Bruce Arnold
Well-Known Member
@Reid I tried running my Marathon Plus tires at the maximum listed pressure. On new asphalt it was fine. Anything else was a bit unpleasant. Not bone-jarring, but more bumpy than I care for. Dropped it down 10psi with no real change in ease of pedaling but it is a cushier ride. I'm going to continue to let it drop (natural attrition over time) to see if there's a sweet spot.OK. Howsosumever , I really enjoy to pedal my bicycle on the carpet-smooth roads here, and when I do, I want it to roll as nicely as possible for the fewest organic Watts expended. SO, I use a moderately narrow 38 (or is 38 wide?) tire designed for relatively low rolling resistance and I pump that tire up hard, 100PSI, risking failure maybe, because it is rated for 87PSI max. But it helps me enjoy pedaling that which, despite its weight, still feels like a bike and a sleek one in its way, at that.
https://www.bikeradar.com/us/road/gear/article/best-performance-road-tires-lab-tested-49101/
Carpet smooth roads is a key condition. Real world potholes, of course, highlight a real drawback of hard tires.