Bike tyre pressure - the essentials

Tyre pressure affects how well your bike handles and your comfort as a rider. On top of that, the correct bike tyre pressure saves damage to your wheels, tyres, tubes and yourself! The right tyre pressure also has the potential to extend your e-bike battery life. A perfectly pumped up tyre is less of a drain on the battery power meaning you keep your wheels turning for longer.

While under-inflation is the most common problem, over-inflation can be just as bad. There is a sweet spot and hitting it can seriously improve your ride.

Pressures can vary greatly depending on a number of factors, so it's useful to have some outside parameters. The following is a rough guide:

Tyre type and size, riding conditions, as well as bike and rider weight are all factors that affect your recommended bike tyre pressure.

Mountain bike tyres are fatter than those of road bikes and the wider rims allow you to run lower pressures. They are also intended to be used on rough and loose surfaces, so the greater traction and shock absorption given by slightly softer tyres become more important.

Road bikes' narrower wheel rims need a higher tyre pressure to maintain rigidity. Thankfully though, road bike tyre pressures are no longer expected to be as high as the 160psi once recommended. 100 or 90psi may be fine with 28mm tyres.

Tubeless tyres have risen in popularity over the last few years particularly on road bikes because of their ability to run lower pressures without risking pinch flats. Tubeless tyres are also more puncture resistant saving you time and money in the long run.

For both road and mountain bikes, you may want to adjust your tyre pressures down a little if you are anticipating rough conditions. For example, cobbles or a poor-quality surface for road bikes, or very rough or steep trails for mountain bikes, will be better handles by softer tyres.

Normal bike tyre pressure recommendations are based on a rider's weight of 70kg and a bike of 12kg. Tyre pressure for heavy riders will need to be rather higher. You should adjust your optimum pressures by about 1% per 10kg up or down from these base figures. Electric bike tyre pressure can be calculated in the same way: the battery usually adds about 10kg.

If you have no pressure gauge, some manual tests can help, though they are far from accurate. The tyre should yield only very slightly when firmly pressed. Also, try pressing down with all of your weight on the saddle: there should be little or no deformation of the tyres.

The only accurate reading, however, will come from a bike tyre pressure gauge. If you are serious about refining your tyre pressures, it’s worth investing in a quality digital gauge. To use it, you just place the nozzle over the valve to get a reading.

A quality track pump offers the ability to hone your bicycle tyre pressure. They generally have gauges, which may not be quite as accurate as a digital gauge, but are usually consistent. A floor pump will have switchable adapters to fit both Presta and Schrader valve types.

It is also wise to carry a hand pump with you when you're out. It is difficult to pump tyres to full inflation with a hand pump, but they are absolutely essential in case of a puncture (along with spares or a repair kit).

Many pumps these days have a clamping attachment to fit over the head of both Presta and Schrader valves. However, the attachment will need to be swapped or reversed to fit. Some high-quality floor pumps use a screw-on fixing for a more reliable seal. In any case, it is important to ensure a good fit over the valve. When pumping, you should not hear air hissing from the valve.

With Presta valves, it is necessary to loosen the head nut at the end to allow air to enter the valve. You may also need to press it down slightly to release a little air, as the entry point can become stuck.

It's worth experimenting a little, as personal factors do vary. However, with the right tyre pressure, you can ensure the most comfortable, efficient and safest ride and the best cycling experience.