" for my setup seems quite wide. stated max for the tire is 73psi, iirc, 21mm internal rim width. 185lb rider, 15lb bike/gear. fully functional envelope seems to be as low as 30, all the way up to 73.
Genuinely curious how you like the ride at 30psi vs 70psi, or if you even notice a difference? I guess tubeless addresses the pinch flat risk so you can go lower. How about ride quality or speed?
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Old 03-22-23, 11:12 AM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by mschwett
i've realized from all the back and forth (both ridiculous and otherwise) about tire pressure lately that i run WAY LOW pressures compared to most people and most recommendations. GP 5000 TR S tubeless in 28mm or 30mm, often running in the 40-50 range. thousands of miles with no problems at all other than the tires not lasting as long as i'd like. comfy ride.

given what the online calculators and most of BF says, i'm now gradually increasing to see how that goes, but the "working range" for my setup seems quite wide. stated max for the tire is 73psi, iirc, 21mm internal rim width. 185lb rider, 15lb bike/gear. fully functional envelope seems to be as low as 30, all the way up to 73.
Out of curiosity, I checked a few online pressure calculators, and I got results ranging more than 10psi apart for my road bike (25mm GP5000TL). I have been very happy at a few psi below the lowest calculator result (80 rear, 75 front).
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Old 03-22-23, 11:43 AM
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Originally Posted by tFUnK
Genuinely curious how you like the ride at 30psi vs 70psi, or if you even notice a difference? I guess tubeless addresses the pinch flat risk so you can go lower. How about ride quality or speed?
at the very low pressures, it feels slower, but in fact isn't much. i ride the same segments a few times a week and there doesn't seem to be a meaningful correlation. a few seconds, i'm sure, but not relevant to a recreational/fitness rider, even one who obsessively looks at the data. feels a little squirmier on the corners, but much, much softer and "damped" feeling over small bumps like curb cut edges, expansion joints on the bridge, rough pavement etc. looking at all the recent "science" on the topic, i think the local pavement has enough variation that in some stretches, higher pressure is probably faster, and in some, lower is faster, and they all average out.

at the higher pressures (have never ridden >70 on these tires), it feels way faster, but again, it really isn't. lots more little vibrations and the small hits have a much sharper impact. on a very long ride, i do feel a little more hand numbness.

when i switched to tubeless and GP5000 from the stock turbo cottons, the first ride was at the lower end of the pressures, 40ish, and it seriously felt like night and day over little bumps, in particular the expansion joint covers on the bridge, to the point that i stopped lifting the bars a little bit.
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Old 03-22-23, 11:47 AM
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Originally Posted by Eric F
Out of curiosity, I checked a few online pressure calculators, and I got results ranging more than 10psi apart for my road bike (25mm GP5000TL). I have been very happy at a few psi below the lowest calculator result (80 rear, 75 front).
here's what the zipp/sram one tells me :




the range i have run (intentionally) is probably 34-70psi. nothing bad ever happened, over maybe 5k miles on these tires, but prior to these recent discussions on BF i'd settled into the low 40s.
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Old 03-22-23, 11:53 AM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by mschwett
here's what the zipp/sram one tells me :




the range i have run (intentionally) is probably 34-70psi. nothing bad ever happened, over maybe 5k miles on these tires, but prior to these recent discussions on BF i'd settled into the low 40s.
You've put your rider weight in kg or you are very small. Ah I see you corrected.
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Old 03-22-23, 12:12 PM
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Originally Posted by mschwett
here's what the zipp/sram one tells me :




the range i have run (intentionally) is probably 34-70psi. nothing bad ever happened, over maybe 5k miles on these tires, but prior to these recent discussions on BF i'd settled into the low 40s.
The Enve (my wheels) site calculator gave me the numbers closest to what I actually run. If I recall correctly, I may have used that calculator when I first started using tubeless road tires.

EDIT: The Zipp calculator tells me 87.8 F and 93.4 R.
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Old 03-22-23, 12:23 PM
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Originally Posted by tFUnK
Whereas I count my blessings if I can make it home without pinch-flatting, and it certainly sucks the joy out of the rest of the ride for me. Maybe because I'm a bigger dude and ride rough roads? 🤷‍♂️

We won't compare our weights, but I try not to do long rides on rough roads too much, so we'll go with that.
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Old 03-22-23, 12:39 PM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by mschwett
i've realized from all the back and forth (both ridiculous and otherwise) about tire pressure lately that i run WAY LOW pressures compared to most people and most recommendations. GP 5000 TR S tubeless in 28mm or 30mm, often running in the 40-50 range. thousands of miles with no problems at all other than the tires not lasting as long as i'd like. comfy ride.

given what the online calculators and most of BF says, i'm now gradually increasing to see how that goes, but the "working range" for my setup seems quite wide. stated max for the tire is 73psi, iirc, 21mm internal rim width. 185lb rider, 15lb bike/gear. fully functional envelope seems to be as low as 30, all the way up to 73.
I'm similar weight to you and running the same tyres in 30C. Roads are mixed, some pretty rough, some fairly smooth. I run them at 60/65 psi as per the SRAM calculator and find that good. To be honest I've never tried running them any lower. I have tried running them a little higher (up to 70 at the rear) but it felt a bit more harsh without any advantage. So I might try them a little lower now and see how it feels. I can't imagine running them at 40, but I'm up for trying 50/55 to see if it feels more comfortable. Might be good for training rides on rough back roads.

I notice you mentioned wear. A higher wear rate is one of the cons of running super low pressure. So that might be a factor in your case.
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Old 03-22-23, 01:11 PM
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Originally Posted by 77record
I'm just getting back into riding after sporadic riding over the winter. Yesterday, after a month off I had a good ride and was surprised how little pain I had after and since.

I know there are a lot of variables but began wondering about tire pressure. I'm 68 and ride purely for enjoyment and exercise; my average ride is 7-10 miles a few times per week, about 90% pavement and 10% crushed stone trail. Tires are 700x35.

I'm sure many wil think my inflation practices are wacky, but I use the thumb method to check, and then if needed, fill the tires from a small compressed air tank until they "feel right". Not scientific at all. I filled them before my ride but began wondering if topped up harder tires were the reason I had so little pain afterwards. Pedaling seemed surprisingly easy after my hiatus.

Any thoughts, or too many variables?
That seems backwards to me. I think softer tires are easier on the body (and not as inefficient as is traditionally thought).
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Old 03-22-23, 02:59 PM
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Thanks for all the info.
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Old 03-22-23, 03:31 PM
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Originally Posted by 77record

I'm sure many wil think my inflation practices are wacky, but I use the thumb method to check, and then if needed, fill the tires from a small compressed air tank until they "feel right".
There is nothing wacky about what you're doing. The thumb method is perfectly normal and legit way to check tire pressure. That's how I do it and that's how thousansd of other cyclists do it.
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Old 03-22-23, 03:51 PM
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Originally Posted by wolfchild
There is nothing wacky about what you're doing. The thumb method is perfectly normal and legit way to check tire pressure. That's how I do it and that's how thousansd of other cyclists do it.
Is there a standard for thumb pressure? How do we compare thumbs? What is a good thumb pressure anyway?
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Old 03-22-23, 04:00 PM
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My tires, my thumb! 🙂
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Old 03-22-23, 04:06 PM
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Originally Posted by 77record
My tires, my thumb! 🙂
So how are we able to help you on that basis?
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Old 03-22-23, 04:19 PM
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Originally Posted by PeteHski
...
I notice you mentioned wear. A higher wear rate is one of the cons of running super low pressure. So that might be a factor in your case.
i believe this is true. the wear seems to start as a very rapid "squaring" or flattening of the profile of the tire. people have told me it's normal but my observation of other peoples' bikes it that it's more extreme in my case.

today i did a short lunchtime ride at 60-65psi. i actually did get a few PRs, but the wind was coming from an unusual direction, so that's not meaningful. definitely much more jarring on the rough spots, trolley track crossings, etc, but i will say it feels AWESOME on the smooth sections, like riding on rails
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Old 03-22-23, 04:26 PM
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Originally Posted by PeteHski
Is there a standard for thumb pressure?
Is there a "magic number" for proper tire pressure that works for all cyclists ?...I don't think so.
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Old 03-22-23, 04:31 PM
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Basically you want your tires to have a consistent level of deflection, that is, how much they squish when you're on the bike. Thumb is good proxy for measuring that deflection, once you've established what a tire that's deflecting as much as you want feels like to your thumb. Tire pressure is another, more precise, more repeatable measurement to accomplish the same thing.
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