Category:Bikes

Mountain Bike Tire Pressure - How Many PSI Is Needed?

Written by

Victor Volynski

Posted on
Feb 24, 2022

Read time
4 mins

Due to the high stakes of mountain trails, mountain bike tire pressure is crucial. Typical mountain bike psi ranges from 22psi (1.5 bar) to 35psi (2.4 bar), with the rear wheel maintaining a slightly higher pressure. The exact number depends on a multitude of factors including rider weight, terrain, and preference.

man pumping mountain bike tire.jpg

Contents

Introduction
Mountain Bike Psi And Speed
Tyre Pressure Guide For Beginners
Bike Wheel Pressure For Heavy Riders
Hardtail Mountain Bike Vs Full Suspension Mountain Bike Tire Pressure
Psi And Trail Terrain

Mountain Bike Psi And Speed

Generally, soft tires are associated with slower rolling speeds. On mountain bike trails this is far from the truth. The reality is, harder tires are not able to properly grip the track, and instead tend to bounce. The lack of friction and time that hard tires spend off the ground can significantly reduce a rider’s speed, especially when using lower gear ranges. The best mountain bikes don't always have the highest tire pressure.

Softer tires are able to sink and roll over uneven terrain, keeping better traction of the course. This more than makes up for the lower maximum rolling speed. If the tires are too soft - under 20 psi, they will begin to drag, which will ultimately make them catch the surface too much. This excess of friction will ultimately make the rider very slow. The wheel rims will also begin to take unnecessary impact damage.

Tyre Pressure Guide For Beginners

Note 1: Reduce pressure by around 2-4 psi on tubeless setups.

Note 2: Configure your bike such that the rear tire pressure is 1-2 psi more than the front tire.

Note 3: Use pump gauges only as a rough guide, as they tend not to be the most accurate.

Weight	DH	Enduro	Trail	XC
40+50kg	14 psi front, 18 psi rear	15 psi front, 19 psi rear	16 psi front, 20 psi rear	17 psi front, 21 psi rear
50-60 kg	15 psi front, 19 psi rear	16 psi front, 20 psi rear	17 psi front, 21 psi rear	18 psi front, 22 psi rear
60-70 kg	17 psi front, 20 psi rear	18 psi front, 21 psi rear	19 psi front, 22 psi rear	20 psi front, 23 psi rear
70-80 kg	19 psi front, 21 psi rear	20 psi front, 22 psi rear	21 psi front, 23 psi rear	22 psi front, 24 psi rear
80-90 kg	22 psi front, 23 psi rear	23 psi front, 24 psi rear	24 psi front, 25 psi rear	25 psi front, 26 psi rear
90-100 kg	23 psi front, 25 psi rear	24 psi front, 26 psi rear	25 psi front, 27 psi rear	26 psi front, 28 psi rear
100-110kg	25 psi front, 27 psi rear	26 psi front, 28 psi rear	27 psi front, 29 psi rear	28 psi front, 30 psi rear

Weight	DH
40+50kg	14 psi front, 18 psi rear
50-60 kg	15 psi front, 19 psi rear
60-70 kg	17 psi front, 20 psi rear
70-80 kg	19 psi front, 21 psi rear
80-90 kg	22 psi front, 23 psi rear
90-100 kg	23 psi front, 25 psi rear
100-110kg	25 psi front, 27 psi rear

Weight	Trail
40+50kg	14 psi front, 18 psi rear
50-60 kg	15 psi front, 19 psi rear
60-70 kg	17 psi front, 20 psi rear
70-80 kg	19 psi front, 21 psi rear
80-90 kg	22 psi front, 23 psi rear
90-100 kg	23 psi front, 25 psi rear
100-110kg	25 psi front, 27 psi rear

Weight	Enduro
40+50kg	14 psi front, 18 psi rear
50-60 kg	15 psi front, 19 psi rear
60-70 kg	17 psi front, 20 psi rear
70-80 kg	19 psi front, 21 psi rear
80-90 kg	22 psi front, 23 psi rear
90-100 kg	23 psi front, 25 psi rear
100-110kg	25 psi front, 27 psi rear

Weight	XC
40+50kg	14 psi front, 18 psi rear
50-60 kg	15 psi front, 19 psi rear
60-70 kg	17 psi front, 20 psi rear
70-80 kg	19 psi front, 21 psi rear
80-90 kg	22 psi front, 23 psi rear
90-100 kg	23 psi front, 25 psi rear
100-110kg	25 psi front, 27 psi rear

If you need a more detailed breakdown of your tire pressure, you can find it at the Pressure Prof tire pressure calculator.

mountain bike tire psi.jpeg

Bike Wheel Pressure For Heavy Riders

The heavier the rider, the more air pressure they will need. Ultimately you will want to stick to a high psi. Generally, guys and girls weighing over 90Kg would likely want at least 25psi in most tires. It’s also possible to buy specialised heavier and sturdier tires for MTB’s, which would allow a lower psi to be used. This may be a good option if you still want the same grip of a lower pressure tire while not sinking into the tires too much.

Hardtail Mountain Bike Vs Full Suspension Mountain Bike Tire Pressure

Hardtail mountain bikes lack rear suspension, and so it’s necessary to have slightly more psi in the rear wheel for comfortable riding. Good hardtail mountain bike riders will learn to be efficient with the way they ride, minimising rear tire impact as much as possible. In full suspension bikes, the suspension can take some of the pressure off the rider and so it’s not necessary to have as much psi in the rear tire.

tire pressure for bikes.jpg

Psi And Trail Terrain

Generally the harder and smoother the trail the more psi you want. This will allow you to go faster. Rougher mountain bike trails with lots of hills will benefit from softer, lower psi tires as these will allow the bike to grip the surface better and will make for a more comfortable ride. The tires won’t bounce so much and you’ll have a better and more controlled riding experience.

Check Tire Pressure Regularly

All bike tires leak air, even properly set up tubeless tires. Typical drops are a few psi per week, but drops can be more dramatic depending on use and environmental factors. For instance, for every 10 degrees Celsius drop in temperature, a tire’s pressure will reduce by 2% due to the air inside exerting less pressure on the wall of the tire. By checking your mountain bike tires regularly, you can avoid any unexpected surprises and tire punctures. When you do pump the tires, never go over the manufacturer’s maximum pressure!