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What Should My Tire Pressure Be?

person riding a rocky mountain bike on a rocky downhill trail

What Should My Tire Pressure Be?

For many newcomers to biking, getting the proper tire pressure is often something that is overlooked. To many, a tire is either inflated or flat. However, there is a bit more to it than that. Different tire pressures can have a striking effect on performance, handling, efficiency, and more.

Tire Inflation Basics

Cartoon tire pressure psi

Road bike tires should be inflated to a much higher PSI (pounds per square inch) due to physics and design. Road bike tires are much narrower to reduce drag and friction. As a result, they need to be very firm to get maximum efficiency. Road bike tires should be inflated between 90 and 120 PSI.

Mountain bike tires are a different ball game. These tires are designed to improve traction on a variety of surfaces and they accomplish this in two ways. One they increase the surface area; and two the pressure is decreased so often the tire can mold itself around rocks, roots, and other objects on the trail. A typical mountain bike tire is inflated between 25 and 40 PSI.

Hitting The PSI Sweet Spot

Cartoon correct amount of PSI

If your tire pressure is too high, this can affect your ride and make it bumpy and unenjoyable. However, it can boost performance on fast turns and efficiency. If your tire pressure is too low, your bike handling may be sloppy and efficiency dramatically reduced. Although, it can provide better traction in adverse conditions and generally a more comfortable ride.

In general, riders who weigh more will want to use a higher pressure than those who weigh less, and wheels with tubeless tires will use a slightly lower pressure than average. Don't forget, as well, that many riders prefer to use a slightly lower tire pressure on the front tire. This can provide a more comfortable ride without sacrificing performance. Beyond those general guidelines, proper tire pressure is personal preference.

To get your tire pressure sweet spot, it doesn't take much work. Start by inflating your tire to its maximum pressure (every tire has the maximum tire pressure marked on the side of the tire). Make sure you don't exceed this number! Ride around for a while, then lower your pressure by 10 PSI. Observe the handling characteristics as you ride your normal riding style. Keep adjusting your pressure by five or 10 PSI until you feel like you have found the sweet spot for you, and remember that number for the future. These tire pressure charts provides general recommendations, but we encourage you to experiement and find what works best for you.

Road Bike Tire (Tubeless)

Tire Size 132 lbs 154 lbs 176 lbs 209 lbs 242 lbs 275 lbs
26mm 80 PSI 87 PSI 94 PSI 102 PSI 109 PSI 109 PSI
28mm 73 PSI 80 PSI 87 PSI 94 PSI 94 PSI 94 PSI
30mm 65 PSI 73 PSI 80 PSI 87 PSI 87 PSI 87 PSI
32mm 58 PSI 65 PSI 73 PSI 77 PSI 80 PSI 80 PSI
35mm 51 PSI 58 PSI 65 PSI 73 PSI 80 PSI 80 PSI
 

Road Bike Tire (Tube)

Tire Size 132 lbs 154 lbs 176 lbs 209 lbs 242 lbs 275 lbs
24mm 94 PSI 102 PSI 109 PSI 116 PSI 123 PSI 123 PSI
26mm 87 PSI 94 PSI 102 PSI 109 PSI 116 PSI 116 PSI
28mm 78 PSI 84 PSI 90 PSI 94 PSI 94 PSI 94 PSI
30mm 73 PSI 77 PSI 81 PSI 84 PSI 87 PSI 87 PSI
32mm 64 PSI 68 PSI 73 PSI 77 PSI 80 PSI 80 PSI
35mm 58 PSI 64 PSI 70 PSI 75 PSI 80 PSI 80 PSI
 

Gravel Tire

Tire Size 132 lbs 154 lbs 176 lbs 209 lbs 242 lbs
32mm 64 PSI 68 PSI 73 PSI 77 PSI 80 PSI
35mm 58 PSI 62 PSI 68 PSI 73 PSI 77 PSI
38mm 40 PSI 44 PSI 51 PSI 58 PSI 65 PSI
40mm 40 PSI 44 PSI 51 PSI 58 PSI 65 PSI
42mm 36 PSI 40 PSI 44 PSI 51 PSI 58 PSI
47mm 29 PSI 32 PSI 36 PSI 44 PSI 51 PSI
50mm 29 PSI 32 PSI 36 PSI 44 PSI 51 PSI
 

Mountain Bike Tire

Tire Size 132 lbs 154 lbs 176 lbs 209 lbs 242 lbs
2.1" 28 PSI 32 PSI 36 PSI - -
2.2" 28 PSI 32 PSI 36 PSI - -
2.3" 26 PSI 29 PSI 32 PSI 36 PSI -
2.35" 25 PSI 28 PSI 30 PSI 35 PSI 38 PSI
2.4" 23 PSI 28 PSI 30 PSI 35 PSI 38 PSI
2.5" 22 PSI 26 PSI 29 PSI 33 PSI 35 PSI
2.6" 22 PSI 26 PSI 29 PSI 33 PSI 35 PSI
2.8" 19 PSI 22 PSI 26 PSI 29 PSI 32 PSI
3.0" 15 PSI 19 PSI 22 PSI 25 PSI 28 PSI
4.0" 8 PSI 12 PSI 14 PSI 16 PSI 19 PSI
4.6" 6 PSI 10 PSI 12 PSI 15 PSI 17 PSI