Tire PSI Question?

Question

My wife’s flat bar road bike was stocked with a hybrid tire – minimal tread, 80 PSI. I’m thinking about getting her more “road tires.” Still a bit wide, but 110 PSI and smooth.

Will the additional 30 PSI and lack of tread make a difference? More effecient on the road?

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

It sounds like you are going to stay with a wider road tire, which is good. The tires will have to fit the rims properly and a hybrid rim allows for wider tires.

By increasing the pressure by 30 PSI, yes the bike would become more efficient on the road. There is less rolling resistance because less tire touches the road. However the bike will become more "stiff". I'm guessing that the decrease in comfort level would outweigh the benefit your wife would gain in terms of efficiency.

As an experiment, over-inflate your automobile tires by just 10 PSI... ride around the block on an average quality road... the car will ride like crap, rattling on bumps and such. The tires are the only forgiveness between you and the road.

Answer 2

Changing to a higher pressure tire will make a _huge_ difference. It will for all intents feel like a new bike. Just make sure not to take her on roads that are too rough. She might insist on going back to the old ones after getting battered around for a few miles.

BTW - do _not_ over inflate your car tires by ten PSI. NEVER go over the max rated pressure on your car, There is a recommended pressure and a max pressure printed on the tire. If you want to experiment by trying those two settings feel free, but depending on your vehicle you might not notice a thing. Larger cushy SUVs with big tires won't show much of a difference.

Experiment with this on your bike, not your car. Go for a ride at the max rating, then drop the pressure by 20%. This will be a _much_ better illustration for the difference than on your car. It might be good to do the same to your wife's bike, just to show her how much easier it will be with higher pressure tires. That way, you won't have wasted your time and money if she doesn't like the rougher ride.

Answer 3

Simple answer....yes. Increasing and maintaining proper air pressure is the single biggest thing you can do to improve rolling resistance. The ride will get a little bumpier, but not too bad if you stay with a hybrid style bike.