Bike tyre pressure guide
A little air can make a huge difference. If your bike feels like you’re constantly riding against the wind, it’s very likely that you’re simply riding with insufficient tyre pressure. Fortunately, this can be fixed in no time at all! Once your tyres are properly inflated, your bike will feel brand new – I promise!
You’ll also enjoy other advantages: with the optimum air pressure, your tyres won’t wear out as quickly, you’ll have less chance of getting a puncture and be safer on the road!
Content
- Tyre pressure for city & touring bikes
- Tyre pressure for MTBs
- Tyre pressure for racing bikes
- Floor/track pumps
- Frame pumps
- Mini pumps
- CO2 pumps
- Using floor/track pumps
- Using a frame/mini pump
FAQ
- How do I know if my tyres aren’t pumped up properly?li>
- How do I know if my tyres are over-inflated?li>
- Where can I find my tyre width?
- Where can I find the maximum tyre pressure for my bicycle tyre(s)?
- Can't I just check the pressure with my thumb?
- How can I check the pressure if I don't have a pump with a gauge or a pressure gauge?
- Do the front and rear wheels require the same tyre pressure?
- How often should I check tyre pressure?
- I can’t pump air into my tyres, the resistance is too high. What am I doing wrong?
- What does psi mean and how can I convert psi to bar?
Generel information
As a rule of thumb, the wider your tyre, the less pressure you need. Narrow racing bike tyres need very high pressure to roll along the road without punctures, while the much wider and more robust tyres on many mountain bikes require much less pressure.
PERSONALISING YOUR PRESSURE
All values given below are guidelines for average riders (70 kg) on an average bike (12 kg), so these will need adjusting based on various factors. If you’re heavier or carrying a heavier load (e.g. because you’re carrying your shopping), you’ll need more pressure. Tyre companies generally give the rule of thumb of 1% per kilogram. If you ride an e-bike, you can add just under half a bar for the additional weight of the battery and motor (usually 10 kg)
Another factor is the surface: if you regularly ride over cobblestones on your way to work, it’s worth riding with slightly lower air pressure. This will give you more grip on the bumpy surface and at least dampen the shocks a little.
Starting Point for a 70 kg person
Bike Type | Tyre Width | Tyre Pressure in Bar | Tyre Pressure in psi |
---|---|---|---|
Trekking Bike | 35mm | 4,5 | 65 |
Trekking Bike | 40mm | 4,0 | 58 |
Trekking Bike | 50mm | 3,0 | 44 |
Racing Bike | 25mm | 7,0 | 100 |
Racing Bike | 28mm | 6,0 | 87 |
Gravel Bike | 35mm | 4,5 | 65 |
Mountain Bike | 2" (50mm) | 3,0 | 44 |
Mountain Bike | 2,3" (59mm) | 2,0 | 29 |
TYRE PRESSURE FOR CITY & TOURING BIKES
With 4.0 bar as your starting point, you can't go wrong. But even within this style of bike, the range is enormous. Sporty city bikes run on narrower tyres of around 35 mm, while some touring bikes are closer to mountain bikes, with wide tyres of around 50 mm. If your tyres are significantly narrower than 40 mm, 0.5 bar more can't hurt; conversely, if your tyres are closer to 50 mm, you can lower it by half a bar.
TYRE PRESSURE FOR MTBS
Not all mountain bikes are the same: if you use your off-road bike a lot in the city and go on weekend rides in the forest, 3 bars is a good starting point. This way, on asphalt you’ll still have good rolling resistance. Before a trip to the forest you can let out some air to get better traction on uneven ground. If you use tubeless tyres, the chance of a puncture is lower, so you can ride with less pressure.
Unlike on the road, low pressure is an advantage in the forest, as it’s more comfortable and gives you more traction in difficult conditions. If you often ride on demanding terrain, the pressure should be kept low as possible, but just high enough to protect your rims and tyres. Advanced riders will find the Schwalbe Pressure Prof to be a very useful tool for finding the ideal air pressure.
TYRE PRESSURE FOR RACING BIKES
It used to be very straightforward with road bikes: 23 mm wide tyres inflated to 8 bar – and was accepted that higher pressure = less rolling resistance. It’s not that simple anymore, and rims and tyres have got wider as technology has improved. 25 mm is now the lower limit—7 bars is plenty of pressure for this width.
Gravel bikes may look like road bikes at first glance, but their tyres are designed for off-road adventures. 4 bar is a good baseline here, which, depending on the surface and type of tyre, can be adjusted on-the-go to achieve optimum results.
Check and adjust tyre pressure
Valve types on bicycles
Today there are three different types of valves used on bicycles, but these all have different names.
Dunlop valve
The Dunlop valve is also called the flash valve or the normal valve because it is the most common valve used for bicycles. It is easy to use - which unfortunately can also be a disadvantage, as the air can easily escape through the valve. If you want to inflate it, simply turn on the pump - to release air you can gently unscrew the top nut.
Presta / Sclaverand Valve
This is the traditional valve for road bikes and the most common valve for modern road, cx and gravel bikes. It requires only a very narrow hole in the rim and is for the relatively high air pressure required for a road bike. However, the small metal pin at the tip of the valve is very sensitive. Before you can pump a tire with a Presta valve, you must loosen the small knurled nut at the tip. You can then press in the metal pin to release a small amount of air before inflating the tyre
Auto / Car Valve
The auto valve, also known as the Schrader valve, is very robust and can be easily pumped up at any filling station. Unfortunately, you need a different pump for an auto valve than for the other two valves. Inflating is easy with an automatic valve - just pump it up and go! Letting air out is a bit more complicated: you need a sharp object to press the metal pin recessed in the valve
Adapter
Pumps fit either the thinner Dunlop and Presta valves or the wider auto valve. There are, however, adapters that allow you to pump up your Dunlop or Presta tyres at the service station. In addition, some mini pumps have adapters built into the pump head: if you unscrew the head and use the inserts, you can cover all types of valves with one pump.
Types of Cycle Pumps
FLOOR/TRACK PUMP
If you ride your bike fairly regularly, it’s worth buying a floor pump. Thanks to its large volume, you can inflate your tyres with less effort, but also check your tyre pressure with the built-in pressure gauge. These pumps are usually equipped with a pump head with two outlets that can accommodate both Dunlop/Presta valves and car valves.
Frame Pump
Many city and touring bikes come with frame-mounted frame pumps. This way you always have them at hand, even if you get a flat tyre on the road. Most of these pumps are not compatible with car valves.
Mini Pump
If you don’t have a frame pump on your bike, it’s not a bad idea to pack a mini pump instead. It can be mounted on your bike or fits in your backpack and gives you the security of being able to inflate your tyres at any time. .
CO2 Pumps
CO2 cartridges are even more minimalist than mini pumps. They take up hardly any space and weigh almost nothing but can only be used once and are quite expensive. Some aluminium and steel cannisters can be recycled.
Air pressure control
You should check your tyre pressure before every ride as inner tubes can lose air. Regular checking doesn’t take much time, and saves you the trouble of a prematurely worn or flat tyre, which always comes at the worst possible moment.
Use of a floor/track pump
Before you get started, find the correct valve attachment on the pump head. One of the two attachments has a much smaller diameter than the other. Use this one for Dunlop and Presta valves, the wider one fits auto valves. Even if you're not absolutely sure, there's still a 50% chance of getting it right and you'll soon notice if you've chosen the wrong valve!
The pump head must now be tightened (in rare cases also screwed). To do this, move the arm upwards until it forms a straight line with the valve. When pumping, the air should flow directly into the tube. If you hear a hissing sound, the tool is not seated correctly on the valve - simply repeat the process and press the valve attachment down a little harder on the valve.
Pumping with the frame / mini pump
These pumps have a much simpler design than floor pumps: they usually only fit Dunlop and Presta valves, and most do not need to be clamped. Put the valve fastener on the valve and pump. But don't use all your strength - as these pumps attach directly to the valve without a hose, you risk bending or even tearing the valve off if you do it too forcefully.