• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Become a Premium Member
  • About

Road Bike Rider Cycling Site

Expert road cycling advice, since 2001

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook
  • Bikes & Gear
  • Training & Health
  • Reviews
  • Cycling Ebooks
    • Ebooks Training
    • Ebooks Skills
    • E-Articles Training
    • E-Articles Nutrition
  • Member Area
  • Newsletter

Is It Safe to Race on Tiresat 150 psi

Q:  I like to time trial and have been told to pump my tires over 150 psi. Is that good advice? —  Manny F.

COACH FRED:   I time trial quite a bit and never pump tires higher than 120 psi. This includes high-quality clinchers and tubulars. If I were racing on perfectly smooth roads I might use more pressure.

As a tire gets harder, it becomes more unyielding when it hits the small irregularities found in any road surface. The result is a tire that’s skittish, reducing ride quality. Some authorities speculate that this slows you down because the tire is, in effect, bouncing off each bump in the road. At any rate, I like to feel some “give” in my tires.

One other point: A rock-hard tire is more likely to get damaged or punctured by gravel and other things it would absorb and kick away at lower psi. When racing, you can’t win if you don’t finish.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

Search

Recent Articles

  • ‘Connect’ to Diet-Reverses-Diabetes Study: Even If You Don’t Have the Disease
  • My New Bike: Trek Checkpoint SL 5
  • Weak Muscles Predict Accelerated Aging, Disability and Death
  • Rolflex Muscle Recovery Tool Quick Review

Recent Newsletters

Newsletter Issue No. 1053

Newsletter Issue No. 1052

Newsletter Issue No. 1051

Newsletter Issue No. 1050

Newsletter Issue No. 1049

Footer

Affiliate Disclosure

Our cycling expert editors and writers choose every product we review. We may earn an affiliate commission if you buy from one of our product links, at no extra cost to you. This income supports our site.

Follow Us

  • Pinterest
  • Facebook

Privacy Policy

Still Haven’t Found What You’re Looking For?

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in