The Right Air Pressure for Your Bicycle Tires – How to Find It

How to Find the Right Air Pressure for Your Bicycle Tires

The right air pressure in your bicycle tires is an important factor that can affect your riding experience, performance, and even your safety. Traction, rolling resistance, as well as shock absorption and comfort are closely linked to bicycle tire pressure. 

In this article, we provide you with useful tips on air pressure for different types of tires and how many bars you really need for each purpose. 

Find the Ideal Tire Pressure for Your Bicycle

If you want to keep it simple, the answer to the correct tire pressure is quickly given. On every tire, the minimum and maximum allowable air pressures are indicated on the sidewall – depending on the manufacturer, in the unit of bar or psi – or both. As a rule of thumb, the ideal pressure lies in the middle of the two extremes. While this may be true, it is, of course, very vague, and for most riders, these guidelines are only a compromise. 

Many factors can influence the correct tire pressure: the type of bicycle, the terrain you prefer to ride on, your body weight, the desired riding comfort, and much more. In other words: With an average value, you are certainly not wrong, but usually not completely right either. Similar to the thumb press test – it fits reasonably well, but it’s not precise. 

In any case, you should neither exceed nor fall below the values indicated on the tyre wall. Tyres that are too hard can quickly burst and thus destroy the tube. Tires that are too soft, on the other hand, not only ruin the rolling resistance, but impacts can lead to an increased risk of punctures and can even damage the rim. 

Optimizing Bicycle Tire Pressure – A Table

So how do you find the perfect tire pressure? Just take a look at the following table to have a starting point: 

This table applies to a person with an average body weight of 70 kg  /155 lbs and an average bicycle weight of 12 kg / 26 lbs. If this weight changes, you should vary the guidelines by one percent per 1 kg / or 2.2 lbs. Especially with the additional weight of e-bikes, you will probably need to apply higher air pressure, as well as with a high rider weight or if you are carrying touring bags and accessories. Be sure not to exceed the maximum pressure in these cases. 

There is also a difference between the front and rear tires. The rear tire carries a larger portion of your body weight and is the drive wheel of the bike. Therefore, it is subjected to greater stress, and the tire pressure shifts in a ratio of 60% (rear tire) to 40% (front tire). 

Let's now take a look at the specifics of the different types of bicycles. 

The Right Tire Pressure for Road Bikes and Gravel Bikes

The air pressure in road bike tires is significantly higher than in other tires. The guidelines on the tire wall usually indicate a recommended pressure of 6.0 to 8.0 bar (90-120 psi) to enable minimal rolling resistance and maximum speed. For gravel bike tires, the indications are usually 4.0 to 6.0 bar (60-90 psi) so that the tires grip better on rough terrain and you have more riding comfort. Depending on the terrain, it may be worthwhile to slightly vary the tire pressure when gravel riding, similar to mountain biking. 

The Right Tire Pressure for Mountain Bikes

The air pressure for mountain biking depends heavily on the terrain and the riding style you are doing, but the tire size can also play a role. Trails and rough terrain require a lower pressure, usually around 2.0 to 2.5 bar (30-40 psi). This provides good traction and sufficient damping against shocks from the ground, such as tree roots. If you mainly ride on asphalt and want to bring a lot of speed to the road, a significantly higher tire pressure of 2.5 to 3.0 bar (40-45 psi) is recommended to generate less rolling resistance. 

The Right Tire Pressure for City Bikes and Trekking Bikes

Comfort on short and long distances is the focus for city bikes and touring bikes, as they are mostly used for city traffic, daily commutes, and relaxed bike tours. The tire pressure here is usually 3.0 to 4.0 bar (45-60 psi) to ensure the best balance of comfort and efficiency. On dirt roads, poor roads, or long tours with racks and bags, it is advisable to increase the tire pressure, usually to 4.0 to 5.0 bar (60-75 psi), to improve rolling resistance, reduce the risk of punctures from impacts, and still allow for a pleasant ride. 

Pumping and Control

The correct tire pressure must, of course, also be checked and maintained. For this, you need a pump that fits the valve of your tube. There are three different types of valves that are common: Presta valves, Dunlop valves, and the Schrader ( car valve system) that you know from most car tires. There are different pumps, such as floor pumps with built-in pressure gauges or small mini pumps for on the go. This way, you always have a pump at hand when you need to inflate a tire to restore the ideal pressure. With Schrader valves, you can also use the automated pump for inflating car tires at gas stations. 

The Right Tube

We will not go into detail here about the width of the tires, which tire you can mount on which rim according to ETRTO, and the long discussion about tubeless or tube. But the right tube for your bicycle is essential for a pleasant ride. A high-quality tube, such as the innovative TPU tubes from Aeron, not only influences your puncture safety but also the rolling resistance and the overall weight of your bike, as TPU tubes are on average 60 percent lighter than the classic black butyl tubes. Pressure loss is also significantly less prominent with AERON Airtubes than with butyl or the very pressure-unstable latex tubes. 

Of course, you can optimize your bike type with AERON tubes, whether you are riding an MTB, road bike, city bike, or gravel bike.