How To Choose The Correct Tyre Pressure | Hard Vs Soft, What Is The Ideal Setup?

What tire pressure for a bike is a question we often get asked about on GMBN Tech. Tyre pressures aren't as simple as they may seem. We take a closer look at what you should be doing to ride faster as well as staying comfortable and upright.
We test tyre pressures back to back and also compare how a narrow or wider rim can affect the tyre deformation on both square hits and in the corners!
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[@johnnietillotson3465]

This is possible the best video about tire pressures I've seen. Especially the video's of the tires, at different pressures, different rim widths going through the turns. Really good information.

[@ErikHawkinson]

My local bike shop suggested this as a starting point for tubeless tire pressure: rider weight in pounds, then divide by 7. Add 2 PSI for the rear tire, subtract 2 for the front. When I was just starting, it worked great. I have dropped a few PSI on both tires as I've gotten better, plus it's really dry here.

[@justingrimson5750]

And non-tubeless?….tubed I guess What pressure?

[@ErikHawkinson]

@@justingrimson5750 simply run the pressure stated on the tire, probably around 35 PSI. When I ran tubes, I still put sealant inside the tube and ran a few PSI below that number. You can't go too low when you have an inner tube, though, or you can get something called a pinch flat.

[@StratoPL]

Hmm, interesting. For that I would have to go below 20 :)

[@ChristopherBloom]

Giving this a shot since the number line up with 2 psi of what I was already riding!

[@WuxingGaming]

@@StratoPL I run back 35 psi and front 30 ( 206 lbs)

[@jojjasjojjas]

This was good learning, thanks GMBN! I just came home from a xc/trail ride with my hardtail with tire pressure set much lower than I usually have. I thought I should be slow but it was quite the opposite. Much more smooth over roots and rocks and less bouncing. Bottomed out once in 25km which means it was using the full dynamics of the tire in best possible way. And tubeless is the best invention since sliced bread! 😁

[@garysdragon]

Every puncture I've ever had (other than one) has been a pinch. Now I'm running tubeless, I tend to still be in the habit of running higher pressures because for some weird reason I'm still worried about pinches.

[@mizutani2144]

same haha, should probrably increase presure xd

[@Dumbo3.1428]

The tendency of sharp objects punching through a tire increases at a higher pressure because the same load is distributed over a smaller surface area. Thus more force action at the sharp object.

[@BGraves]

@@Dumbo3.1428 you are replying to a pinch flat comment...

[@Dumbo3.1428]

@@BGraves thx. I'm not a native speaker so I seem to have confused both

[@Dumbo3.1428]

@@BGraves funny enough in Germany we call this kind of puncture "snakebite"

[@EMTB17]

Those Vitoria tires have shitty sidewalls if Henry has to have that much pressure in there. I ride a 165mm travel bike and run 15psi front and 20 back and I’m 225lbs I don’t have squirm or pinch punctures. Black chili for lyfe

[@aaronwaderides7209]

Ok this a huge subject for me and it something ive been fighting with the last three years . Ive been since i was a young lad 15 , im 47 now so ive seen all the changes though the years the biggest change was the width of the rims and what tire Pressure to run / tubless and tubes . We all come in different sizes of people i just happen to be on the big side at 230lbs . I cant run my air pressure any lower then 30 psi/ tubeless or a tub in the tire set

[@gmbntech]

But tubeless is still a great innovation as you say

[@Mile-long-list]

65psi. I swear by it. Sometimes close to 70. If I push with my thumb and hold the rim with my fingers I should be barely able to compress the tire. End of story. Never had a puncture from anything. 20 years of 65 to 70psi . Period

[@erikanderson3633]

Isn’t it internal rim width not diameter?? 🤔🧐

[@DevilledEggOG]

Here’s a man with his head on straight.

[@jorgealbarran6983]

Km

[@badusername910]

#AskGMBNTech what happens if you change the gas inside a tire, for example, air, Helium, sf6, co2, nitrogen

[@ShalomBrother]

Sf6 in a tyre??

[@simonpowell2559]

You use nitrogen??

[@raheemgahelable]

@@simonpowell2559 nitrogen can be used for tires and air suspension, unfortunate, it's not as attainable as air!

[@rupedog]

In an mtb, nothing. Absolutely no discernible difference. In an F1 car tyre, a small difference.

[@cornishcactus]

If you use helium your bike starts squeaking. I don't get Nitrogen in tyres, the air's 78% of the stuff anyway. Simply not going to notice unless it's motorsport

[@BGraves]

Thank you for not posting a filler video today.

[@Kev5565]

I usually find Barry Manilow is a bit hard for rocky terrain but Boney M is about perfect to go anywhere.

[@davidsuzukiispolpot]

Isn't Manilow WAY too soft to be associated with Rock?

[@kergo12]

Boney M for sure!

[@Mile-long-list]

You should be ashamed of yourself for even knowing who those 2 people are. I am

[@ChrisKim-eo9ku]

Having a cheap tyre only allows me to go down to 35 psi... Not too much fun. But ideal for school rides

[@istillhavetenfingers8150]

You and I both! Use mine for school rides and trail rides too. I compensate by getting another cheap tire with bigger knobs for extra grip.

[@ChrisKim-eo9ku]

@@istillhavetenfingers8150 yeah... Kind of a problem with choosing tyres with a 26x2.1' wheel. Not much range where I am. Mostly xc tyres

[@istillhavetenfingers8150]

@@ChrisKim-eo9ku Oh I see, I run a 26x2.125 cheap mud tire for aggressive riding and so I can retain high pressure. Then a raster rolling 26x1.95 in the back

[@PeterPhinney]

@@ChrisKim-eo9ku get a 29er and join the future mate

[@kayakutah]

I'm astonished at the amount of deformation you're getting. I'm 160 pounds, running 13 psi front on a 29x2.4 Trail King and 16 psi on a 29x2.3 Mountain King in Utah, on 27 mm inner width carbon rims without inserts, including Moab which is "square edge hit city" and I'm not getting rim strikes, burping, rolling or any tire damage. I'll get squirm on slick rock at those pressures, but that's just because slick rock has an amazing amount of traction. In any kind of dirt, it's fine.

[@rupedog]

H is about 15% heavier than that. Plus trail casings, and different tyre brand. Ur not comparing apples with apples on weight or tyre...kinda the point of this vid! Variables...there is no one answer.

[@kayakutah]

@@rupedog Fair enough, but the Martello is way beefier than a Mountain King and he's running almost twice the pressure on a wider rim, so I'm still amazed!

[@ico8181]

Up your skills and you can lower the pressure without worries. Best way to save your rims on a full sus is to regularly hit some rock sections on a hardtail while trying to keep it as quiet as possible - less rattle=better rim life.

[@kndvds1492]

There isn't a Martello 2.4 29er. Is this a 2.35?

[@bikingwithryan5968]

They say 2.35. They measure 2.4. I have some and I love them. Martello rear and mazza front

[@williamfowler5260]

I've put pretty much this comment on another video, but I'll say it again here. I had almost given up on mtb because a I couldn't seem to ride without pinch flats. At the World Cup at Fort William last year I saw the Tannus stand and decided it was worth a try. They are inserts you use with tubes, and they have transformed my riding. I'm running 25-30 psi where before I was always at 40+,and haven't pinched yet in around 400 miles on a variety of trails including rocks, roots, flat out fast bits, slow tech stuff and everything in between. I love these inserts! Fingers crossed they keep working as well as they have so far!

[@gmbntech]

We're big fans of inserts at GMBN

[@TheGreydogg]

I run 23psi in the rear 18-19 in the front. Inner rim width of 30mm. Occasionally burp a tyre although it smooths everything out nice. Run a smidge higher in fast rocky terrain.

[@bildanielson]

Nice video, but there are some dynamics that matter that I would like to include for consideration. I ride and race both mtb and gravel with a lot of success and tires have been something i've always been really focused on (pressure settings and tread profiles). On the mtb, my focus is strictly XC so keep that in mind in my comments. I don't ride at DH parks, and have no need for an enduro bike (nothing wrong with either, but I xc, gravel, and road riding occupy all my available cycling time). My mtb wheels are narrow XC on 29er, and I ride both a fully rigid 29er and a full suspension 29er. Lastly, I don't run tires bigger than 2.25's, and often run 2.0 on the rear. The core dymanics on a mtb that need to be considered first is your total weight on the tires, the terrain you're riding, your suspension setup, and the tire profile (tread pattern) - the combinations with different tire pressures then can be a touch complex, but through many days of riding and racing it's clear that you need to know the total weight of you and your bike relative to the tires. Then you need to experiment with your tires as noted in the video and there really is no hard and fast rule here - one of the great things about off road riding (mtb and gravel) is that you and your bike are a unique power and balancing system and what works for the person ahead of you or behind you is likely not optimal for you. Learn as you go and you'll discover the sweet spots. Over time then you modify based on suspension settings. Yes, it seems complex, but when you dial in all the factors the ride is so fast and sweet it makes it all worth the effort. I rarely get flats ... and when I do, it's usually an issue of my sealant and/or the rimtape or valve having issues (or service neglect). So, what do I recommend in general for mtb? Here are 4 additional points to the great information from the video. 1. Weigh yourself in typical gear along with your bike - find out what that number is and then adjust your tire pressures accordingly based on changes over time. If you're a clydesdale and tend to smash your way down the trail you're going to put a lot more stress on your tires and will need a lot more air pressure all other things considered (especially in the rear). On the other hand, if you're a whippet (bike plus rider under 75 kilos) riding a full suspension you can run some seriously low pressures and never bottom out hard. So, get some core metrics in your brain first and then experiment. 2. Tubeless, period. And consider inserts - they work well, period. Tubes are a waste of money in my view and only serve to increase your odds of a flat when you bottom out the tire. Get rid of your tubes and go tubeless and you'll decrease your odds of a flat dramatically while also being able to run lower pressures in general (which is a very good thing as noted in the video). Add an insert in the rear and you'll generally eliminate flats from compression. 3. Run slightly higher pressure in the rear (or use an insert), typically 2 to 3 psi higher than front if you're running full suspension, perhaps a bit more for fully rigid or hardtail on rocky or rooty terrain. If all you ride is soft loam, even pressure works really well and there's no need for an insert. 4. If you're running full suspension keep in mind that your suspension is in some respects like lowering your tire pressure, as opposed to a fully rigid setup, thus you can run slightly higher pressures and have the same feel on downhill bombs and flats (for the most part) - cornering is a different matter and lower pressures help a lot. The nuanced benefit of slightly higher pressure is the same feel with less risk of bottoming out the rear tire and damaging your rim. My general range of psi's on the mtb run from a low in the low 20's and never more than 28 or 29. Ever. If I put 30 in a 2.25 I bounce around like a ping pong ball and the whole idea for speed and cornering is to keep your tires connected to the ground. If you're going up and down (bouncing off the ground) from too much tire pressure you're losing efficiency, and thus speed and handling. The dead giveaway is on corners when you feel like you keep sliding out or don't have that confident feel ripping the corner... (tread pattern comes into play here as well). As for gravel, it's a bit simpler as it's 700s on 40s or 45s for me, and I rarely run pressure over 40 psi and often run mid 30's (depends on roughness of the course). And, of course, tubeless. I do not lose speed, and actually feel like i'm faster (and based on segment comparisons am definitely not slower) - especially on the fast downhills and high speed gravel corners. IMHO, riders tend to run too narrow of a tire and put too much air in their gravel tires (as if they're riding on tarmac). There are significant benefits to wider tires and lower pressures on a gravel bike (not the least of which is hand and shoulder comfort), and I know some guys who ride super fast on even lower psi's. There's really no loss of speed, unless you go too low. The type of course you're on will make a difference as to how narrow you can go, but for where and what I ride the 40's are really great and I just adjust the tire pressure based on how much weight i'm rolling with for the day, the roughness of the gravel, and whether or not there are big climbs and fast descents. Great video, hope my comments are helpful to some.

[@briangullickson9013]

@bil danielson - extremely helpful, along with the visualization from the video. I will be experimenting for sure to find that sweet spot as your advice seems to show that it’s well worth it. Thank you!

[@elliot8595]

Beautifully shot, well done guys.

[@kergo12]

Thanks gmbn, this video gives me motivation to play with pressures again after seeing them deform under my usual pressures. I am 80kg, Have 30mm rims and 2.6 tyres running 19 front 20 rear. Always felt slow to accelerate and loses speed quickly.

[@frankstrobel4350]

wow...I run 2.4 front/2.3 rear. 18psi front/22 psi rear. never had any issues....but got me wondering if I should add more. my next ride I am going to see what 23/27psi (+5psi) does.

[@frankstrobel4350]

So today I ran 22/28 psi. Was very fast in the straights . But a little sketchy in the turns. I think for me @170lbs gonna try 20/24 next time.

[@GeorgeFrideric71]

Finally, another biker not too proud to admit that he's a Fanilow.

[@mumpf7594]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/q6jOmGClftCqnbc

[@1870movie]

Nicely done. I would have liked to see more in-depth, but was very well done.

[@billjohnson1564]

I’ve just fit those vittoria airliners as well and found them to be better than the Cush cores

[@kenhelm1971]

Bill Johnson I’m gonna try those out. 👍🏻

[@knott4me561]

Another one who can highly recommend them however cc are the first to admit they offer tyre support over rim protection where's the airliner is all about rim protection and it does it admirably but use an ammonia free tyre sealant as stans etc doesn't play nicely with inserts .

[@Freakphoto]

knott 4me Stan’s is fine with tire inserts.

[@georgiaguardian4696]

Amazing analysis and totally amazing videos comparisons! Learned a lot today.

[@zelupl2063]

I can't believe you guys run such a low pressures :o. I'm new to enduro and to date only once tried going below 2bars, around 1.5 I reckon, and the feling on turns was so weird and worrying, that I immediately went back. And Im only 65kg and have quite hard tires! Though I still am running inner tubes, so I couldn't give it a longer test, cause I'd surely get a snake pretty soon

[@djangojansen7648]

I run 32 PSI is that good? I'm 75KG my bike is around 15KG

[@harizismail314]

I've been riding this bike for 7 years now! kzbin.infoUgkxHL1v1R3NE5x4KiYfyt8dnQmyNYz7qi5L It was a great bike the day I got it, put it together, and went on my first ride; more importantly it's an even better bike today. I've ridden trails, street, and skatepark all on this bike. I have replaced almost every part on the bike. Some stuff has broken: derailleurs, wheels, shifter. Everything else were upgrades. The only ramaing original parts are the frame, bottom bracket, and crank set. BB and cranks will be upgraded soon. The geometry isn't great but that is really the only draw back to how good a value this bike is. Even after all the money I've spent upgrading it's still a more affordable bike than I'd have bought from a proper bike shop, especially with full suspension. I've also learned a lot about bikes working on it over the years. It really is one of the best perchases I've ever made and hopefully it'll still be around for another 7 years.

[@legitscoper3259]

I do on my electric 50 pound bike, 29 psi in the front and 36 in the back... mixed terrain, street to trail. Anyone saying this is bad practice?

[@marktechsci]

What does ID stand for? We are talking about Internal Width, I don’t get where the D comes from. There is no Diameter in the equation, right? Or am I missing something?

[@eBikerHowie]

Well done. I am interested in the uphill comparisons as well. I use Stan's Sentry MK3s with a 32mm internal width (ID); and 29x2.8 Maxxis Rekons. I weigh 140 pounds (63kg), and run my tires at Fr 20, Rr 25. I have a Trek Rail 9.7 with a 180 fork up front. Loving the set up. I've tried every rim width from 29 to 50mm, and tires from 2.6 to 3.0, and 27.5 to 29. All on the same bike and trails. So far, my current set up is so grippy and amazingly fast. But it's not just perception. My buddy has run the same set up (29x2.6 with 29mm ID) since the beginning of the test. I've been able to really see a difference between all the setups using my buddy as a constant, my times, my gear choices, etc. My current set up is by far the fastest rolling and grippiest. It's really amazing the difference between them. Not everyone will have the resources or patience, to do what I have done. That's understandable. But my buddies appreciate my research, and I love the results. Each new setup is so different from the last. Next I'll try different internal protection cores and see if that makes a difference.

[@georgegande1779]

Gmbn literally did the exact same video last year 😞

[@rupedog]

Far more precision/ detail here...a major upgrade in the vid bank

[@pierrebroccoli.9396]

For i21 rim with a 29 x 2.35 Nobby Nic, I found I had to run pressures in the high 20's Front and Rear to prevent excessive tyre roll and burping. Put the same tyre on my Bontranger Carbon i29 rim which also has a Bontranger Rim Strip (alternative to tubeless tape but also secures the tyre bead nicely against the rim wall) and I can run 20psi Front and 22 to 24psi Rear with much better effect on the trail and over rocks. For me, it is about running low enough for good traction without rim strikes, excessive tyre roll on the rim and or burping. I'm 85Kg kitted up for rides including camel back. Moving up to 2.6 wide tyres, drop to 18psi front and 20 to 22 psi rear on my i29 rims with the Rim Strip. Of course, tyres are not the same and Vittoria Tyres tend to measure well under their written specs so a 2.4 Vittoria would be more like a 2.2 Schwalbe.

[@rupedog]

Quality analysis, script and presentation, as ever, from H...or should I say the P'w'off

[@zenmoto369]

Guys I am not going to waste my time on converting psi to bar, we are not in the US. Useless video

[@fraserhardmetal7143]

A semi inflation is better than a flaccid one. There is always the potential for a semi inflation to achieve completion and full rigidity.

[@andrewince8824]

Best in the biking world is easy. Find what's best for you. I like a rock hard tyre. Others like it soft.

[@rupedog]

I think the point of this vid is to illustrate its not just what u might arbitrarily 'like', it depends on terrain, tyre casing/size/weight, rim width, rider weight etc... in setting pressure that's maximises grip, roll over, durability, speed etc. Unless ur riding only DJ, tarmac or smooth gravel roads, then just running rock hard pressures off road as your 'default' will, unequivocally, be slower rolling, less grip, less comfort, less control. Simple as that. But if u like low grip/lower speed riding off road, then u go for it! If ur happy, then all is good.

[@silvio1901]

If i go mainly on roads, which pressure should i use?

[@drappennen5704]

That must’ve been painful doing all that repetitive work. Thanks!

[@samredfearnmtb2773]

Sick video 🤙🏻

[@Danil-Crypto]

I wanted to ask if a tubeless wheel lowers by 1-2 psi per day is it normal or is it bad?

[@luminousfractal420]

If only the dropper posts could push air in and out of the rims when rising and falling.

[@gmbntech]

What an idea! We wonder if it'll be possible 🤔

[@grahamconway2738]

What about pressures for those of us still running tubes? I work at sea so my bike spends long periods in storage hence I don't use tubeless and sealant. I run 29ers with a Vigilante 2.5 up front and Trail Boss 2.3 on the rear at 25 & 28 psi respectively. My weight is around 83Kg. Tyres seems grippy enough and no issues with pinch flats. Endless punctures from thorns though. I'm considering Tannous Armour, although I have read mixed reviews.

[@richardjones2811]

Man those pressures seem way too low. I'm running Ethirteen lg1 enduro tyres in 29 inch at 40psi with tubes.

[@LPW78]

Great vid. ... but perhaps covering the effect of tire widths is also important? So much discussion around psi in so many videos, but people rarely mention the effect of tire width on side wall support and ability to hold shape. A wider tire at the same psi as a narrower tire will have a more firm sidewall. A great article from a while back on Bike Radar from Seb Stott talks about this in detail and refers to the underlying physics related to LaPlace’s law. 24 psi in a 2.6 inch tire is very different to the same pressure in a 2.3 #AskGMBNTech

[@RubenD85]

THANK YOU haha,, been trying to look for someone to explain that, I have a set of 2.4 trail tires and another set of 2.6. when I pump my 2.6s at the same pressure of my 2.4, the 2.6 feels way harder. so I have to ride with a lower pressure.

[@carlsberg-gs6rl]

I run a gravel bike with narrow 700c wheels, I have to use super high pressures around 70 psi.

[@simonpowell2559]

I run 45, every day

[@madtricksterrc1506]

ya who the fuck runs psi in the 20's

[@dodokilleurs8271]

27 in or 30 back and front 24 or 27

[@brianzepeda6940]

Running 20psi front and rear with tannus armour installed on my haibike allmtn 2.0 this setup gives me excellent grip

[@simonsays171]

How do you like the tannus armor? I am thinking of going this route for a ride in west texas where it is all rocks.

[@stephendavidanderson5746]

I weigh 100kgs and run at 30psi. Works well although, I do like 28 psi on my more xc single track rides. Maybe I should look at inserts.

[@topheavy7616]

Same here . But I keep the front at around 26 or else it gets spikey on fast hits. Much less rolling resistance at 30 too.

[@curtisf.r6233]

Let's talk about tech baby!! Let's talk about all the tyres, and all the pressures, that make it right! Let's talk about tech!

[@marshallmichael45]

another impressive video once again GMBN!

[@4partmedia]

Incredible video. I was dealing with this internal dialogue all day today. Video right on time!

[@tfmaus]

the worst subject for the worst host

[@carljones7992]

This presenter is amazing love his content he explains it well so demics 🥴 like me can understand

[@lossantoscity3249]

He already quit GMBN. The reason is confidential though.

[@JosieLondonMashups]

On my XC bike with latex tubes, 21 mm ID rim with and 2.25 Schwalbe Rocket Rons (LiteSkin), I run 1.5 bar (~22 psi) in the front and 1.75 bar (~25 psi) in the back for trail riding and 2 bar (~29 psi) in the front and 2.25 bar (~33 psi) in the back for road and light gravel riding. I weigh about 65 kg.

[@justmtbandgaming4518]

Nice video i'm actually playing with tyre pressures and this was helpful

[@gmbntech]

Glad it helped!

[@cb6866]

Really Henry? Manilow?

[@endurogod5230]

25-30 works like a charm depending on wetness

[@jfrtbikgkdhjbeep9974]

30-35 here, but its a basic trail bike ... nothing too hectic

[@nikko4444]

Please to a ask gmbm

[@alexgrubb7446]

Hey Henry i love long walks on the beach aswell. We should be besties! 🤣🤣

[@ntnsty]

You lost me at Barry

[@slider190]

It's "width" !

[@paulwolfram7774]

The video confirms for me that I don't want to run below 30 psi anymore. Too many rim strikes. And yes I have sturdy Michelin Enduro tires and inserts. The area I ride is just too rocky and rooty and I like ploughing.

[@karimayoubi74]

I'm only 67kg, running my rear 2.6" plus sized tyre at 25-30psi and I don't seem to be able to manage a single day without getting a puncture! Grrr. Plenty of pinch flats, but also a couple of landings where a sharp stone has pierced both outer tyre and inner tube, so even going tubeless wouldn't have prevented those. If anyone has any advice it will be gratefully received! ("Be less hardcore" is not allowable advice! LOL :-P )

[@NomadFM]

60 PSI of course

[@sfmc101]

Or just use tires

[@martinschwartz7342]

I am 195cm tall and 133 kgs. I ride on Maxxis Minion DHF up front and DHR ll on the rear. I run the maximum 35lbs of pressure in both for fear that by running anything lower due to my weight would be catistrophic. Am I right or wrong in my thinking?

[@crazytrainrc6634]

I'm tire pressure per terrain every ride. Growing up in the PNW average was F23psi R25psi, wet/sloppy day drop F20psi R23psi for same ride. Riding more rocks that day F24psi R30psi. Moved to the high desert with some rocks and ride F30 R35

[@themiddleagemasher8108]

How you get away with 22 psi I’ll never know. Get some chunky high speed rocks and run there

[@DevilledEggOG]

I.D. is internal dimension, not internal diameter. Think about it. The diameter of the wheel is either 27.5 or 29, period.

[@lukeshieldsnature]

That Reactor 😍

[@rcs2003]

OMG that 21psi tire deformation! I run mines at 1.9bar front and 2.3 back with tubes :D

[@ridefrifjell545]

Running Vittoria Agarro front and Barzo in the back of a hardtail with 130mm fork. Both 29x2.6 on 30mm inner width. Doing light trail riding. Running 16 psi in the front and 18psi in the back. No problems, but certainly no aggressive riding here. Comfy rides!

[@g.fortin3228]

I'm 158 lbs (170 with pack/water) and run a Maxxis HiRoller2- 2.3 rear/25psi , Forekaster-2.6 fr/19psi. It seems to be the sweet spot on supple without the tires squirming or deforming much, for my weight.

[@sakkek5349]

Got vittoria mezcals now, and depends very much where I ride , how much pressure I pump. Usually nearly max , when doing hard & smooth surfaces. And maybe half of it in forest. Surely never less then 2 bar or 28psi. Rims arent indestructible...

[@ajbcollectables]

I've got a plus bike, running 35mm rims 2.8 nobby nics. The bike (Sonder Transmitter) came with 45mm rims which were just silly, squared off anything less than 3 inch tyres.

[@evo5349]

I find e-bikes are over tyre like 2.6 2.4 so first thing I do is 2.3 tubeless front 18psi to 22psi and adjust HSC on the forks for stiffness mid stroke. If you look at tyre foot print you can see it is square/flat looking which is very important. Then take a loamy corner and take it fast until you crash and you will see it the feed back through the handlebars. The rear is very much feel and its ability to skip in braking bumps and trail braking conditions on circuits as the next time round you can see what your tyre was doing, and usually run 25psi unless muddy then 21/22psi. On a coil sprung bike you will feel a lot better what the tyres are doing on air not so much. The more soil that is disturbed your braking to hard and body position is in the wrong place.

[@simonchaddock3694]

Barry who!!!

[@chiccorocker]

I'm not a super aggressive rider so I stick with narrower rims, 23-25 mm. Weight benefit is also a good thing when climbing and I have friends riding mostly road bikes, but sometimes getting their MTBs out and coming with me, and they are quite good at climbing as you can imagine. Being a bit lighter helps being a bit less of a drag. But when the road goes down I get my revenge, they can't even see my dust ;) As for pressure the upper 20s is the sweet spot for my tyres. I have AM / all rounder tyres (Michel Wild AM or Schwalbe Nobby Nic), they work very well without going in the lower 20s. But I'm wondering if I should try an Enduro tyre such as the Vittoria Mazza or the Michelin Wild Enduro. I do both climbing and downhill / single tracks (but not extreme / super technical stuff), if an enduro tyre can enhance the gravity part without taking out too much to the climb I might as well. Can even consider a wider rim on the back, but maybe just getting an insert is enough.

[@thenerdycanadian7172]

i run 2.6" front 2.5" rear Maxxis High Rollers on a 30mm rim at about 27psi front, 29psi rear, any lower and i find the rear tire rolls over and feels like a wash out. i have yet to try dropping the front anymore but probably could.

[@TheSkwrl]

Any mention of casing? I run EXO casing on DHR / DHF setup. But I've heard some people run downhill casings year round without inserts. Better weight / durability / cost compromise vs. running inserts. Weigh the ease of sealant additions against tire feel etc. Multiple variables to optimize for. Wheels are wear parts unfortunately. Run the pressure that your taint prefers, gets you the best Strava KOMs, and keep breaking hubs and dinging rims.

[@j.albertogratacos2076]

I am a much better DH rider that I am a climber. So I'm testing higher pressure during the 1st half of the rid (where most of the climbing happens), and dropping a few psi on the later, DH portion. Is this common. Is higher pressure making the climb easier? Thank you for your great videos!

[@joshmichael5911]

I had a 2018 Trek Full Stache 8 with 29 3.0" tires. I ran Maxxis DHRs at 10psi front and back. It wasn't a race bike, but I would bust spokes all the time. Not sure if that was the cause, but I had max traction.

[@spenceeig9621]

hey gmbn do all chain guides work with 2x drivetrains?

[@rupedog]

Narrow 21psi berm..😬.. brrraappp... More sealant for The Prof please!

[@uptopmikep7065]

So what was your conclusion regarding inserts? You didn’t giver a definitive answer. Love em? Leave em? Best on narrow or wide? I’ve never tried them personally.

[@josiahgolding7826]

Hi!

[@stevefoster7113]

Good but very condensed report, your conclusion is spot on, that for aggressive riding we need the lowest pressures on wider rims, whilst preventing pinches, so the use of an insert is very beneficial. I'm a bit lighter than you and run 18psi front, 20 psi rear with insert on 32mm int. rims. Comfort and control = speed.! I would run even lower, but I'm not a good enough rider to unweight over those tyre shedding rocks.

[@paulstuart525]

My 5cents, depends on your riding style as well. If you just blast through things or very light on the bike.

[@22niloc]

Excellent

[@Whitehawkvisionfilms]

WOW... I thought watching videos of diff psi in the same turn was going to be ridiculous bc you would not be able to see the difference, but wow you really could! Very informative to see how much the tires really do deform under load and diff psi! Cool video! I do have to put the closed captioned on though when ever you are the narrator because I can't ever hear what you are saying I wish you would speak up a bit and enunciate a little bit better. But great info! Oh and more XC bike info please!

[@peterliljebladh]

There has been a number of studies comparing the impact of wider rims, softer rubber, rim inserts and harder casings that provides you with the opportunity to play around with the tire preassure. My question is how big of a role the diameter of the wheel plays when chosing the correct preassure. If you have three identical wheels with the same tire of the same width in three different sizes. 26", 27.5" & 29". Witch of the wheels will feel the firmest? What size of wheel will swallows a given obstacle the best? Do you need to run higher/lower tire preassure with another size of wheel to get the same level of comfort?

[@swissguy101]

super useful thanks GMBN

[@gmbntech]

Glad it was helpful Kenny! Thanks for watching 👍

[@stevencole7331]

23mm rim . 2.4 is probably the largest with tire for that rim size . I am 160 pounds and run 22 psi on the rear and 20 psi on the front . Now I am not very aggressive on the ride . Another factor is if you ride a hardtail like me lower pressures is helpful . Terraine is also important . I ride in the high desert with rocky loose conditions . When I ran tubes pinch flats did happen . Also the casing of the tire is important .

[@cornishcactus]

keep hearing you can run lower pressures with tubeless. Here's me, same weight as Henry, not as aggressive or riding gnar granted, but i'm at the same pressures he is. 30id, 2.5WT maxxis

[@bugboy152000]

#GMBNTech I'm loving my 30m SC Reserve wheels running 23psi front and 25psi rear. Perfect balance for me, give it shot guys. Play around. Side note: Muck-Off sealant has proven to be the best I've used thus far.

[@trailfinder7053]

I agree Muc off no puncture ist the very best .👍

[@FoVision]

What's your weight and what tires? 29 or 27.5?

[@bugboy152000]

@@FoVision I'm 190lbs, 27.5 DHF/DHR2.

[@trailfinder7053]

@@FoVision My weight is 85 KG and my tires continental Baron 27.5 in front and continental trail king 27.5 back.Tirepressure is 1.9 Bar in front and 1.7 in Back and it works very good.

[@TheRoadrunner11]

For me I am a fan of Schwalbe Nobby Nick, got a 27.5x2.35 inch setup on my trail bike and run them (with tubes) at 1.7 - 2 Bars (Ca. 22-30 PSI). For my riding (root gardens, some rocks and small kickers) I never feel out of grip and haven´t had a puncture yet. I weigh 84 kg. I don´t ride very agrresively thugh, so that might have also something to do with it.

[@tillsy23]

I was all excited after fitting my first set of tubeless tyres, a set of michelin e-wilds 2.8's on 35mm rims I aired them to 20psi in the rear and 18psi in the front and hit the roads to test them out, the first banked turn I hit hard and the front slid sideways as the tyre rolled, I didn't crash but it slid a decent 10-12 inches sideways, from now on I run 28psi rear and 22psi in the front, much better, bike is a 2018 merida eone sixty 900e

[@tippy35075]

I run 27psi front and back in my trail bike

[@pb8582]

30 rear 27 front cushcore both 2.6 27.5

[@NS-zv9qf]

not sure why but I cant get used to lower pressures - went down to 30 from 35 - about to go back up