[just some guy]

Thanks to @CyclingCentral for this one https://janheine.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/the-tire-pressure-revolution/

you would think rolling resistance would equal higher pressure best, I have had a quick read will read in again and see what others think.

[Capt_Cavman]

Thanks to @CyclingCentral for this one https://janheine.wordpress.com/2015/01/26/the-tire-pressure-revolution/

you would think rolling resistance would equal higher pressure best, I have had a quick read will read in again and see what others think.

Interesting stuff.

The trouble is it doesn't really help much to understand where the optimum pressure range is for any tyre not mentioned; 6.5 bar is the best for one tyre but about the worst for another in the experiment. I tend to use a rule of thumb, i.e. if I press down with my thumb and there's some give, I pump it up towards the stated max, maybe once every 150 miles or so.

The one area where my experience directly contracts the advice is flats. I was getting one a week until I took the advice of just about everyone who commutes round here, which was to keep tyre pressures close to the max. Now, I hardly ever flat but regularly spent time chipping shards of glass out of the tyre.

[Drummer Boy]

This is certainly a topic that has generated it's fair share of discussion over the years. But I thought it to be more of a common understanding by now that max pressure provides no real benefits, and may even be detrimental. So I guess the debate continues.

The one area where my experience directly contracts the advice is flats. I was getting one a week until I took the advice of just about everyone who commutes round here, which was to keep tyre pressures close to the max. Now, I hardly ever flat but regularly spent time chipping shards of glass out of the tyre.

Funny, I have found the exact opposite to be true. By running at a lower pressure, I generally have far fewer flats than when approaching the max PSI.

I'm sure we could all dig up endless articles that attempt to clarify the issue of tire pressure, but I'll provide just a few for the moment.

Sheldon Brown's encyclopedic reference is always a good starting point for bike-related discussions:
http://sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#pressure


This from one of the best columns Velonews ever ran: Ask Nick
http://velonews.competitor.com/2010/11/bikes-and-tech/technical-faq/ask-nick-tire-pressure-the-mechanic-as-caddy-light-bikes-and-amateur-equipment_149851

Almost every racer I’ve ever met over-inflates his tires

As an aside, another great one from Nick Legan: A very detailed breakdown on the tires, and specific pressures, used for Paris-Roubaix.
http://velonews.competitor.com/2012/04/bikes-and-tech/what-tires-wheels-and-pressures-were-roubaix-riders-running_212925


There are countless articles on tire pressure. For those of you interested in detailed reading, follow any of these links to the many detailed offerings from Lennard Zinn.
http://velonews.competitor.com/tag/tire-pressure

[Icebreaker]

Generally I find the optimal tire pressure to be the one I find the most comfortable.