How to Use the Correct Tire Pressure While Mountain Biking

You stand the chance of a bumpy ride or a flat tire if your tires aren't correctly pumped up for the terrain you ride.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Find a bike pump that displays the pressure in pounds per square inch(psi) when pumping up your tire.

2. Squeeze the tire with your hands and get a feel of a tire pumped up to a rock hard 65 psi and one pumped up to a soft 35 psi. Most mountain bike tires should be pumped up between 35 and 65 psi.

3. Pump up your tires to 65 psi when you will be riding paved or mooth dirt roads. If you don't have a pressure gauge on your pump, go for the rock hard tire.

4. Deflate your tires about 5 or 10 psi when you ride off road. A quick release of air from your tires will give you a more comfortable off road ride.

5. Deflate your tires to 45 psi, or soft feeling if you are riding sandy, loose terrain with few rocks. This release of air will give you added traction on loose ground.

6. Inflate your tires a few pumps of air if you are riding rocky terrain. This will protect your tubes from getting a pinch flat on a rock.

7. Inflate your tires an added touch if you are a heavy cyclist to prevent flats.

Tips & Warnings

• Mountain bike tires have a numerical display on the side of the tire. This number will tell you the maximum pressure your tires should be pumped up to. Most mountain bike tires display 65 psi as the maximum pressure.
• Play around with your tire pressure while riding. Try to figure out the best tire pressure for all sorts of terrain, but don't forget your bike pump.

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