Tire pressure question

[Old-tool-guy]

We have two Ride1Up cafe cruisers, with 26”x3” tires. The embossing on the tire says 35 psi max, so that’s where it is now. Wife is saying the ride is a little rough. We only ride on asphalt or packed gravel trails, nothing off-trail. I have her shocks set to the lightest setting, and i installed a suspension seat post, which is adjusted to the light limit. The bike weighs about 70 lbs with all the gadgets, and she weighs less than 120.

Question … can I lower the tire pressure without damaging the tires? What would beca reasonsble pressure?

 

[Sparky731]

We have two Ride1Up cafe cruisers, with 26”x3” tires. The embossing on the tire says 35 psi max, so that’s where it is now. Wife is saying the ride is a little rough. We only ride on asphalt or packed gravel trails, nothing off-trail. I have her shocks set to the lightest setting, and i installed a suspension seat post, which is adjusted to the light limit. The bike weighs about 70 lbs with all the gadgets, and she weighs less than 120.

Question … can I lower the tire pressure without damaging the tires? What would beca reasonsble pressure?

You can run your tires — especially your wide tires — safely at a lower pressure. Try 30psi, or even 25psi. I often ride at 20-25 on similar tires. No risk to tires, but I weigh 150lbs, bike weighs ~65lbs. This is a common practice to smooth the ride over pavement cracks, etc.

 

[rich c]

If your bikes have knobby tires, the knobs will wear directly in the center at high pressures and on the side knobs with lower psi. You get to choose.

 

[linklemming]

At 240# I use the following pressures, about 70% offroad

2.8 - 20psi
2.6 - 25psi
2.4 - 30psi
2.1 - 35psi

This is rear tire pressure, I typically run about 3psi less in the front.

This is what I pump my tires up to. I ride them till they feel low (about 5 psi lower) then pump them up again.

Given your parameters, 15-20psi would be good start

 

[Tars Tarkas]

Everything said here is good. Yes, lower the pressure and give it a try. Maybe try 25 psi, see how that works and go up or down from there if necessary. Watch your tread wear patterns and adjust accordingly, if you want. The tires will last a long time regardless.

TT

 

[Extreme1]

You’ll find the lower tire pressure requires harder pedaling and will use more battery. Just FYI.

 

[AHicks]

You’ll find the lower tire pressure requires harder pedaling and will use more battery. Just FYI.

That's NOT always the case when some of the newer desings are considered. I'd agree when speaking of the 4" fatty types, but when speaking of the Schwalbe Super Moto X and similar designs (2.4" and 2.8"), you may be in for a really pleasant surprise. I did some testing after installing my first set, and there was very little difference in battery mileage or pedaling resistance. What was VERY noticeable was the ride, due to the much lower pressure these tires can be run at.

 

[Tars Tarkas]

You’ll find the lower tire pressure requires harder pedaling and will use more battery. Just FYI.

That is theoretically mostly true and it may be something to consider overall, but, within limits, many people won't notice. If peak efficiency is the goal and you don't mind a hard ride, go with max tire pressure. If you want a softer ride, let some air out.

TT

 

[Rexlion]

My 2.3" tires from R1Up came with a recommended range of 25 to 40 psi. The wider 3" tire's range will be a bit lower, and 4" will be lower still. So maybe you can go as low as 20 psi (or possibly even 15, just a guess). I think I read somewhere that 4" tires can be as low as 5 psi for some situations. You just don't want it to be so low that the tube gets pinched when you run over a rock or anything.

 

[AHicks]

My 2.3" tires from R1Up came with a recommended range of 25 to 40 psi. The wider 3" tire's range will be a bit lower, and 4" will be lower still. So maybe you can go as low as 20 psi (or possibly even 15, just a guess). I think I read somewhere that 4" tires can be as low as 5 psi for some situations. You just don't want it to be so low that the tube gets pinched when you run over a rock or anything.

It's really not what inflation you CAN run at in my mind. It's a compromise of rolling resistance and ride that makes me pay attention. Point being, the fatties can be run down pretty low (5-10psi) for an awesome ride, but they handle like crap, and rolling resistance is nothing to brag about.

The Schwalbe tires (the tires I have some experience with, there may be others), the Super Moto X in particular, can be run down to 20psi (27.5x2.8"), provide an outstanding ride, while handling is still great, and pedaling/rolling resistance is not a lot different (IMHO) than their (2.1-2.2")Marathon series tires that are run at 60+ psi.....

Bigger point, is that tires can make a heck of a difference, and when set at the correct pressure (you find that pressure doing some experimenting) you are talking a game changer.....

 

[MdgColorado]

Tire Pressure Calculator

Finally a tire pressure calculator based on real-road rolling resistance measurements. On real roads—rather than on a steel drum in the lab—supple high-performance tires work best at considerably lower pressures than most cyclists are used to. Lower pressures roll as fast or faster, while...

www.renehersecycles.com

 

[m@Robertson]

That link above has a calculator that stops at 55mm tires. The OP is running ETRTO's that measure 76.

I would try 30 and I bet that will be enough to take the edge off for the rider. 35 on a 3" tire is pretty solid. 30 is too but that number is going to provide some give, and protect the rim from any chance of a pinch flat with a 120 lb rider on a 70 lb bike. 25 is the lowest I would go, and the reason is you don't want to protect against normal riding. If you did then 20 psi or perhaps even 15 would work. What you want to protect against is the 'oops' moment where you have a brainfart and zig off a curb, or find a pothole. Those one-off moments can cause a pinch flat or a broken rim and thats where you want the safety margin of more psi than absolutely necessary.

My Mongoose Envoy, a cargo bike, runs Vee Speedsters in 26x2.8... almost an identical volume. That tire is rated to 40 psi and I'm a little surprised the 26x3's are only rated to 35. Ride1Up's product illustration shows Origin8 Supercells, which are pretty heavy tires. Certainly heavier than my Speedsters.

 

[Sparky731]

Once a comfortable lower pressure is established, be sure to check it at least weekly, but better prior to each ride. The remembered resistance to a strong caliper-like finger & thumb squeeze is often a reliable pre-ride reference.

 

[Old-tool-guy]

Thanks for all the replies and info. Slight change: although the tires are marked for 35 psi, they all had 30. So i reduced hers to 25 and we out today, Rode part of the virginia capital trail starting at jamestown. She said it did ride smoother.