[SCARY]

Since I've got the 951,and it sticks to the ground so well,Ive been playing around with increasing my tire pressure.Right now I'm at 40 in the rear and 32 in front. Can't really seem to go higher in the front and sometimes go to 28.Is this too much of a difference front and rear?

I'm wondering if this is a realistic way to try and run them in a race setting. It rolls so much faster and I have alot more energy to control the bike,cuz im diggin less pedaling but more speed from it.But you really have to be careful in corners, some off cambers loose stuff and where you shift your weight.

Is this normal or am I just awesome?
(it's not an either/or question)

 

[descente]

if the pen gauge on my pump is accurate i regularly run 35-40 front and rear on my Dh bike and my 4x bike. at least most of the places i ride, a higher psi tire will cut into the ground instead of conforming around it and is generally more responsive.

 

[StabprimoMonkee]

I've always had a feeling that most people run waaay to low tire pressures.

I personally run 40 (or more) in back and 35 front.

Thats with tubeless (else they burp). And as far as looking pros - they seem to have their tires quire inflated - not much folding visible when cornering etc (pressures under 30 mean a lot of folding - go watch some amateur and pro videos).

I might be wrong tho. Does anyone know what kind of pressures the big boys run?

 

[Gary]

You are AWESOME!!
Seriously tho, I run similar pressures to you (30-32front/35-45rear depending on the tracks level of gnar) I run such silly high rear tyre pressure simply 'coz I hate punctures.
Upside is I def roll faster than the guys I usually ride with (but most of them weigh 2/3 what I do too). Downside is less grip.
Think I ran between 22-25front and 26-28rear all the years I raced DH (on comp 16s) and have noticably less grip now but since I'm no longer racing I don't really care.
Once I know the limit of my tyres I'm happy enough on any pressure/compound/baldness TBH I am fussy about tyre patern tho and like my tyres to have a good predictable edge (minions are perfect for me 99% of the time).

 

[chillindrdude]

my experiences are the opposite. when my tires are at higher pressures above 38psi, it feels much more bouncy and less grip in off-camber rocks/roots. i usually run 30 front , 32 rear. seems like a nice combo right now for me. good tire deformation but minimal punctures and rim damage.

 

[dilzy]

35 rear, 32 front. 220lb.

 

[mattmatt86]

I found out at the end of the Massanutten race this year that I was running close to 50 psi in both tires.

I'm a noob though

 

[norbar]

I've always had a feeling that most people run waaay to low tire pressures.

I personally run 40 (or more) in back and 35 front.

Thats with tubeless (else they burp). And as far as looking pros - they seem to have their tires quire inflated - not much folding visible when cornering etc (pressures under 30 mean a lot of folding - go watch some amateur and pro videos).

I might be wrong tho. Does anyone know what kind of pressures the big boys run?

They dont with 823s and UST tires


As for pressure - I think it should be weight and track dependant. If you are lighter of course you can get lower pressures. If you ride tracks where you slamm your wheels into corners more often (bermed tracks) use more pressure. On of camberish tracks with longer turns lower pressure actualy works better for me. I used to go under 20psi in the front but at that time I was a kid weighting 55kg, now being heavier I do around 24/25, I think.

 

[Gelbwurstbrot]

26-32 psi front
30-40 psi rear
depends on track

Deemax/823 with UST tires
188 lbs with gear

 

[bizutch]

I found out at the end of the Massanutten race this year that I was running close to 50 psi in both tires.

I'm a noob though

I see you consulted Geritt too.

I've ridden Massanutten every year for countless years it seems like. I've ran the exact same tire/tube combo without fail and the exact same tire pressure (35psi) and not flatted in over 5 years on the course. This year I flatted my first 3 runs in a row and was talking with Geritt. He double flatted last year.

We determined not knowing and just pumping the tire up to where it wouldn't budge was safest.

 

[Tedman]

951 owner here. I run anywhere between 25-30 front and rear depending on track conditions. Race, ride, whatever. I keep it the same. That's with DH tubes, and I weigh 180. As my riding has improved and have become lighter on the bike I have decreased from 33-35.
Don't do what other people do, do what works for you and your riding style and keeps the tires inflated.

 

[IH8Rice]

35 rear, 32 front. 220lb.

ditto to all

 

[William42]

26-28 front, 30 rear. So no, I don't run alot of pressure.

 

[zdubyadubya]

No 951 but 25/35 here and weigh 160 geared up. I like the lower pressure for the front, don't know if there is an actual benefit but it gives me more confidence and that results in me riding faster.

 

[SCARY]

Yeah,I haven't flatted in a long time.I was at 28-30 front ,32-35 rear before.I'm in AZ so you learn how to ride the rough,rocky stuff.

I was curious about the big boys too.I heard Peat said he ran alot higher pressure than others,but never got a number.

My guess is that especially for races,you'd have to have brand new tires.I'm guessing I'm trying it a bootleg here,pretty soon.

 

[SCARY]

I just realized on my last post,I didn't have any sort of joke or quip.

I feel I let the RM community down,and I apologize,deeply.

 

[w00dy]

Anything below 35 deforms too much when hitting a jump lip. I go all squirrely if I use too little. I run close to 40 if I'm having flat trouble.

 

[gemini2k]

230lbs. 40 in the rear 33-36 in the front.

Edit:

60d 2.5 High roller rear
3c 2.5 HR Front

 

[Huck Banzai]

230lbs. 40 in the rear 33-36 in the front.

245lbs (w/o gear)

psi
34/30 on average
28/20 Platte Mud
40/35 Diablo


Did a run at Diablo last week with ~10psi, gotta remember to squeeze the boys before hopping on the uplift! (Ohh poseuristic anglicismz, now Ill step it up to colorways and tracks)

 

[TheMontashu]

I'm only 150 and I have to run like 35-40 in the rear, and 30-35 in front. Anything less and I start flatting, and the sidewalls start giving a little funnny

 

[djjohnr]

180lbs geared up
DHF/Highroller 2.5s on Mavic 525s
F: 25-27lbs depending on terrain
R: 27-30lbs

 

[Commencal-guy]

I weigh at 165 lbs

23 psi front
28 psi in the rear

 

[tacubaya]

I run 20 on the front and 22 on the back.

 

[Kntr]

180 lb
3C DHF front and rear
small 951
30 front 35 rear
tubeless or Maxxis Ultralites tubes

 

[BigHitComp04]

155lbs. Depends on the course. Hardpacked like diablo usually low 30s front and rear. Other tracks more like 27ish front and rear. Usually slightly less in the front.

 

[SCARY]

So does anybody know of a wc racer w/really high psi ?

 

[William42]

So does anybody know of a wc racer w/really high psi ?

I remember vouilloz saying in a bike setup interview on dirt that he was running 25/27 for the garbo DH run in whistler on maxxis tires UST tires.

 

[Tdiddy]

I've heard steve peat runs excessively high tire pressures, much more than most of the other riders, but it's a closely guarded secret. All the info this year I've heard is around the 28 psi range. Nico said that he runs his tires as low as they'll go so that they won't flat anymore.

 

[TheTruth]

I'm only 150 and I have to run like 35-40 in the rear, and 30-35 in front. Anything less and I start flatting, and the sidewalls start giving a little funnny

Yeah same, WTF? But then there are fat guys running 33 rear. Where did we go wrong?

 

[TheMontashu]

Yeah same, WTF? But then there are fat guys running 33 rear. Where did we go wrong?

I think where you ride and how hard makes a huge difference. For instance, in downieville I run 45 in the rear cause of sharp rocks. If all you have is smooth flowey single track you wont ever flat. All the super fast guys I know run a ton of pressure, as well as tubes

 

[thom9719]

24.5 front
29.5 rear

Maxxis Minnion 3C 2.5 on Mavic wheels.

-KT

 

[skatetokil]

I spent some time playing with pressure this season, and I found that my particular tires (3c minions) on my particular bike (canfield f1/vivid/boxxer) handle dramatically better in the 20-25 front and 25-30 rear range. It's like all the high frequency vibration just goes away completely below that. My hands feel better, I stick better in corners etc etc. It was like flicking a switch when I crossed the magic threshold. However, if I started getting way faster, I can see how it might be necessary to up the pressures accordingly.

 

[pinkgoat]

68kg/150lb - Minion DHF:

26 Front
28 Rear

 

[SCARY]

Well, they're all over the place.

Is there anyone FAST who runs HIGH pressure?Not normal people who run normal pressure.I'm trying to figure out if this this an unspoken trick or not.It rolls REALLY fast and I'm wondering if the tradeoff is worth it.

I'm basically looking for any reason not to train.

 

[TheMontashu]

Well, they're all over the place.

Is there anyone FAST who runs HIGH pressure?Not normal people who run normal pressure.I'm trying to figure out if this this an unspoken trick or not.It rolls REALLY fast and I'm wondering if the tradeoff is worth it.

I'm basically looking for any reason not to train.

If you don't wanna train, then don't ride...... Isn't training just riding for the most part (as a donwhiller atleast)

 

[bullcrew]

68kg/150lb - Minion DHF:

26 Front
28 Rear

X2 except muddy marys... 238lbs and works great plus conforms to conditions. Ill run a little more on freeride casings but DH and a soft compound this works good.

 

[JCL]

I spent some time playing with pressure this season, and I found that my particular tires (3c minions) on my particular bike (canfield f1/vivid/boxxer) handle dramatically better in the 20-25 front and 25-30 rear range. It's like all the high frequency vibration just goes away completely below that. My hands feel better, I stick better in corners etc etc. It was like flicking a switch when I crossed the magic threshold. However, if I started getting way faster, I can see how it might be necessary to up the pressures accordingly.

Totally agree. Tires are the high frequency isolators. the same applies for a number of motorsport applications too.

 

[Wa-Aw]

...below that...

Sorry, your post is a little difficult to understand.

I run my pressure in that range too at 150lbs. I pump it up about 10psi on very rough tracks. I used to run mine in the low 20's all the time but flats forced me to go higher and I realized the bike slid out more in corners, but in a much more predictable manner. This made me much faster. This sliding out was actually the "drifting" people go one about all the time.


But what I was REALLY wondering is: If I am running harder than usual PSI for my weight and terrain, would I have anything to lose from going tubeless? I am aware that a major draw back of tubeless tires is that you have to run them at higher pressures than usual or else they burp under high loads (my highest loads seem to be in cornering - all my recent pinch flats and rim shots have been in corners).

Can I run tubeless without consequence if I'm used to high pressures anyway? Or do tubeless tires still end up finding ways to burp?

Student here, don't have enough time or resources to experiment.

 

[Tomasis]

i think UST works well from psi 25 and up. depending on tires and rims.

I run UST (823 and Schwalbe)

front 24-26
rear 28 (might try 26 at next time)

150lbs

no problems after a couple rides so far. cornering feels awesome!

 

[Gary]

i think UST works well from psi 25 and up. depending on tires and rims.

I run UST (823 and Schwalbe)

front 24-26
rear 28 (might try 26 at next time)

150lbs

no problems after a couple rides so far. cornering feels awesome!

Depends what you weigh and how you ride, a front tyre will burp even at 30psi on 823s for me (40-50lbs heavier than you). I wouldn't even contemplate rear UST