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tire pressure for AZ XC and trail riding?

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#21 ·
I do it by feel (pinching the sidewalls by hand) rather than by pressure. I've found that different tires with different sidewall thickness really affect the feel of the tire as I'm rolling. This in turn, usually amounts to different pressures based on the tire I'm running. The pressure I wind up running on the GEAX Saguaro's I roll in the summer on the rear is higher than the WTB MutanoRaptors I roll in the winter on the rear.....I also suspect the tire geometry (width at casing vs. width at tread) has a large part of the feel of the tire when riding which requires diffrerent pressures.

Bottom line: Find your own pressure you like and then stick with it and the tire.
 
Discussion starter · #22 · (Edited)
Thanks for all the comments. The shop was Bikes Direct in Desert Ridge. I only went there to drool over the Anthems and Trances since I can't find Giant bikes many other places.

I'm restricted to 2.1" in rear (skinny stays) but could go wider in front. My rims are old and have a braking surface (pre-disc brakes era) so don't think I can go tubeless unless I 'go ghetto', which is not for me. Will definitely want to have tubeless-ready rims on my next bike, though.

While not a racer, I do like to challenge myself to ride fast and choose good lines. I would find it very interesting to see a tire pressure comparison study. Years ago, conventional thinking was that to go fast you should keep your tires as hard as possible and still control the bike for less rolling resistance (like roadies do). Now, for XC, it seems to be go as low as you can without denting your rims. It's an interesting tradeoff - lower rolling resistance of the hard tires for the better control, less bouncing of the softer tires. I suspect the ideal setup for a good combination of speed and control is somewhere in the middle (and largely course-specific), but that is just a gut feeling. I do know that I feel a little faster on hard tires on the non-technical hardpack, but can roll a rocky descent faster with soft tires. Beyond that I am not so sure of much.
 
#25 ·
chollaball said:
bike shope dude needs to put down the pipe. Seriously, which shop? I run 28-30 on all my bikes running tubeless, which is probably more than most folks. Tubeless is not the silver bullet, but far better than tubes. When i ran tubes it was 35ish psi.
Click to expand...
I agree 100%. I run UST with Nevegal 2.35 front and 2.1 rear. For pressure I run 28-30.

I would not run non UST in the desert.
 
#27 ·
BigBadConrad said:
I would find it very interesting to see a tire pressure comparison study. Years ago, conventional thinking was that to go fast you should keep your tires as hard as possible and still control the bike for less rolling resistance (like roadies do). Now, for XC, it seems to be go as low as you can without denting your rims. It's an interesting tradeoff - lower rolling resistance of the hard tires for the better control, less bouncing of the softer tires. I suspect the ideal setup for a good combination of speed and control is somewhere in the middle (and largely course-specific), but that is just a gut feeling. I do know that I feel a little faster on hard tires on the non-technical hardpack, but can roll a rocky descent faster with soft tires. Beyond that I am not so sure of much.
Click to expand...
There are several threads about tire pressure and rolling resistance for mtb, just search through the "Wheels and Tires" forum. To put it in a nutshell, lower pressure = lower rolling resistance in mtb'ing. Just the opposite of road biking. If your tires are hard, every little bump you hit causes the bike to move upward. That robs you of speed a little bit at a time. With lower pressure, the tires flex and absorb the bumps.

I don't know if you ride a road bike or not, but think about this. Have you ever noticed when you move from a road that's really smooth to one that's rough, like chip seal, how much you slow down? I've noticed that I lose 1-2 mph when the road gets rough. Same thing on a mtb with too much pressure.
 
#29 ·
40 psi Maxxis High Rollers, 2.35 60a compound in rear, 2.5 3C in the front, standard tubes. The back skids around a bit and will flat below that pressure on the Somo gnar; the front is fine but too heavy for the rear IMO. Thus, the need for tubeless speaks for itself. One of my next projects: Mavic 819 rims, Maxxis UST High Roller tires F and R, Stans all the way. Can't wait!
 
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