Winter tyre advice

[VamP]

I run my MTB tyres at 20 psi, might drop to 15 if its really muddy. 40 is way hard.

 

[Crackle]

I only use 40psi on the road.

 

[lukesdad]

I only use 40psi on the road.

Why ?

fat tyres and low pressures = no grip

..most of the time.

 

[lukesdad]

What you should be asking yourselves is, do I need to find grip or, do I need to stop grip breaking away cos they 2 completely different animals.

 

[VamP]

Why ?

fat tyres and low pressures = no grip

..most of the time.

are you talking on road or off road?

 

[lukesdad]

are you talking on road or off road?

erm off it is the mtb section after all

 

[VamP]

erm off it is the mtb section after all

Well in that case I have to strongly disagree. Lower pressures give more grip and better rolling resistance. The only reason to run high pressures off road is in very rocky environments to protect against punctures.

 

[e-rider]

Conti mud kings at 40 psi
looks like your mud is super sticky

 

[Crackle]

Why ?

fat tyres and low pressures = no grip

..most of the time.

Not much lower but around 35, maybe 30. Might change with 29ers and on hard ground no need for the lower pressures.

@VamP do you run tubeless at those pressures and isn't that just so low as to create a lot of drag, I notice it at 30, it has to be real muddy to go that low for me?

 

[VamP]

Not much lower but around 35, maybe 30. Might change with 29ers and on hard ground no need for the lower pressures.

@VamP do you run tubeless at those pressures and isn't that just so low as to create a lot of drag, I notice it at 30, it has to be real muddy to go that low for me?

With good quality tyres with high TPI sidewalls, you get great terrain compliance at low pressures. The drag actually reduces. Schwalbe did a lot of testing on Crr for off road tyres at different pressures and published their findings to that effect - I'll have a dig around and see if I can find it. I never go above 25-30 off road, even in dry conditions, unless it's very rocky, but even then I won't go much above. Have a play, you'll be astounded how much grip there is to be found.

I run latex tubes rather than tubeless, but the guys racing on tubeless that I know all use similar pressures to me.

 

[Crackle]

I will, especially as I was using some quite old Velociraptors.

 

[VamP]

I will, especially as I was using some quite old Velociraptors.

I can't find the whole study, but here is a reference with a summary of findings...


Edit: Ah no, here is the whole thing...

 

[lukesdad]

Well in that case I have to strongly disagree. Lower pressures give more grip and better rolling resistance. The only reason to run high pressures off road is in very rocky environments to protect against punctures.

I can't find the whole study, but here is a reference with a summary of findings...


Edit: Ah no, here is the whole thing...

3 tyres the narrowest being 2.1 ( the widest I run is 1.95) and its a bit wishy washy with the terrrain is it on clay, chalk, deep sand ? I can't find the full study on either of those links Vamp

 

[lukesdad]

I'm just wondering how they can slate 1.7 @40+ psi XCers when they havn't even tested 'em ffs, don't ride schwalbes do you Vamp

 

[VamP]

The link works for me.

The surfaces are road, meadow and gravel but the methodology is described in full.

Works for narrower tyres too. Standard cyclocross racing pressures 20 to 30 psi, the top guys go as low as 18.