Often people think that bike workouts are fast riding on the road or even in a gym, but mountain biking is pretty aptly covered by the term, and this style of biking can really take it out on your body and the bike. One pretty important thing to make it easier for you is to have the right tire pressure, which can influence the amount of control you have over your bike and make a large difference .
Tire-pressures that are too low in mountain biking can result in tires pinching and going flat, but pressures that are too high often prevent good traction on the ground resulting in less control . So what you should do is to find the tire pressure for “normal” conditions that’s best for you , and then later-on learn how to adjust the pressure for other terrain and tracks you ride on.
Pressure will also vary rider-to-rider and the type of tire setup . So here’s how you get the right pressure:
Use THE SAME pressure gauge or pump each time you adjust your tire pressure, and one that’s as reliable as you can find. This is because a gauge can be really inaccurate, and you can’t rely on the readings if you use more than one. It’s also possible to recognize the right pressure by learning what your tire feels like when you squeeze it with your hands . Once you know what your tires feel like you can always get the right air pressure – with any pump.
Now what you’re trying to do is to find the lowest pressure that you can ride with without sacrificing pinch-flat resistance. A pinch flat occurs when your tire rolls over an object and is compressed so that the tuve is pinched between the whell-rim and the object .
For tube tires , start with a higher pressure of around 40 – 50 psi. Start lower if you have a tubeless system, about 30 – 40 psi. Much lower air-pressure is possible with tubeless tires because you don’t have to worry about getting pinch flats. If you start to dent your rims, burp air out along the bead, or feel the tire roll under the rim during hard cornering, you’ve taken the pressure much too low. Also the more you weigh, the higher the pressure you should start with .
Get a feel for cornering and loose dirt by riding with the pressure you’ve chosen for a while. Then drop it by 5 psi in each tire and get see how this new setup rides and compares to your previous setting. You should notice some improvement in stability, and if you don’t, drop the pressure by another 5 psi. Once you’ve found a comfortable setting for your tire pressure, note it or learn to recognize it with your fingers. The next step will be adjusting it up or down for the varying types of the surface you’re riding on. This means testing for stability again, by raising and lowering the pressure in increments – the same way you did for the original tire pressure.