[beegblock]

I have an XC hardtail.
I was riding today working on doing the wheelie off the curb (a la instruction video ) and when I tried to hop up on to the curb I got it wrong and the back tire hit the curb at the perfect angle to completely blow the inner tube.
Air evacuated real fast.
So, I'm going to change the inner tube but I have a question:
My rear tire is a 26x2.00. What size inner tube should I be getting?

Also, what should I inflate my tire pressures to? I think the previous pressure was too high, it felt a little too hard for XC riding (even though I'm sure it would have blown anyways.)
But I was just wondering if, for XC trail riding, a psi of a bit lower than the number printed on the tire would be a good thing to do for general shock absorption and whatnot.

Thanks!

p.s: as for the video, I worked out how to come off the curb. Hopefully this'll help my riding when I'm on the trails!

 

[The Lone Wolf]

Also, what should I inflate my tire pressures to? I think the previous pressure was too high, it felt a little too hard for XC riding (even though I'm sure it would have blown anyways.)
But I was just wondering if, for XC trail riding, a psi of a bit lower than the number printed on the tire would be a good thing to do for general shock absorption and whatnot.

I weigh 144 pounds and run about 35 PSI. The more you weigh the more you need to run, so you don't pinch.

 

[wraith]

I have an XC hardtail.
I was riding today working on doing the wheelie off the curb (a la instruction video ) and when I tried to hop up on to the curb I got it wrong and the back tire hit the curb at the perfect angle to completely blow the inner tube.
Air evacuated real fast. So, I'm going to change the inner tube but I have a question:
My rear tire is a 26x2.00. What size inner tube should I be getting?

Also, what should I inflate my tire pressures to? I think the previous pressure was too high, it felt a little too hard for XC riding (even though I'm sure it would have blown anyways.)
But I was just wondering if, for XC trail riding, a psi of a bit lower than the number printed on the tire would be a good thing to do for general shock absorption and whatnot.

Thanks!

p.s: as for the video, I worked out how to come off the curb. Hopefully this'll help my riding when I'm on the trails!

Tubes will have a width rating on them, they usually given in range. A typical tube size would be something like 26 x 1.9-2.2, which would indicate that the tube fits a 26" tire that has a width between 1.9" to 2.2".

As for how much air to run, that really a personal preference. I personally tend to run my tires higher for lower rolling resistance. I keep my tires around 45 psi or so. If you want a smoother (and slower) ride, sure you can drop your PSI but be careful not to go it too low or you end up with pinch flats.

 

[Urban_Legend]

I have an XC hardtail.
I was riding today working on doing the wheelie off the curb (a la instruction video ) and when I tried to hop up on to the curb I got it wrong and the back tire hit the curb at the perfect angle to completely blow the inner tube.
Air evacuated real fast.
So, I'm going to change the inner tube but I have a question:
My rear tire is a 26x2.00. What size inner tube should I be getting?

Also, what should I inflate my tire pressures to? I think the previous pressure was too high, it felt a little too hard for XC riding (even though I'm sure it would have blown anyways.)
But I was just wondering if, for XC trail riding, a psi of a bit lower than the number printed on the tire would be a good thing to do for general shock absorption and whatnot.

Thanks!

p.s: as for the video, I worked out how to come off the curb. Hopefully this'll help my riding when I'm on the trails!

I used to do alot of 4-wheeling when I was younger. I always lowered my tire pressure to gain a larger "footprint" on the ground. The larger footprint, the more traction I had. So I think the same rule applies for mtbing. However, make sure you dont go too low on the psi, otherwise as others have noted, your result will be pinch flats. Sounds like you need to play with different psi, and you will see what works best for you.

 

[FreeRangeChicken]

As some others have indicated, there are no hard, fast rules for tire pressure. It boils down to preference. It's a tradeoff. Lower pressure gives you better grip for climbing and cornering, but you pinch flat easier. Higher pressure helps avoid pinch flats and reduces rolling resistance, but the tire is harder and doesn't conform to teh terrain, which reduces traction.

In general, I like to run my tires as soft as possible while minimizing pich flats. For me(~165lbs) on my hardtail I usually ride about 38psi in the rear and about 35psi up front with Panaracer Fire XC Pro (26x2.1) tires. The rear tire gets a little more pressure because there no suspension to soften the blow. I also adjust pressure according to the terrain I'm riding. If I know I'm going to be on a lot of rocky terrain I'll up the pressure a bit to minimize pich flats. If I'm on a smoother trail I'll drop the pressure a bit.

Often I see people that pump their tires up really hard to avoid pich flats all together. I think they are really selling themselves short on tire performance by doing this. Flats are a fact of life in mtb-ing. Find a happy medium and get the most out of your tires.

 

[MtBkrJoe]

I agree

As some others have indicated, there are no hard, fast rules for tire pressure. It boils down to preference. It's a tradeoff. Lower pressure gives you better grip for climbing and cornering, but you pinch flat easier. Higher pressure helps avoid pinch flats and reduces rolling resistance, but the tire is harder and doesn't conform to teh terrain, which reduces traction.

In general, I like to run my tires as soft as possible while minimizing pich flats. For me(~165lbs) on my hardtail I usually ride about 38psi in the rear and about 35psi up front with Panaracer Fire XC Pro (26x2.1) tires. The rear tire gets a little more pressure because there no suspension to soften the blow. I also adjust pressure according to the terrain I'm riding. If I know I'm going to be on a lot of rocky terrain I'll up the pressure a bit to minimize pich flats. If I'm on a smoother trail I'll drop the pressure a bit.

Often I see people that pump their tires up really hard to avoid pich flats all together. I think they are really selling themselves short on tire performance by doing this. Flats are a fact of life in mtb-ing. Find a happy medium and get the most out of your tires.

But I do run my tires w/ a little more pressure than the above post. I tried the lower pressure and liked the smoother ride, but was getting a flat every couple of rides and decided to increase the pressure. I typically run about 45 psi to minimize flats. I've also noticed that different tires can run on lower pressure or require more pressure. On my full suspension bike with light weight tires and tubes, I run a little more pressure to avoid flats.

 

[FreeRangeChicken]

But I do run my tires w/ a little more pressure than the above post. I tried the lower pressure and liked the smoother ride, but was getting a flat every couple of rides and decided to increase the pressure. I typically run about 45 psi to minimize flats. I've also noticed that different tires can run on lower pressure or require more pressure. On my full suspension bike with light weight tires and tubes, I run a little more pressure to avoid flats.

Absoluteley. There are a lot of things to consider when determining your tire pressure, like rider weight, tire consruction, tire volume (related to width), tube/tubeless, riding style, etc. Bottom line, you've got to figure out what works for you, your setup, your riding style, and your tolerance for fixing flats.

At the pressures I run I still get pinch flats, but they are at a managable level for me. I've found a setup that balances my tolerance for fixing flats with my desire for performance. I have enogh experience that I usually know when there's a good chance that I'll pinch flat on something and I can choose the chance it and barrel ahead, or modify my line/speed/riding style to try to prevent the problem.

Gotta find what works for you.