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The correct pressure in MTB tires: How much to inflate the tires

What pressure should I keep on a mountain bike? We answer the basic question of a biker who approaches the off-road world.

victory mace

Let's start from a premise: tire pressure depends on these factors:

  • tire characteristics (carcass)
  • inner tube or tubeless
  • weight of the biker
  • driving technique (expert / aggressive or beginner / fearful)

From this it is clear that the tire pressure of your MTB is subjective but I will try to give you a base value from which to start so that you can find the right pressure based on all the aspects listed above.

PRESSURE IN MTB

The total pressure range, if you have no idea how much an MTB tire should be inflated, goes (always in large lines) from 1bar to 2bar. Now let's see in detail an initial value, just to start, based on the tire fitted: wider carcass calls for lower pressures.

TUBELESS RUBBER <2.20 ″
If you have a Tubeless tire with a section smaller than 2.2″ (typical from cross country, I recommend staying around 1.7bar (24,6psi) at the front and 1.8bar (26,1psi) at the rear. If you weigh more than 90kg, increase the pressure by 0,2bar (2,9psi). If you are a beginner and light weight (under 70kg) you can afford to go down instead of a 0,2bar (2,9psi).

AIR CHAMBER RUBBER <2.20 ″
If you have a tire with an inner tube and a section of less than 2.2″ (typical from cross country), I recommend staying around 1.8bar (26,1psi) at the front while at 2bar (29psi) at the rear. If you weigh more than 90kg, increase the pressure by 0,2bar (2,9psi). If you are a beginner and light weight (under 70kg) you can afford to go down instead of a 0,2bar (2,9psi).

TUBELESS RUBBER> 2.40 ″
If you have a Tubeless tire with a section greater than 2.4 ″, I recommend staying around 1.6bar (23,2psi) at the front while 1.8bar (26,1psi) at the rear. If you weigh more than 90kg, increase the pressure by 0,2bar (2,9psi). If you are a beginner and light weight (under 70kg) you can afford to go down instead of a 0,2bar (2,9psi).

RUBBER AIR CHAMBER> 2.40 ″
If you have a tire with an inner tube and section greater than 2.4 ", I recommend staying around 1.7bar (24,6psi) at the front while at 2bar (29psi) at the rear. If you weigh more than 90kg, increase the pressure by 0,2bar (2,9psi). If you are a beginner and light weight (under 70kg) you can afford to go down instead of a 0,2bar (2,9psi).

TUBELESS RUBBER> 2.80 ″
If you have a tubeless tire with a section greater than 2.8 ", I recommend staying around 1.2bar (17,4psi) at the front while 1,3bar (18,8psi) at the rear. If you weigh more than 90kg, increase the pressure by 0,2bar (2,9psi). If you are a beginner and light weight (under 70kg) you can afford to go down instead of a 0,2bar (2,9psi).

RUBBER AIR CHAMBER> 2.80 ″
If you have a tire with an inner tube and section greater than 2.8 ", I recommend staying around 1.3bar (18,8psi) at the front while at 1,4bar (20,3psi) at the rear. If you weigh more than 90kg, increase the pressure by 0,2bar (2,9psi). If you are a beginner and light weight (under 70kg) you can afford to go down instead of a 0,2bar (2,9psi).

WHAT ARE THE INSERTS FOR MTB FOR?

PROJECTED IMPACT

As you have seen, the front should always be kept more deflated than the rear because the front gives the bike directionality and, more importantly, all of our weight isn't on it.

The best pressure is to have the lowest possible pressure without going to puncture. That's why, to find the right pressure, it's a matter of experience and testing. Use the values ​​declared above as a starting point and then calibrate the value according to your driving style and the terrain where you ride (very stony paths call for higher pressures to avoid breakages. Or drastic solutions such as "sausages“, or inserts).

I close with a mantra: Never trust what your friend says, it is established that the pressure your fellow biker declares is always lower than the reality of the facts.



Written by

[email protected] I am a fan of everything that has 2 wheels: at a young age I practiced road and track cycling (Italian Allievi champion). At the age of 18 I passed into the cross country competing at national/international level as an Under23. Past Elite, I made the choice to take things more lightly from a training point of view, and my love for gravity disciplines was born, training me as an FCI MTB instructor and guide. Now I have made passion my profession by managing 2 MTB centers on the island of Elba (Bike Center Elba and Elba MTB), creating the FANTAmtb and telling in an ironic but professional way everything that revolves around MTB thanks to 365mountainbike and 365TV (YouTube'PULITI dentro BIKER fuori').

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