Next week, we have gravel and mountain bike tire experts WTB at your disposal. Clayton Wangbichler and James Heaton are on hand to answer your questions on the topic of tire pressure.
Many riders aren’t fussy about their tire pressure. When you ask them trail side what pressures they are running, some simply respond with “some”, often with an I-couldn’t-care-less-expression upon their face.
Others are quite the opposite, checking their tire pressure before every single ride, adjusting it to the conditions and a bunch of other factors too. I fall into the latter camp of riders and would be lost without my Topeak Smarthead Digital Gauge (other pressure gauges are available).
What should you ask them?
Tire pressure is down to personal preference, of course. But, there are a good number of factors that will affect what that personal preference is. It’s good to be aware of what they are so you can adapt your pressures over the years to an ever-evolving bike setup.
Does wheel size matter? Does tire width matter? What about the tire casings? Does switching from a thin casing to a downhill casing warrant a change in tire pressure or not?
What about the compound you’re running. Can a soft compound tire be run at a higher pressure than a hard compound tire? Are higher tire pressures always faster rolling? Is there a general rule for switching from tubes to tubeless?
WTB will answer all your questions on tire pressure on Friday 26th March. Submit your questions now!
