# Post your Plus sized tire pressures!



## Thustlewhumber (Nov 25, 2011)

Since we are pretty much breaking new ground on the plus sized tire movement, one area I think a lot of us would be interested in is what bike/tire, how much tire pressure front/rear and what type of terrain you typically ride on. 

I will kick it off. 

Specialized FSR 6Fattie
Front - Spec Purgatory Control @14psi 
Rear - Spec Ground Control @16psi

Mainly running on tight twisty hardpack, some super sandy corners, and some rock gardens. I feel if the pressure is a little higher, then i bounce all over the place... however, if it is a little lower, then the bike starts feeling like I have a flat (especially in the rear).


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## plesurnpain (Sep 9, 2007)

Thustlewhumber said:


> Since we are pretty much breaking new ground on the plus sized tire movement, one area I think a lot of us would be interested in is what bike/tire, how much tire pressure front/rear and what type of terrain you typically ride on.
> 
> I will kick it off.
> 
> ...


Panaracer Fat B Nimble 15 f/r
Maxxis Chronicle 13 f/14 r
VTF 16 f/17 r
Specialized Purgtory 13 f/CG 14 r

I experimented up and down from these pressures before settling on these. I bump everything 2 psi for bikepacking. This is on a Kokopelli Ti outfitted with Nextie 50 rims. I've been riding 27.5 as my only tires since april.


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## Bacchus32 (Jul 24, 2011)

Thustlewhumber said:


> Since we are pretty much breaking new ground on the plus sized tire movement, one area I think a lot of us would be interested in is what bike/tire, how much tire pressure front/rear and what type of terrain you typically ride on.
> 
> I will kick it off.
> 
> ...


What's your weight Thustle?


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## Thustlewhumber (Nov 25, 2011)

170lbs


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## bikeny (Feb 26, 2004)

It would also be helpful to post rider weight as well as if it's 29+, 27.5+ or 26+. Maybe rim size as well?

I'm running 27.5+ setup on Derby 40mm wide rims.

Front: Vee Trax Fatty 27.5x3.25: 10.5 PSI
Rear: Vee Trax Fatty 27.5x2.8: 14.0 PSI

I'm about 190 lbs these days, bike is rigid, trails are NE techy singletrack, rock gardens, logs, roots etc.


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## Unit91MS (Sep 10, 2015)

Specialized Fuse, tubes still in. 

Front - Spec Ground Control 3.0: 16 psi
Rear - Spec Ground Control 3.0: 18 psi

I'm ~240 lbs, rooty, muddy, rocky singletrack. Still dialing everything in. Feels pretty good so far.


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## sternomac (Jun 7, 2013)

Tubeless Stache 5 with Chupa's.

On my first two rides I found that 15 front and back was pretty harsh.

I lowered down to 12 front and back but haven't been able to hit the trail yet.

I'm 225 and I'm using the Pricepoint digital pressure gauge.


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## jpc111 (Jun 30, 2004)

Tubeless Stache 7 with Chupa's.

215 # ready to ride

11 front, 12 rear seems to work best

SKS airchecker digital gage.

Rooty single track.


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## Captain_America1976 (Mar 15, 2005)

Krampus 
Chupacabra on Rabbit Holes tubeless 11 for the rear and 10 for the front. 
205 out of the shower. 
Just got a Stache 7 that will be run at similar PSI once I set up tubeless tonight.


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## richde (Jun 8, 2004)

Stache 9

190lbs without gear

Tubeless Chupacabras on Mulfuts

11/14psi with old Topeak digital, also matches new SKS Airchecker

SW XC single track, loose over hard, rocks everywhere, some sharp, some smooth. I don't charge at the rocks like I do with my 6" 650b bike, but don't tiptoe either.


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## socal_jack (Dec 30, 2008)

Ros9 Plus Surly Dirt Wizards 60tpi on Hugo rims tubeless, 225# without gear, running 14/15 f/r, seems to ride/handle pretty nice at those psi's over typical SoCal trails, coming from Knard mega-grip in loose over hard, take it over smaller jumps, rocks, the usual stuff. Measured with Meiser Accu-Gage(30 psi max).


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## croatiansensation (Feb 21, 2005)

225 lbs without gear. Krampus with 120 TPI Knards on Velocity Dually rims. 11.5 PSI front and 13.5 PSI according to my Meiser Accu-Gauge. Works well on the sandy, slightly rooty trails here in coastal Cali.


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## Trailice (Oct 30, 2009)

Me and the bike weigh under 170# 
50mm wide rims
Tire weight new 1012 grams
I had gone down to 17 psi on 120 tpi Dirt Wizards from 18psi untill...







Tire didn't burp or lose any pressure.

I have run 16psi in front with way to much squirm.
Ordered 60tpi DW's (and a new rim).
I have NO idea how 180-200 pound people could ride some of these tires with such low pressure, I would tear the tire off the rim or more rim destruction.
Or am I really not getting something here?


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## Trailice (Oct 30, 2009)

The bead 2 bead measure for the chronicle is 188mm or a diameter of 768mm or 30.23"
The b2b for the DW's is 170mm or a diameter of 756mm or 29.76"
These are on a 50mm OD 45 ID rim
So i don't think a half inch but...
The DW's are the smallest of the 29+ offerings at the moment
Shoulder knob width is 1-2mm smaller than a Chronicle, on the same rim.
I just am still amazed some of ya'll getting away with such low pressure.
If the 60tpi DW's don't work out I have heard good things about the Bambaloni's.
I spin out the DW's and I know the Chronicles would be worse, at least at the pressure I need to run for safety sake.
Maybe an 3" ardent would fit my needs, if they ever get made.
I had 2 rear tire casing flats at 17-18 psi before the third strike put the rim out.


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## Ridaho (Oct 19, 2015)

2.8 trailblazers on i35 rims 
~165 lbs 

Front: 14.5-15
Rear: 15-16 
Measured using sks digital thing

Low end works well for smoother trails, high end for aggressive riding on technical trails. Difference of 1 psi is very noticeable. Sweet spot seems to be very small. Anything above 16 psi feels harsh, below 14.5 feels flat. Crazy.


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## Barman1 (Jan 8, 2014)

29x3 Vee Trax Fatties mounted on 50mm Mulefut rims with Kenda 29x1.9/2.3 tubes.
Actual width is 2.83"
210lbs geared up.
14psi front/14.5psi rear.
Been riding these on my new Stache 9 for 2 weeks? now and have no issues on advanced technical trails.


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## Stroganof (Jan 28, 2006)

VT 2.8 rear, 20psi
FBN 3.0 front 17 psi
270lb rider

Tried lower and didn't like the squirm.


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## Unit91MS (Sep 10, 2015)

Unit91MS said:


> Specialized Fuse, tubes still in.
> 
> Front - Spec Ground Control 3.0: 16 psi
> Rear - Spec Ground Control 3.0: 18 psi
> ...


I dropped to 15 and 17 last ride. Feels much better.


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## socal_jack (Dec 30, 2008)

Raised my DWs up to 16/17 f/r, think that's the sweet spot for now.


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## ya29er (Aug 18, 2013)

...


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## Barman1 (Jan 8, 2014)

Barman1 said:


> 29x3 Vee Trax Fatties mounted on 50mm Mulefut rims with Kenda 29x1.9/2.3 tubes.
> Actual width is 2.83"
> 210lbs geared up.
> 14psi front/14.5psi rear.
> Been riding these on my new Stache 9 for 2 weeks? now and have no issues on advanced technical trails.


Needed to edit this today seeing as I pinch flatted yesterday on a decent sized drop.
Bumped the pressure to 16 rear, 15 front.
It's a learning experience.


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## Ol Bromy (Feb 6, 2009)

Surly Knards on a Krampus

10psi up front
13psi out back

About 205 lbs geared up


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

This is like asking how big your dick is. You're going to get someone that one ups everyone with their 15" dick and 5 psi tire pressure. Tire pressure is dependent on so many other things, besides tire pressure, that it means absolutely nothing what others are running.


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## Ol Bromy (Feb 6, 2009)

I tried to find some info on pressures when I got my bike. Couldn't really find anybody saying anything consistent. If I'm not mistaken, I read a review of my bike in Dirt Rag and if I recall the tester was Maurice. He was running pressures a bit higher than my 10/13 psi. I figured he's a big ol hoss, so i ditched a bit of pressure from his and it felt pretty damned spot on. I've tried higher for sh_ts and giggles, but always end up letting some out mid ride.


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## RPK3 (Aug 18, 2005)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> This is like asking how big your dick is. You're going to get someone that one ups everyone with their 15" dick and 5 psi tire pressure. Tire pressure is dependent on so many other things, besides tire pressure, that it means absolutely nothing what others are running.


True but bragging and self perception issues are probably less of the problem than differences between air gauges.

With more info, we can still in make useful inferences. To truly be useful we need this whole list answered.

*full tire info
*internal rim width
*geared up rider weight
*bike - rigid, hardtail or dual sus
*trail characteristics and conditions
*rider skill and style
*air gauge

I tend to think of PSI readings as only relevant to other readings from the same gauge, and maybe only at the same temp. I wonder if something digital like the SKS Airchecker is more repeatable between gauges. Do these modern digital gauges drift out of calibration over time?

At these low pressures, even a 1PSI change is a big percentage of change.


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## majr (May 22, 2012)

Stumpy FSR. 29mm rims. Very rocky trails. 155lb rider. Accu-gage 30psi.

Front Bridger 3.0 @ 12.5psi
Rear Purgatory 3.0 @ 15psi (or 13 for techy climbs and 16 for rough descents if I feel like a stop to adjust after a big climb)

I get light rim strikes on the rear when descending between 14 and 15psi.

------------------------------
EDIT
------------------------------

I pinch flatted the rear tire badly enough that stans wouldn't seal it, but a tire plug did. Upped pressure to 16psi after that.

Then I upgraded to 45mm internal carbon rims with the same tires and dropped pressures to 12.25 F / 15 R. No rim strikes, and I feel I can go a little lower.


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## phride (Sep 14, 2015)

Similar to Majr Stumpy FSR. 29mm rims. Mix of trails, mostly rocky and/or rooty, some flowy. 180lb rider with gear. Auto tire gage 0-40psi.

Front Purgatory 3.0 @ 14psi
Rear Ground Control 3.0 @ 14psi.

I did notice some light rim strikes on the rear when it was below 14psi on rough terrain, but that was at the end of a long ride, when I was sitting heavy in the saddle.


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## Ringtail (Sep 21, 2015)

Bike: 2016 Specialized FSR SJ 6fattie
Sus: 130mm r / 150mm f
Rider: 160lbs ungeared
Riding: shuttle, steep all-mountain, rocky, loose over hard (think Arizona desert)
Details: bike came with 29mm id rims and 3.0 Purgatorys. 16psi f/r was perfect, great control & no squirm, but had multiple 10 psi front burps that put me down when the going would get rough. Just upgraded to 38mm id rims and did a test run on flat rocky singletrack at 14 psi f/r. Beto digital gauge. I'll update as I continue to test pressures on technical terrain.


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## rollertoaster (Jun 11, 2007)

Foes mutz 
120mm front, 130ish mm rear
185lbs without gear 
50mm light bicycle rims 
Purgatory 3.0s 
Riding : aggressive, jumping whatever possible, sometimes landing in rocks, cornering as hard as possible 
Pressure : 18f 19-20 rear 

I don't want rim strikes, but more importantly I don't want tire squirm. I'm very happy with the traction 


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-T337A using Tapatalk


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## efuss (Dec 15, 2011)

I pump my tires (Gravity Vidars on Rabbit Holes) up before I leave the garage. Ride 1 mi. to trail head. If it is summer, I let out a little bit of air and ride, stopping to let air our as needed, until it feels right. If the tire is rolling too much, addd a little more. This takes the first 5 minutes of the ride. If it is snowy / muddy, I let more air out to start with. I make adjustment based more on traction than squish. The main point is, to get the most out of the fat rubber there is no set psi. It depends mostly on rider weight, riding style and conditions. That said, when I do manage to actually check, I end up between 8 - 15 psi.


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## Justin MD (Sep 30, 2013)

160mm FR/155mm Rear
210 geared up
Ride everything from smooth ST to super chunky square edged Dh shuttles.
Tires: Nobby Nic 3.0 & 2.8 on 38mmOD wheels.
Front: Running 13 psi I found burping issues. Went 15 is it was better until the DH. Squirm and Burps. At 16 now and seems ok so far.
Rear: Running 16psi I found it super squirmy but no burps. Went to 20 and there is some squirm but way better. I'll probably go 21 when I hit the chunk.


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## c_mack9 (Oct 31, 2011)

My gauge on the pump doesn't read low enough to tell, how are y'all figuring out accurate numbers?


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## trevrev97 (Jul 19, 2009)

XL Krampus, I am 195ish geared up for winter 190ish geared up summer. 120 Knards on Rabbit holes. 
Winter/Snow- F-8 to 10, R-12 to 14
Summer/Dirt- F-11 to 13, R-14-16.
Obviously change with conditions


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## juan_speeder (May 11, 2008)

c_mack9 said:


> My gauge on the pump doesn't read low enough to tell, how are y'all figuring out accurate numbers?











http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00GO4PY3Y...UTF8&colid=2WASZ5WFVP3M&coliid=I3BYBLDLUE6AIH


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## Admarz (Dec 6, 2010)

Hi guys, I just bought a Santa Cruz Hightower that I'm running as a 27.5+, but I'll switch over to 29" wheels for the winter. What a revelation! I'll never go smaller than 27.5+ or 29er wheels again. Here are my stats:

Rider weight with gear: 160lbs
Bike: 2016 Santa Cruz Hightower (medium) 27.5+
Suspension: 150mm front/135mm rear
Trails: Tight twisty/flowy single track, rock gardens, steep rutty fire roads
Rider skill: Intermediate plus, small jumps, pretty fast on descents
Air gauge: Topeak digital
Internal rim width: Easton 40mm
Tires: Maxxis Recon 2.8 (front) Icon 2.8 (rear)
Pressure: 13psi (front) 15psi (rear)

I just bought this bike, and I've only ridden once, but this set up was amazing. No issues at all. I'm going to experiment a degree or two either way over the next few weeks, and then I'll repost. By the way, I have nothing to compare to, but I LOVE these tires! Nice bite up front with the Recon, and nice climbing traction going up hill with the Icon.


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## WMBigs (Jul 11, 2009)

185 lbs ready to ride
Fuse Expert tubeless 45mm wide
fr 14psi Purgatory
rr 16psi Ground Control


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## GRPABT1 (Oct 22, 2015)

2.8 Nobby Nic snake skin tyre on 30mm internal hookless rims running at 16psi on the front. I weigh 200 lb and ride in very rocky terrain on a 150mm travel bike doing jumps and drops etc, hasn't rimmed out yet and grip for days.


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## max-a-mill (Apr 14, 2004)

220ish pounds on a rigid stache 5 with chupacabras

so far i am liking 12 front 17 back on an sks digital gauge. a digital gauge has become a necessity for me; literally one or two psi seems to make all the difference.


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## Yupstate (Apr 6, 2016)

Pivot Mach 429 Trail 130mm F/116mm R
Nobby Nic 27.5, 3.0 F/Nobby Nic 2.8 R
Ibis 741 Carbon wheels 35mm internal - tubeless
16psi Front and Rear
Rider weight 185, 195 geared up

Very good traction at 16psi on dry, haven't ridden overly rocky/rooty areas yet in damp conditions, may try 14-15psi.


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## stumpynerd (Oct 8, 2012)

How much stans you guys running. 120ml sound reasonable?


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## Trailice (Oct 30, 2009)

stumpynerd said:


> How much stans you guys running. 120ml sound reasonable?


I run 3 oz of subzero orange seal in Dirt wizards, not a problem in 10 months.

I am #150 geared up
Gnarvster with Fox 34 27.5+
Riding New England rock infested trails
45mm id nextie rims
Dirt Wizard 60 tpi front and back
15 psi front 16 psi rear
Rarely have rim strikes.
Probably get the maxxis Minion DHR/DHF combo in 3" when they become available.


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## LyNx (Oct 26, 2004)

Right now weigh about 175-180lbs geared to ride, on a Banshee Paradox running WTB Asym i35/Pro2 wheels, Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.8", 16 PSI rear/12 PSI front, have not hit/done anything aggressive yet with them, transferred pressures I was running with the WTB Trailblazer 2.8" r/Trailboss 3.0" f, may try lower until I get rim strikes or tyre roll/squirm.


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## Guest (Apr 24, 2016)

stumpynerd said:


> How much stans you guys running.


dunno what the goop is..:ihih: 17f /19r with DW 2.75 & toobs.


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## Derek200 (Jun 16, 2015)

Running the ground control 3 inch tires on 29 internal width rims. I weigh 185 ish. And I have been running about 15 psi in rear and about 8 psi front. May take rear down a pound. About 250 miles no issues with rim strikes on fairly rugged terrain 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## AK47 (Mar 22, 2004)

155lbs without gear
2016 Cannondale Beast of the East
WTB Bridger tires front and rear at 15 psi each


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

AK47 said:


> 155lbs without gear
> 2016 Cannondale Beast of the East
> WTB Bridger tires front and rear at 15 psi each


How are they working for you? Check my thread out. Some people seem to think that a rider your weight can't benefit from such a tire. What do you think?
http://forums.mtbr.com/26-27-5-29-p...ould-benefit-3-tire-1010262.html#post12599689


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## tfinator (Apr 30, 2009)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> How are they working for you? Check my thread out. Some people seem to think that a rider your weight can't benefit from such a tire. What do you think?
> http://forums.mtbr.com/26-27-5-29-p...ould-benefit-3-tire-1010262.html#post12599689


The quest never ends.


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## Guest (Apr 26, 2016)

tfinator said:


> The quest never ends.


it's part of the daily diet now.


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## JoelFT (Apr 10, 2016)

Stache 7

Chupacabras tubeless

205 geared up

12 front / 13 rear

Accu-gauge 15psi meter

I've never had a rim strike. Even on those long, fast descents on the Pinhoti Trail in north Georgia. Traction is just too good to try increasing psi.


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## AK47 (Mar 22, 2004)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> How are they working for you? Check my thread out. Some people seem to think that a rider your weight can't benefit from such a tire. What do you think?
> http://forums.mtbr.com/26-27-5-29-p...ould-benefit-3-tire-1010262.html#post12599689


It's working fine for me, otherwise I would have tried something different by now. I don't care what that other guy thinks and would rather just ride my bike.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

Right on!


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> How are they working for you? Check my thread out. Some people seem to think that a rider your weight can't benefit from such a tire. What do you think?
> http://forums.mtbr.com/26-27-5-29-p...ould-benefit-3-tire-1010262.html#post12599689


Quite honestly, the yoyo that doesn't think a beanpole can benefit from a + tire needs to go to the Betty Ford clinic, permanently. A rider, regardless of weight, but with some semblance of riding skill will bring forth their findings, most of which will prolly be positive notations of their performance. Gotta have enough miles to get em sorted as to pressure, conditions etc.


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

BansheeRune said:


> Quite honestly, the yoyo that doesn't think a beanpole can benefit from a + tire needs to go to the Betty Ford clinic, permanently. A rider, regardless of weight, but with some semblance of riding skill will bring forth their findings, most of which will prolly be positive notations of their performance. Gotta have enough miles to get em sorted as to pressure, conditions etc.


Haha, that's funny! Yeah, I'm riding 2.4s on wide rims and love it. I spent a couple hours on a 3" + bike. Honestly, the stability and traction is as good as my KTM 530.


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## fritZman (Jan 9, 2004)

Norco Torrent 7.2, hardtail
Alex MD 40 rims, 40mm ID
3.0" Schwalbe Nobby Nic Performance & TrailStar tires
Tubeless
9psi front, 11psi rear measure with Accu-gage
200lbs rider weight w/o gear.

I was burping a bit at 9psi, added another layer of Gorilla tape and all is good. I can get down to 8 psi for max float (snow) but any lower and squirm & rim taps become excessive. Any higher than 12psi for me and the tires feel like basketballs.


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## baitdragger (Feb 6, 2007)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> Right on!


Why has no one told me to go lower??? I usually run 16f/18r and move around .5 psi

I ran for a quick ride and didn't check my tires. 15.5 psi front, 14.5 psi rear. I just ran out before dark. Awesome ride, took much more hit out of the roots, and I didn't ride the rim which i always feared. I am on a fuse, weighing 215 with gear on.

Next ride I will try 13f/14 rear.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Gotta watch out for the rider that always runs the higher psi printed on the tire...

It's one of those things, ya gotta experiment with any bike to get the tire pressure sorted for you, as opposed to the crash test dummy that they were beta'd with.


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## 950sm07 (Oct 28, 2011)

Orbea Loki 27.5+ hardtail 
40mmID rims
Maxxis Chronicle 3.0 tires, tubeless 
180 with gear
usually 12psi front/13psi rear. Bent the rear rim riding some stairs so if go to the town I go up to 13,5/14,5.

I tried 18,5/19,5psi that was in the bikeradar test couple of days ago. Maybe it was faster for them but I found it unrideable on the HT compare to the 12/13.


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## briantortilla (Jun 18, 2009)

14.5 front and rear on my stock stache with 29x2.5 tubes. I could run lower for a bit more grip but I tend to hit stuff fairly hard. I am about 175/180 all geared up. Measured with a sks airchecker.


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## Admarz (Dec 6, 2010)

Admarz said:


> Hi guys, I just bought a Santa Cruz Hightower that I'm running as a 27.5+, but I'll switch over to 29" wheels for the winter. What a revelation! I'll never go smaller than 27.5+ or 29er wheels again. Here are my stats:
> 
> Rider weight with gear: 160lbs
> Bike: 2016 Santa Cruz Hightower (medium) 27.5+
> ...


Update: I just bought a more accurate tire gauge (a 30 psi Meiser Presta-Valve Dial Gauge), and lowered the tire pressure to 12 psi front and 14 psi rear... seems to be the sweet spot for my weight and riding conditions!


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## Thrawn (Jan 15, 2009)

Chupacabras on Scapers, 11 psi front, 10.75 psi rear, 235 lbs geared. No rim strikes. It's a little sluggish on the flats, but great traction doing everything else techy. Just need to rely more on momentum, up and down. Now on a Bomboloni in the rear and the weight difference is noticeable. At 10.75 psi, I slip where the Chupacabra didn't on a standing climb. However, I get a faster sprint with the Bomboloni. Guessing less sidewall flex on the Bomboloni accounts for the differences.

For road and gravel, tubed Chupacabra on the front at 25 psi and Speedster on the rear, tubeless at 25 psi. Gotta say, I think I can hang with a slow roadie on this setup. Thought I'd have problems in the gravel/loose over hardback, but I did not slip the rear once on a standing sprint climb. That Speedster was super tacky and super fast. Sketchy on a full blown descent with the slick rear, but still fun if you can counter steer and drift.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Irritating roadies is a pleasure, indeed!


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## oKayH (May 25, 2013)

18F/R. Fuse hardtail (27.5+) has been my pressure of choice. Will need more in the rear, cut a sidewall and banged my rim this past weekend.


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## Barman1 (Jan 8, 2014)

210lb geared up on my XL Stache 9 running 15psi front 16psi rear on 29+ Fat b Nimbles.
Felt a bit of a strike yesterday on the rear so I'll bump them up another .5 and see what happens.


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

Surly Pugsley

235 geared

Maxxis Chronicles 29+
10 psi front 12 psi rear tubeless


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Mr Pink57 said:


> Surly Pugsley
> 
> 235 geared
> 
> ...


@.o

How much for single speed?


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## Berserker26 (Feb 13, 2014)

Question for you lot - *puts flame suit on* I'm running tubes and not likely to change soon *braces self*...have 3.0 Nobby Nics, just wanting some general advice for low watermark for pressure - lets say 100kg loaded up, and mostly hardpack trails. 

Seeing all of you at 12-13psi, I'm sure I cant take a tube that low right? It'd pinch surely?

Was thinking of starting at 20psi and working my way down.


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## Guest (May 19, 2016)

Berserker26 said:


> Question for you lot - *puts flame suit on* I'm running tubes and not likely to change soon *braces self*...have 3.0 Nobby Nics, just wanting some general advice for low watermark for pressure - lets say 100kg loaded up, and mostly hardpack trails.
> 
> Seeing all of you at 12-13psi, I'm sure I cant take a tube that low right? It'd pinch surely?
> 
> Was thinking of starting at 20psi and working my way down.


no flame from this toob advocate. So roughly 220lbs if my math is worthy. 20 may be a good start psi but doubt you'll get much lower without suffering a pinch.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Berserker26 said:


> Question for you lot - *puts flame suit on* I'm running tubes and not likely to change soon *braces self*...have 3.0 Nobby Nics, just wanting some general advice for low watermark for pressure - lets say 100kg loaded up, and mostly hardpack trails.
> 
> Seeing all of you at 12-13psi, I'm sure I cant take a tube that low right? It'd pinch surely?
> 
> Was thinking of starting at 20psi and working my way down.


Start with 20 and ride, drop pressure by 1 psi at a time until your tires start feeling softer than you like and add some back. Again 1 psi increments makes it easier to stay on top of your experiment. You may well end up somewhere between 18-25 psi. The range is based on the terrain and surface conditions.
Obviously, you can go low for sand and loose dirt but rocky hardpack requires higher pressure. It's something you'll gain a feel for as you ride and get to know the +bike. Riding style plays into the tire pressure scheme as well.

Enjoy the +! :thumbsup:

Some peeps are strung out on tubeless cause it's the kewlaid of the moment, I am using Q-Tube SL's with good results thus far. Side benefit is consistent feel of the tires and 5 minute tire changes with no mess, no fuss.


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## Berserker26 (Feb 13, 2014)

Thanks to both of you chaps - might start a bit higher and go down from there. Should be fun


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Berserker, you're welcome! If you were to begin with 25 psi and play with pressure as you ride you'll be good to go. It's an experiment in the real world for every rider and bike. It's amazing how rim width affects the feel of tires at various pressures as well. Narrower the rim, higher the pressure.

Now it's time to wrap you grubby mitts around some grips and put your Gola's on some pedals!


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## DHFreak (Jan 11, 2006)

I have a mixed 29x3.0F/29x2.2R. That said:

180lb rider with gear
13-15 F (Chupacabra) 
25 R

If I go any lower on the front, the front it starts to feel floppy.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

Trail Boss 3.0s - 13.5 front, 15 rear.


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## grizzler (Mar 30, 2009)

Ponyrustler
39mmID rims
Vittoria Bomboloni 3.0 tires, tubeless 
190 with gear
Tried 13 front, 15 rear according to topeak digital gauge may try lower...


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Grizzler, how did they do? You have 30#'s on me and I find my RR's to do quite well at 15psi although, i prefer to run 12 on the hardpack. On the rocky rides I go 14/15 and do well.


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## grizzler (Mar 30, 2009)

BansheeRune said:


> Grizzler, how did they do? You have 30#'s on me and I find my RR's to do quite well at 15psi although, i prefer to run 12 on the hardpack. On the rocky rides I go 14/15 and do well.


Banshee, they did well! There is one g-out that I always fully compress my rear tire on my 29" that also caused my rear tire to wallow but it didn't burp and the pressure kept (I was/am suspicious of the seal on the duallies). I'm going to go to something rockier and keep the pressure the same to see if I get any burps or wallows... So far I'm stoked!


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Can't get enough, can ya?!?! I thoroughly enjoy the large volume tire bikes. They just feel so good on the trails. The traction, the floatation, the versatility. And a little pavement ride from time to time is just as good. I don't have a road bike cause the tires require more pressure than I care to ride.

As for your ride tomorrow, be vigilant so your bike doesn't land on the injured list.








The fat and fatter!









I love my fat tires!


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## MrIcky (Oct 2, 2007)

Stache 7/chupas, 235.

Between 13-15 front and between 13.5-17 rear depending on trail conditions.


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## grizzler (Mar 30, 2009)

*2nd ride*

Ponyrustler
39mmID rims
Vittoria Bomboloni 3.0 tires, tubeless 
190 with gear
Tried 12 front, 14 rear this time on a much more interesting trail, felt really awesome on the rocky stuff. No rim strikes, didn't lose pressure but I did see some spray from the bead:


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Normal on fairly fresh setups. Just a little seepage. That tire saw some squish action.


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## NYrr496 (Sep 10, 2008)

I've got 29x3 Chupacabras on 45mm Velocity Duallys. 18 psi rear, 15 front.


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## croatiansensation (Feb 21, 2005)

grizzler said:


> Ponyrustler
> 39mmID rims
> Vittoria Bomboloni 3.0 tires, tubeless
> 190 with gear
> ...


Struggling with this same issue with almost exactly the same setup (pressure, rims, tires, and rider weight) except I am on 29+. Building up pseudo bead bumps with gorilla tape and two layers of the same helped, but I still burped the rear a little on my last ride. Hopefully, it sorts itself over time as Banshee suggested. Super weird, as I did not have this issue with the flimsy 120 tpi knards I used to run.


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## grizzler (Mar 30, 2009)

Interesting. I just ran stans tape in the center and one layer of gorilla tape, I guess I'll see how the next few rides go... are you burping on fast g-out or rocky stuff? For me it was the fast/flowy section with fast turns/dips where I notice serious compression.


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## bikeny (Feb 26, 2004)

croatiansensation said:


> Struggling with this same issue with almost exactly the same setup (pressure, rims, tires, and rider weight) except I am on 29+. Building up pseudo bead bumps with gorilla tape and two layers of the same helped, but I still burped the rear a little on my last ride. Hopefully, it sorts itself over time as Banshee suggested. Super weird, as I did not have this issue with the flimsy 120 tpi knards I used to run.


What rims? Velocity Dually? That may be your problem right there! I and many others around these parts are not fans of the Velocity rims because of the lack of a bead locking bump inside the rim. Then again, plenty of people here run them without issue.

It's been clearly shown that a bead locking bump helps with tubeless setups. I can't understand why Velocity continues to make their rims without one and still claim they are tubeless ready.


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## croatiansensation (Feb 21, 2005)

grizzler said:


> Interesting. I just ran stans tape in the center and one layer of gorilla tape, I guess I'll see how the next few rides go... are you burping on fast g-out or rocky stuff? For me it was the fast/flowy section with fast turns/dips where I notice serious compression.


With just a layer of clear gorilla tape, it was all of the above. After moving back to two layers of standard gorilla tape with thin strips of tape underneath for "bead bumps", only getting slight burps in the rear on sharp edged stuff.



bikeny said:


> What rims? Velocity Dually? That may be your problem right there! I and many others around these parts are not fans of the Velocity rims because of the lack of a bead locking bump inside the rim. Then again, plenty of people here run them without issue.
> 
> It's been clearly shown that a bead locking bump helps with tubeless setups. I can't understand why Velocity continues to make their rims without one and still claim they are tubeless ready.


Yup, Velocity Dually rims, and it is definitely the rim's fault. As many on here have said (and I have now verified first hand) they are not ideal for good tubeless performance at low pressures. If I was to build a wheelset today, I would use WTB Scrappers or Easton Arc rims.


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## grizzler (Mar 30, 2009)

croatiansensation said:


> With just a layer of clear gorilla tape, it was all of the above. After moving back to two layers of standard gorilla tape with thin strips of tape underneath for "bead bumps", only getting slight burps in the rear on sharp edged stuff.
> 
> Yup, Velocity Dually rims, and it is definitely the rim's fault. As many on here have said (and I have now verified first hand) they are not ideal for good tubeless performance at low pressures. If I was to build a wheelset today, I would use WTB Scrappers or Easton Arc rims.


Thanks for the info. I picked these wheels up (hope pro 2 on velocity dually) for a song, I was considering swapping them to the scraper i45 because they are supposedly the same ERD but I'll see how they treat me the next few rides. I've been coveting the roval carbon wheelset.


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## croatiansensation (Feb 21, 2005)

grizzler said:


> Thanks for the info. I picked these wheels up (hope pro 2 on velocity dually) for a song, I was considering swapping them to the scraper i45 because they are supposedly the same ERD but I'll see how they treat me the next few rides. I've been coveting the roval carbon wheelset.


Ha! We are even running the same hubs.

In general, they are a pretty decent rim once you sort the tubeless finickiness out. I have around 700 miles on my set, and they only needed a tiny bit of truing when I swapped in the Bombolonis a while back.


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## grizzler (Mar 30, 2009)

croatiansensation said:


> Ha! We are even running the same hubs.
> 
> In general, they are a pretty decent rim once you sort the tubeless finickiness out. I have around 700 miles on my set, and they only needed a tiny bit of truing when I swapped in the Bombolonis a while back.


haha awesome. Again, thanks for the info it helps a ton. What did you run before the bombolonis? I'm pretty happy with the tires!


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

croatiansensation said:


> With just a layer of clear gorilla tape, it was all of the above. After moving back to two layers of standard gorilla tape with thin strips of tape underneath for "bead bumps", only getting slight burps in the rear on sharp edged stuff.
> 
> Yup, Velocity Dually rims, and it is definitely the rim's fault. As many on here have said (and I have now verified first hand) they are not ideal for good tubeless performance at low pressures. If I was to build a wheelset today, I would use WTB Scrappers or Easton Arc rims.


My Scrapers are more difficult to mount/dismount tires than my MuleFut 50's. My Dually's are taped wall to wall and work well, but can unseat at squishy pressure. They didn't make bridge to retain the beads, unfortunately. Still love em with Q-Tube SL's and Knard's tho'. Cant wait for other options for the Dually's cause they are 26+ on my full squish bike.


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## croatiansensation (Feb 21, 2005)

grizzler said:


> haha awesome. Again, thanks for the info it helps a ton. What did you run before the bombolonis? I'm pretty happy with the tires!


120 TPI Surly Knards . . . fast rolling and bigger than listed (measured out to around 3.1" wide once they stretched). Needed more grip and durability, hence the move to the Bombolonis.


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## stumpynerd (Oct 8, 2012)

Got my first ride in on my first plus bike. Started with 15psi ended up dropping it immediately to around 12 front and back. Had too much bounce at 15. Running Easton Arc40S, 3.0 purgs. Wow these I9 hubs rock.
Rider weight: 185lbs. Seems like I can go lower psi.


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## Thustlewhumber (Nov 25, 2011)

Going to update my pressures: 175#, Specialized 6Fattie 29mm rims, Purgatory front/ Rocket Ron rear.

I have typically been running 15/17psi and getting good combination of traction and rollover. I was at Silver Mtb Park for opening day yesterday, and realized that lots of sustained/repeated bumps were shaking me like crazy. Ended up with about 12/13psi at the end of the day and had a couple of benefits: 1) Smooth and silky riding, 2) much better traction, 3) MUCH faster speed (top speed went from 27mph to 30mph). The higher pressures were too bouncy, whereas the lower pressures kept the tires on the ground a bit more. Made it feel like the bike has much more travel than it does. 

On a side note, the wife has RR's front/rear. She dropped from 14/15psi to 11/12psi and had the same result.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

There ya go! If the tire is bouncing quite a bit of torque is wasted when the tire is either off the ground or only lightly touching the ground. Pressure needs are a working experiment with the +bike. There is a local rail trail that I tend to frequent with a smooth, hard surface with a layer of sand over it in places that I run 8 psi to maintain traction through the corners. I tend to be able to ride higher speeds with 8 rather than the 12f/13r that I typically ride. When I tried pressure above 15, the ride quality suffered greatly. The rock gardens I'll go up to 15 f/r. When Sarge gets his first experience with snow... probably waaay low psi. Oh yeah, that's when the fatty's getting out even more.


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## Guest (May 29, 2016)

^ yer full-ah hot air mang...


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Actually, the air will be warmer when Sarge and I go out to play! lol




Dual air bags!?!?!


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## SteveF (Mar 5, 2004)

I'm running 3.0" Rocket Ron Snakeskins on my BotE and I think I hit (or got real close) to the ideal pressure for me. I'm 160 pounds, ride cross country. I was runnin 13-14 rear/12 front and it didn't seem very smooth or grippy so I bit the bullet and dropped things to 10/11 and it felt pretty good! The back of the bike quit kicking me and settled down over roots, the front tracked solidly through swoopy corners and sand patches, and I got JUST a trace of high-cadence tire bounce on flat, hardpacked sections. It is lower than I expected I'd care to go, but if it works, it works...


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Steve, unfortunately the +bike isn't set it and forget it. I use different pressure for rocky choppy terrain and lower pressure for smooth and loose sand/dirt situations. I am 160#'s and a light riding style. Gotta ask, are your SS tires springy? I ask because I get trialsy often as I can. My RR's are the LiteSkin version. I am trying to decide on a pair of Nobby Nic's and am concerned they will feel dead when I need em to be springy. 
Monday I gave the Chronicle EXO's another go but they are so dead unless I pump em up spongy, deal breaker...


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## SteveF (Mar 5, 2004)

BansheeRune said:


> Steve, unfortunately the +bike isn't set it and forget it. I use different pressure for rocky choppy terrain and lower pressure for smooth and loose sand/dirt situations. I am 160#'s and a light riding style. Gotta ask, are your SS tires springy? I ask because I get trialsy often as I can. My RR's are the LiteSkin version. I am trying to decide on a pair of Nobby Nic's and am concerned they will feel dead when I need em to be springy.
> Monday I gave the Chronicle EXO's another go but they are so dead unless I pump em up spongy, deal breaker...


Yep, definitely, but I'm pretty darned close to where I want to be PSI-wise. I rode a very rooty, twisty trail last night that really beat me up on this bike last time I tried it at 2-3 higher PSI's, and it was much smoother riding over roots and rocks, and much grippier in tight corners. It really made a world of difference! The front at 10 felt right on the edge of folding over a couple of times pushing hard on hardpacked turns, so I might bump that up 1/2 pound or so, but the back felt great at 11.

I don't find the Snakeskin to have a particularly dead feel-they certainly felt compliant over the bumps last evening! And I love the easy way they set up tubeless and hold pressure for a good long while. But having not tried the Liteskin versions, I can't honestly tell you what, if any, difference you'd notice. I'd say if you're happy with the Liteskins and haven't had sidewall failure issues, stick with the ones you know you like...


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## Swerny (Apr 1, 2004)

I've got 29x3 Chupacabras on 40mm Carbon rims. I weight about 210. 18 psi rear, 15 front. Tubed for now, felt a bit high but I was scared to go lower. First ride on the new wheels


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

SteveF said:


> Yep, definitely, but I'm pretty darned close to where I want to be PSI-wise. I rode a very rooty, twisty trail last night that really beat me up on this bike last time I tried it at 2-3 higher PSI's, and it was much smoother riding over roots and rocks, and much grippier in tight corners. It really made a world of difference! The front at 10 felt right on the edge of folding over a couple of times pushing hard on hardpacked turns, so I might bump that up 1/2 pound or so, but the back felt great at 11.
> 
> I don't find the Snakeskin to have a particularly dead feel-they certainly felt compliant over the bumps last evening! And I love the easy way they set up tubeless and hold pressure for a good long while. But having not tried the Liteskin versions, I can't honestly tell you what, if any, difference you'd notice. I'd say if you're happy with the Liteskins and haven't had sidewall failure issues, stick with the ones you know you like...


Werd.
I'm looking for a more aggressive tread for some of the rides I do but the NN's are only available to Jon Q Public in SS. Doh!

Swerny, those Chupa's are sweet tires. I rode my buddy's Krampus with em and they ride nicely and predictably. A good tire, indeed!


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## stumpynerd (Oct 8, 2012)

Found my limit on pressure for my 3.0 purgs. Had rear rim strikes around 11 or 12 psi down steep rocky switch backs yesterday. Gonna try 13 or 14 psi next round. 11 or 12 up front is perfect for my weight at 185lbs.


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## ya29er (Aug 18, 2013)

110kg (240lbs) geared up
29"

Chronicle 13psi front, 16 psi rear. Tested it on a really bumpy singletrack, baby heads stones and roots. Works perfect for me. 1-2psi more and everything feels different. 

Dirt Wizard 15.5psi front, 
Knard 17psi
tested it on fireroads only. 
Tried to test DW 120tpi on the same bumpy singletrack and it lasted only for 10 mins. A nob cut killed it.


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## Ringtail (Sep 21, 2015)

Ringtail said:


> Bike: 2016 Specialized FSR SJ 6fattie
> Sus: 130mm r / 150mm f
> Rider: 160lbs ungeared
> Riding: shuttle, steep all-mountain, rocky, loose over hard (think Arizona desert)
> Details: bike came with 29mm id rims and 3.0 Purgatorys. 16psi f/r was perfect, great control & no squirm, but had multiple 10 psi front burps that put me down when the going would get rough. Just upgraded to 38mm id rims and did a test run on flat rocky singletrack at 14 psi f/r. Beto digital gauge. I'll update as I continue to test pressures on technical terrain.


Update: 38mm id rims have made all the difference! Very steep / very tech / jump lines have me running 14.5 psi. Otherwise, 14psi is my go to. Tons of traction and control without any of the squirm. I'll be taking this setup with me to Trestle in July. I'll update again after a weekend hitting the jumps on Rainmaker.


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## wilson1417 (Mar 25, 2009)

160lbs
Advocate Hayduke
WTB Trail Boss 3.0 F/R, 14psi/15psi

Can go a bit lower but this pressure seem to be the snappiest while still retaining that sweet Plus feel.


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## thegoldrun (Feb 27, 2007)

5'11 200lb geared up. 2017 Fuse 6Fattie large, tubeless Ground Control rear Purgatory front 27.5x3.0 on 38mm ID rims. I ride 16psi rear and 13-14psi front (digital gauge) seems pretty legit for me.


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## bad andy (Feb 21, 2006)

(Spec FSR 6fattie)

180lbs geared up
Schwalbe NN 3.0f/r (tubeless)
45mm internal rim width

my magic numbers are:
12f/14r


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## makpak42 (Jul 4, 2016)

Ding... Ding.. (Bell Rings)
- Weighing in at 170
- Riding Ohio roots and rocks
- Rolling on Rocket Ron's with Qtubes, 27.5x3.0, mounted on Mulefut 50's
- Front 12.5
- Rear 14.5

Great Traction, Cornering, and easy to dial up the RPM's.
Next tires maybe WTB Rangers


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## iSlowpoke (Feb 24, 2009)

13F/14R on the FS. When I had my HT, I was running 12F/13R. Too much bounce on the HT with 13/14. 1 PSI makes a huge difference. 165# dry. 175# wet.


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## yzf1999 (Oct 22, 2016)

I seem to be of a different mindset..I have my 2.8" rocket rons pressure set at 35psi for less rolling resistance on mostly dry dirt trails...I like the plus tire mainly for the extra rubber for fast cornering on downhill turns.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

Fairly squishy up front, not quite as squishy in the rear.


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2016)

yzf1999 said:


> I seem to be of a different mindset..I have my 2.8" rocket rons pressure set at 35psi for less rolling resistance on mostly dry dirt trails...I like the plus tire mainly for the extra rubber for fast cornering on downhill turns.


that's different alright, if you enjoy the extra rubber for fast DH turns imagine how much of that extra rubber would have contact if PSI was set @ 15??


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2016)

Smithhammer said:


> Fairly squishy up front, not quite as squishy in the rear.


that's 1.5 squishy amiright??


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

nvphatty said:


> that's 1.5 squishy amiright??


According to the Universal Metric Squishy Index, yessir.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

nvphatty said:


> that's different alright, if you enjoy the extra rubber for fast DH turns imagine how much of that extra rubber would have contact if PSI was set @ 15??


Some peeps are willing to give up that "extra traction" of a + tire when they see max psi, that's where it's set. Don't they know bettuh???


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2016)

BansheeRune said:


> Some peeps are willing to give up that "extra traction" of a + tire when they see max psi, that's where it's set. Don't they know bettuh???


i dunno boss :crazy:


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

nvphatty said:


> i dunno boss :crazy:


Werd!! I tried Sarge @18 and within 1/2 mile was dropping pressure to get a ride on pneumatic tires instead of tungsten tires.


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## yzf1999 (Oct 22, 2016)

nvphatty said:


> that's different alright, if you enjoy the extra rubber for fast DH turns imagine how much of that extra rubber would have contact if PSI was set @ 15??


At that pressure the front tire feels like its flexing on the side wall...I'm not a fan of low pressure...


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## Guest (Oct 22, 2016)

yzf1999 said:


> At that pressure the front tire feels like its flexing on the side wall...I'm not a fan of low pressure...


it is flexing, hence the larger contact which equals traction and small bump compliance with lower pressure. using 35psi has it atop everything with a small contact and less to dig into terrain.


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## Thustlewhumber (Nov 25, 2011)

170lbs. I'm now running 16psi front and 19psi rear on Purgatories, and slowed the rebound of the shocks down by 3 clicks each. It's a good mix of reducing arm pump on the front end, and not rolling the tire on jumps or hard cornering on the back end.


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## yzf1999 (Oct 22, 2016)

nvphatty said:


> it is flexing, hence the larger contact which equals traction and small bump compliance with lower pressure. using 35psi has it atop everything with a small contact and less to dig into terrain.


Exactly...I'm letting my fork do the work of bump control..I'm letting the high air pressure handle lower rolling resistance and I'm letting the 2.8 (which is still 2.8" of contact rubber on the ground at 35 psi when I'm riding) do the extra traction. 
Yes I know I could lower the pressure to 10 pounds and have a huge squishy contact patch that would form over every thing on the trail....ill take speed...max pressure on the rocket rons is 38 psi. They feel ok at 30, but better at 35.


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## tfinator (Apr 30, 2009)

yzf1999 said:


> Exactly...I'm letting my fork do the work of bump control..I'm letting the high air pressure handle lower rolling resistance and I'm letting the 2.8 (which is still 2.8" of contact rubber on the ground at 35 psi when I'm riding) do the extra traction.
> Yes I know I could lower the pressure to 10 pounds and have a huge squishy contact patch that would form over every thing on the trail....ill take speed...max pressure on the rocket rons is 38 psi. They feel ok at 30, but better at 35.


30 psi on a 2.8 is insane. That's higher than I run when I ride my bike on the road.

Suspension is great, but unless your trails are totally smooth, you're actually less efficient with that high of a psi.


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2016)

no fork on this planet can absorb @ the rate a set/low psi tire will(ever) when it comes to trail imperfections the tire is always first inline for these on trail nuances we encounter, then follows suspension....a very quick 1-2 punch if you will.

based upon this> (which is still 2.8" of contact rubber on the ground at 35 psi when I'm riding) are you a clyde of sorts?? ie 280lbs?? that would make this quote some what true?? if not yes it's still a 2.8 as stated on the sidewall but you do not have the full complement of 2.8 contact rubber when riding @ 35psi, you will @ 15-16 psi as the tire compresses. If you did an imprint on paper and compared 35psi to 16psi it would be a visual affirmation of the huge difference of whats actually on the ground. I can certainly understand your desire for speed/pace with a high psi setting and the results it gives on the trails you ride though.


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

yzf1999 said:


> Exactly...I'm letting my fork do the work of bump control..I'm letting the high air pressure handle lower rolling resistance and I'm letting the 2.8 (which is still 2.8" of contact rubber on the ground at 35 psi when I'm riding) do the extra traction.
> Yes I know I could lower the pressure to 10 pounds and have a huge squishy contact patch that would form over every thing on the trail....ill take speed...max pressure on the rocket rons is 38 psi. They feel ok at 30, but better at 35.


You're actually creating MORE work for your fork at those pressures.

While rolling resistance is a real thing, you don't need to run 35psi in order to have efficient travel on dirt with a 2.8" tire. In fact, it's probably counter-productive at that point. Max psi ratings on plus tires don't equate to "fastest" psi.

It's also doubtful that you are actully getting a full 2.8" contact patch @ 35psi.

I'm not sure what advantage there would still be to running plus tires at those pressures, but whatever floats your boat.


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## xblitzkriegx (Jul 29, 2016)

yzf1999 said:


> I seem to be of a different mindset..I have my 2.8" rocket rons pressure set at 35psi for less rolling resistance on mostly dry dirt trails...I like the plus tire mainly for the extra rubber for fast cornering on downhill turns.







listen to what he says about how the bike handles rather than focusing on the times. the times are important, but the feedback is exactly as expected. now, theyre not plus sized tires but the same things apply.

unless youre riding on smooth pea gravel singletrack, that high a psi is a lost cause and is likely costing you grip and time.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

tfinator said:


> 30 psi on a 2.8 is insane. That's higher than I run when I ride my bike on the road.
> 
> Suspension is great, but unless your trails are totally smooth, you're actually less efficient with that high of a psi.


How much of your energy is out the window due to the rear tire skimming the surface as you pedal your ass off? Each time the tire skims the surface you have lost traction and put that precious energy in the air between the tire and the ground. That results in poor fuel economy. 
There are plenty of write-ups on the subject of overinflation being a detractor to speed and the number of power bars you'll consume on a ride.
The other issue is that overinflation gives the tire a contact patch like a knife edge regardless of angle since there is no tire flex. There goes the center treads worn to the threads while the rest of the tire has good treadle in it, no bueno! Air pressure is dependent on total load, period. 
So 35 psi in a 2.8/3.0 translates to 500 pounds of rider and bike and the many purses you might have on the poor bike!

nvphatty brings to light a great point!!


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## Mountain Cycle Shawn (Jan 19, 2004)

This is just stupid! There's no way, in any way, that you will get a better ride with such high pressures. Unless you're like 400 pounds.


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## Huanyao (Oct 26, 2006)

Stache 5 with 50mm Mulefuts and 29+ Chupacabras. Ride mostly rocky Eastern Washington State trails.
I weigh 190ish and use a brass, analog low pressure gauge.
With stock rigid carbon fork I run 10.5psi front and 12 rear.
With 120mm Pike I run 12psi front (eliminated self-steer and a vague squishy feeling) and 11psi rear.


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## yzf1999 (Oct 22, 2016)

I'll do some experimenting by dropping the pressure in 5psi increments while riding. I'm not against trying different things, I'll get back to ya later and let you know how it works out for me.


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## yzf1999 (Oct 22, 2016)

Mountain Cycle Shawn said:


> This is just stupid! There's no way, in any way, that you will get a better ride with such high pressures. Unless you're like 400 pounds.


Never said it was a better ride I said it was faster for me..could care less about a Cadillac ride


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2016)

yzf1999 said:


> I'll do some experimenting by dropping the pressure in 5psi increments while riding. I'm not against trying different things, I'll get back to ya later and let you know how it works out for me.


good job soldier, experimenting is what we all do until we find a sweet spot that's warm n fuzzy, well sort of.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

yzf1999 said:


> I'll do some experimenting by dropping the pressure in 5psi increments while riding. I'm not against trying different things, I'll get back to ya later and let you know how it works out for me.


Start with a 2 PSI increment and progress with 1 PSI increments. These +tires are very sensitive to pressure change.



nvphatty said:


> good job soldier, experimenting is what we all do until we find a sweet spot that's warm n fuzzy, well sort of.


You're always fuzzy! :ihih:


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2016)

yzf1999 said:


> Never said it was a better ride I said it was faster for me..could care less about a Cadillac ride


perhaps with the experimenting you'll find a happy medium from the 35 & 15 that's workable for ya, happy trails :thumbsup:


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## Guest (Oct 23, 2016)

BansheeRune said:


> Start with a 2 PSI increment and progress with 1 PSI increments. These +tires are very sensitive to pressure change.
> 
> You're always fuzzy! :ihih:


quiet gunny the enemy awaits, lye low.


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## Guest (Oct 26, 2016)

yzf1999 any progress yet??


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## MrIcky (Oct 2, 2007)

Well not to get into that drama- but I run 13-15ish front, 14-17ish rear on a Stache. Depends on the ride. I'm not extremely anal about it, I found that range to basically work-but I'll go to the lower end if it's a rough/rocky area.


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## iSlowpoke (Feb 24, 2009)

yzf1999 said:


> I seem to be of a different mindset..I have my 2.8" rocket rons pressure set at 35psi for less rolling resistance on mostly dry dirt trails...I like the plus tire mainly for the extra rubber for fast cornering on downhill turns.


You do you.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## bikeny (Feb 26, 2004)

yzf1999 said:


> Never said it was a better ride I said it was faster for me..could care less about a Cadillac ride


Lowering your pressure will actually make you faster, more comfortable, and be able to corner faster.


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## yzf1999 (Oct 22, 2016)

nvphatty said:


> yzf1999 any progress yet??


Not yet work and weather haven't been cooperating..I did pick up a small light hand pump for changing pressures on the trail. I can see where dropping the pressure could help, but with the high sidewalks on these plus tires I know I'll never get down to the ultra low pressures you guys seem to like. But who knows..never know till I try it..lol


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## Osco (Apr 4, 2013)

Just got my first plus bike, still tubed but but that won't last long.
Those mid fat tubes are super heavy.
I'm 169 pounds nekkid and It came from the bike shop with 30 psi..
Ok on the street but In the front yard I dropped to 20 psi F and R
This was Instantly profoundly better.
I always do a few rides with the bike 100% stock tubes and all. But I'm not buying a spare tube so until It's tubeless I'll hold at 17F and 18R

Will I be fairly safe from Pinch flats If I stay out of the rougher stuff ?
What~cha' think people ?


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## Guest (Oct 28, 2016)

Osco said:


> Just got my first plus bike, still tubed but that won't last long.
> Those mid fat tubes are super heavy.
> 
> I always do a few rides with the bike 100% stock tubes and all. But I'm not buying a spare tube so until It's tubeless I'll hold at 17F and 18R
> ...


I downsized with toobs, ie 26x2.1 type which made for a much easier tire mount and lighter. Yes even in rougher stuff 17-18 should hold up well to pinch flats.


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## bikeny (Feb 26, 2004)

Osco said:


> Just got my first plus bike, still tubed but but that won't last long.
> Those mid fat tubes are super heavy.
> I'm 170 pounds nekkid and It came from the bike shop with 30 psi..
> Ok on the street but In the front yard I dropped to 20 psi F and R
> ...


It depends on rim and tire width, riding style, and trails. If you have 2.8s on skinny rims, it might be too low, if you 3.0s on really wide rims, it might be way too much. Get yourself a good low pressure gauge and adjust in small increments. The pressure gauge on floor pumps are wildly inaccurate at these low pressures.


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

Osco said:


> Just got my first plus bike, still tubed but but that won't last long.
> Those mid fat tubes are super heavy.
> I'm 170 pounds nekkid and It came from the bike shop with 30 psi..
> Ok on the street but In the front yard I dropped to 20 psi F and R
> ...


Don't use those tubes. I used a 700x23 presta tube in a 29x3.0(2.7 actual) FBN. They stretch a lot in all directions just fine for 12.5 psi. up front no rim hits.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Osco said:


> Just got my first plus bike, still tubed but but that won't last long.
> Those mid fat tubes are super heavy.
> I'm 170 pounds nekkid and It came from the bike shop with 30 psi..
> Ok on the street but In the front yard I dropped to 20 psi F and R
> ...


30 psi and I'll assume the rider and bike are 400+#'s. IF you don't bend you knees and elbows when you hit the rough stuff your bike will hate you. As for +tubes, they are heavier than a Surly Lite fat tube. I'm currently using 26x2.4/2.7 Q-Tube SL's and have not had any issue with it. At 150g's they are doable. As for a 700x23, do they burst when you get a goat head? I'm thinking they would cause they are stretched well into next week. 
@ 160#'s I run 12 psi for most rides and never exceed 14 psi.

Simply put, I hate tungsten tires and so does Sarge.


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## eb1888 (Jan 27, 2012)

No goat heads where I ride. So who knows.


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## AK47 (Mar 22, 2004)

Been happy with 12/14 on WTB Bridgers on my Beast of the East.


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## TheKaiser (Feb 5, 2014)

eb1888 said:


> Don't use those tubes. I used a 700x23 presta tube in a 29x3.0(2.7 actual) FBN. They stretch a lot in all directions just fine for 12.5 psi. up front no rim hits.


:eekster:

I am well aware of how big a tube can stretch when inflated outside of a tire, but you are really testing the limits with that setup. You could practically see through the tube at that level of inflation! It would be like using condoms for tubes.


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## TheKaiser (Feb 5, 2014)

yzf1999 said:


> Not yet work and weather haven't been cooperating..I did pick up a small light hand pump for changing pressures on the trail. I can see where dropping the pressure could help, but with the high sidewalks on these plus tires I know I'll never get down to the ultra low pressures you guys seem to like. But who knows..never know till I try it..lol


I give much credit to you for being willing to experiment with your setup. I have one question for you, and a couple suggestions.

First, the question: What width are your rims? If you are running much narrower rims than the other guys here that might explain some of why you had settled on a much higher pressure than them.

As far as the suggestion goes: When you do your testing, make sure you pick a few 5+ minute sections that are representative of the type of riding you typically do, and then do multiple timed runs on each of them at different pressures. What "feels" faster, is often actually slower when you look at the time. The former Zipp engineer likened it to how going 100mph in a Porche feels slow, but in a Jeep it feels like you are about to break the sound barrier. Its not that the Jeep is actually faster of course, it is simply that getting a lot of noise and vibrational feedback from your vehicle increases your perception of speed.

I know other guys suggested going down in small increments and there is certainly something to be said for that, particularly if you are looking to find the lowest pressure that still "feels" good to you. I would offer a counterpoint though, which is that it might be good, particularly if you are short on testing time, to do a few runs at your 35psi and then a few more at somewhere in the 16-17psi range, as that may provide a more strong contrast when it comes to comparing your lap times. If you are only going down 2psi at a time, the effect of the tire pressure change will likely get lost in the noise of random variations. If most of these guys are right, and 16-17psi is faster on all but the smoothest dirt roads, then you can switch to 1-2psi increments for further fine tuning.


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## Guest (Nov 6, 2016)

^^ yes agreed a drastic change in psi would speak loudly almost instantly...kind of an 'ah ha moment'


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

TheKaiser said:


> :eekster:
> 
> I am well aware of how big a tube can stretch when inflated outside of a tire, but you are really testing the limits with that setup. You could practically see through the tube at that level of inflation! It would be like using condoms for tubes.


Somehow I keep hearing a loud pop as that road tube is pierced by a goat head and insta-flat is complete cause using a balloon for a tube is not recommended.


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## Osco (Apr 4, 2013)

2017 Scott Scale 720 plus
Maxxis Rekons, 27.5x2.80 120 TPI tubeless tires checked In at 803 grams
Rims, 40mm O.D. 35mm I.D.
Frame Large,
Me, 169 pounds nekkid, 185 In full pack and gear..
17 psi rear, 16 psi front feels just right.
Traction for days 

Tubes were Schwalbe, 210 grams each and they are gone !
actual sealant weight 60 grams for the 2 oz of stans, yes I weighed the empty and full bottle...duh.

I rode It once tubed, for a very short ride, never again.
Love these chunky very fast rolling Rekons, hope they last,,hated Schwalbe's for their very short life span.


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## detroitguy1 (Dec 5, 2014)

Rigid Krampus (carbon fork) with tubeless 120 tpi Knards on Velocity Duallys. I run 11 psi in the front and 12 in the rear for trail rides and somewhere in the 14-16 psi range for gravel rides. I'm 205 lbs.


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## Ryker01 (Jan 27, 2012)

Spec FSR 6fattie 2016
195lb rider
Purgatory front and rear at 20psi which is max recommend ride psi. setup tubeless
Stock rim width
If I hit a sharp rock or root the rear tire will actually bottom out and hit the rim. I tried lower psi but it felt like the sidewall was flexing too much and gave me the feeling of a washout. I need and prefer some feedback on traction.


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## Swerny (Apr 1, 2004)

My Farley 7 with XMCarbonspeed 35mm internal rims with 29 x 3 Chupacabras. 

15 psi rear, 13 psi front. 

I weigh about 210 pounds in my birthday suit.


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## Swerny (Apr 1, 2004)

yzf1999 said:


> I seem to be of a different mindset..I have my 2.8" rocket rons pressure set at 35psi for less rolling resistance on mostly dry dirt trails...I like the plus tire mainly for the extra rubber for fast cornering on downhill turns.


that sounds painful to be honest


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## PlutonicPlague (Jan 19, 2014)

Surly Pugsley rolling Rabbit Holes shod with 29 x 3 Bombolonis, and I'm 165 lbs suited up:
12 R and 10.5 F for general riding local streets, trails, logging roads keeps the ride from feeling too harsh.
I lowered them a bit (by feel) to finish off my ride, leaving the trails in the dunes and pine forest to cruise on the beach at low tide, yesterday afternoon. I could have lowered the pressure more, but the tires were working fine on the (mostly) hard packed sand. 
When I returned to a stretch of paved bike path, the tires felt a tad squirmy, but not too bad. At home, I checked the pressures with a gage, and they were 11 R and 9 F.
If it makes any difference, I am still using tubes. Plan to stick with the Bombos and remount them tubeless (will be my first experience with that) this Spring.


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## jtaylor996 (Jul 8, 2016)

This thread is useless without rim widths and rider weights...

Anyways, I'm 225#, on B+ i45 rims running 14F and 15.5R on WTB bridgers. That R is real finnickey. 15 = no good. 16 = ok, 15.5 is just right.


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## Mr Pivotless (Feb 21, 2004)

There’s a saying in statistics that if you put 1000 monkeys in a room with 1000 typewriters, you eventually get Hamlet. That might take a while, but if you put 100 mountain bikers in front of 100 keyboards, pearls of wisdom may emerge a lot quicker. There’s good info here. Thank you Thustlewhum for this thread!

I entered the above 12+ months’ worth of postings into a spreadsheet and crunched some numbers (yes, I’m obsessive). I had to make some judgement calls—e.g. I left out the 35psi guy. I looked at average pressures, tire sizes, weight, rim width etc. for 61 riders posting above.

Results thusfar: Average reported front pressure is 13.4psi and average rear pressure is 15.3psi. This is for our Average Rider who weighs 200lb all geared up. Ideal pressure varies with rider weight. Based on this, I hereby propose a new rule-of-thumb for typical pressures people are running, based on weight:


“Oddfellows Local 1513 Rule-of-Thumb for 3.0s”

Rider Weight/15 = front psi Rider Weight/13 = rear psi

Weight includes all the gear you’re packing for this ride, in pounds. 


For our Average Rider (200lb loaded), this rule-of-thumb gives 13.3psi front and 15.4psi rear for 3.0s. This is pretty darn close to our reported pressures. One third of our posters run a 2.8” tire on the rear. 2.8” tires need a couple of more psi. Scaling by tire size squared (for approx. equal bottoming energy) gives the following rule-of-thumb for 2.8s on both ends of the bike:


“Oddfellows Local 1311 Rule-of-Thumb for 2.8s”

Rider Weight/13 = front psi Rider Weight/11 = rear psi

Weight includes all the gear you’re packing for this ride, in pounds. 


For our average 200 pounder, this gives 15.4psi front and 18psi rear for 2.8s at both ends. However, an equal number of posters are running 3.0 in the front and 2.8 rear for clearance. Our 200 pounder would run about 13.3F/18R. If you’ve got 3.0 front and 2.8 rear, you can use this to estimate pressure:


“Oddfellows Local 1511 Rule-of-Thumb for 3.0 Front/2.8 Rear”

Rider Weight/15 = front psi Rider Weight/11 = rear psi

Weight includes all the gear you’re packing for this ride, in pounds. 


Caveats: These give typical pressures for your weight and tires. Your results may vary. Your results WILL vary. You need more pressure if you ride aggressively through pointy rocks. Maybe add some air if you can’t afford new rims, or you’re gonna be “too far from the car”. Most posters are probably running tubeless, so tubers would need a few more psi to avoid pinch flats. OTOH, you can get away with less pressure if you are a finesse rider, you ride on smooth trails, you have a large equipment budget, or you can walk out.

Internal rim width averaged 40mm. Narrower rims need a bit more pressure to avoid burping and that squishy feel, but things can get bouncy if too firm. Wider rims should have a broader sweet spot between firm and squirm, allowing pressure adjustment for rider preference.

That’s my observations. Ideally, for future posters please list your pressures, tire widths, weight, whether geared up or Bday suit, tubed or tubeless, and internal rim width. We’ll see if the current averages hold. Thanks for all the data!


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## 950sm07 (Oct 28, 2011)

Great job, thank you for putting the time and work in it!  The rule of thumb that you got with the averaging is exactly in line with my experience with both 3.0 and 2.8 tires running tubeless.



Mr Pivotless said:


> "Oddfellows Local 1513 Rule-of-Thumb for 3.0s"
> 
> Rider Weight/15 = front psi Rider Weight/13 = rear psi
> 
> ...


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## phride (Sep 14, 2015)

Bravo, Mr. P! Way to unleash your inner geek on this question. 

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk


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## PlutonicPlague (Jan 19, 2014)

Dang! Good calculatin' there, Mr Pivotless! 
Each of my 29+ Bombos (F and R) on RHs are approx half a pound's pressure lower than your figures (unless I'm riding on the beach, where I might drop them another pound or so), and when I was out riding the paved bike path and some town streets a few days ago, I was actually thinking that I could pump 'em up a half pound or so more.


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## Osco (Apr 4, 2013)

Osco said:


> 2017 Scott Scale 720 plus
> Maxxis Rekons, 27.5x2.80 120 TPI tubeless tires checked In at 803 grams Rims, 40mm O.D. 35mm I.D. Frame Large,
> Me, 169 pounds nekkid, 185 In full pack and gear..
> 17 psi rear, 16 psi front feels just right. Traction for days


More time on the bike now, 
18 rear Is harsh and slow, 18 front Is a numb feel.
More than 17 Rear and 16 Front just feels wrong.
Lower than 16 rear and lower than 15 front gives me nothing I need.
At 14 rear and 13 front I start to get all the bad stuff.

Settled on 16R/15F as this Is predictable on all my varied trail conditions..

Done, thanks people


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## desertwheeler (Sep 1, 2009)

Mr Pivotless said:


> There's a saying in statistics that if you put 1000 monkeys in a room with 1000 typewriters, you eventually get Hamlet. That might take a while, but if you put 100 mountain bikers in front of 100 keyboards, pearls of wisdom may emerge a lot quicker. There's good info here. Thank you Thustlewhum for this thread!
> 
> I entered the above 12+ months' worth of postings into a spreadsheet and crunched some numbers (yes, I'm obsessive). I had to make some judgement calls-e.g. I left out the 35psi guy. I looked at average pressures, tire sizes, weight, rim width etc. for 61 riders posting above.
> 
> ...


Wow that math comes out perfect for the sweet spot I found already. I'm 240 geared up and found 18f/21r feels real good. That's also pretty close to what the math came too. So that's pretty good figuring haha.
240 geared up 2.8 NN's tubeless 35i

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## pressendye (Oct 31, 2008)

I agree. 

WTB Scraper 45mm, 3.0 Nobby Nics.

17 f, 19 r. I'm 165lbs without kit. Even at those "high" pressures I've dinged the rear beyond repair and torn holes in both WTB Bridgers that were on.

Ordered Easton Arcs to replace the Scrapers. Wondering if my rims are too wide though.


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

Being new to the plus category my biggest concern is finding the sweet spot between a plush ride even on roots and rocks and avoiding damaging my rims.

I am around 207 without any gear so around 230 fully gear up (backpack included) so based on the above calculation I need 15.5 front and 17.5 rear in my 3.0 Chronicles. 

Do you think that this OK?


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

gpgalanis said:


> Being new to the plus category my biggest concern is finding the sweet spot between a plush ride even on roots and rocks and avoiding damaging my rims.
> 
> I am around 207 without any gear so around 230 fully gear up (backpack included) so based on the above calculation I need 15.5 front and 17.5 rear in my 3.0 Chronicles.
> 
> Do you think that this OK?


Depends on your riding style. If you are a rigid rider you'll want more air based on your ride experience. If you ride more limber on your bike that should serve you well. It's gonna take some ride time and experience to sort your pressure. Pressure needed will also be based on conditions present.

Give it a go!


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## Guest (Dec 30, 2016)

BansheeRune said:


> Depends on your riding style. If you are a rigid rider you'll want more air based on your ride experience. If you ride more limber on your bike that should serve you well. It's gonna take some ride time and experience to sort your pressure. Pressure needed will also be based on conditions present.
> 
> Give it a go!


give it a go joe


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

Thank you guys. I forgot to mention that I have a FS bike with 160 front and 140 rear suspension travel with tubeless tires.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

nvphatty said:


> give it a go joe


^^ What he said!



gpgalanis said:


> Thank you guys. I forgot to mention that I have a FS bike with 160 front and 140 rear suspension travel with tubeless tires.


That adds another numeral to the equation. FS can be slightly different from HT in that pressure may go slightly lower with squish.
That means a likely gain in traction and comfort.


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## Guest (Dec 30, 2016)

gpgalanis said:


> Thank you guys. I forgot to mention that I have a FS bike with 160 front and 140 rear suspension travel with tubeless tires.


as do i, which equates to trial n error. Find yourself a quality low PSI gauge to take with.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

On the gauge front, 0-15 for fat, 0-30 for + and you're good to go, so long as you have a pump as well.
I find that pressure adjustment for trail conditions makes the ride mo bettuh.

Phatty, Punkin's on the couch watching Redbull Rampage!


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

What does 0-15 and 0-30 mean?


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## Guest (Dec 30, 2016)

punkin needs the practice. come to think of it so does i...haha.


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## Guest (Dec 30, 2016)

gpgalanis said:


> What does 0-15 and 0-30 mean?


the PSI range of each gauge.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

nvphatty said:


> give it a go joe





nvphatty said:


> punkin needs the practice. come to think of it so does i...haha.


Yeah but he's sofa surfin' and you're bringing him umbrella drinks.


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## GuitsBoy (Sep 24, 2013)

I ride 15F 16R at 240 lbs geared up, 27.5 x 2.8 nobby nics on i45 rims. Not a lot of jagged rocks or drops higher than 2 feet around here. Traction is the priority.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Sounds a little soft for a rider that eats bailed hay! But then, I know a few peeps 200+ that ride with a slight squish for traction/flotation and have no issue. Sarge has both Mulefut with NN 3.0's and Sccraper i45's with RR's. Makes a change out a 30 second ordeal.


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## GuitsBoy (Sep 24, 2013)

So much has to do with the setup. I had FBNs on i35s before, and needed 16F 18R or more just to keep from rolling the tire off the rim. I'm not bottoming out the rim, so Ill take all the traction I can get. It honestly doesnt ride as mushy as one might expect.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

The wider rim translates to a lower riding pressure since the sidewalls are able to support the load better than narrow rims. 
Riding style has a huge effect on pressure choice too. Keeping it light can ride lower than riding like a clydesdale. 
I'm 160 #'s and can ride my RR liteskin's 8-12 psi based on terrain and conditions. At 15 psi they feel over inflated. 

Btw: nice avatar!


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2017)

BansheeRune said:


> Btw: nice avatar!


most folks have them, jus sayin..


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Yeah, most of em meh!

Meanwhile, Sarge and I are out riding some arroyos and having a good time. Where's Punkin? Git yer arse offa the sofa! @.-


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2017)

BansheeRune said:


> Yeah, most of em meh!
> 
> Meanwhile, Sarge and I are out riding some arroyos and having a good time. Where's Punkin? Git yer arse offa the sofa! @.-


get with the avatar Sarge.......punkin had some new zee pads installed, rotor scrubbed with ISO & redish scotch brite pad just yesterday that require burnishing now.....punkin awaits.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

So Punkin went to the bike salon!


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## abelfonseca (Dec 26, 2011)

I settled for 13.5 rear 2.8 ikon +, 11 front 3.0 nobby nick. My rims are i40 scrappers. I weigh 170 lbs nekid.


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## Guest (Jan 3, 2017)

BansheeRune said:


> So Punkin went to the bike salon!


in a matter of speaking yessir!


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Sarge was doin 10/12 psi with good conditions and lotsa rocks and shyt. Phukkin A Bubba! Traction for days and no harsh ride 
Had a blast trail rippin with fair speeds as the trail was new territory.









Good riding here with some hazards.


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

I have only two rides on my FS plus bike and I am still experimenting with the tire pressures.

I am around 220 lbs with full gear and I started with 16f 18r but the ride was rather harsh so I have reduced it to 15f 17r and then to 14f 16r and it was much better without any tire roll or squirm but on the other side it was not mind blowing plush so I wonder how much lower should I go in order to get the full plus plush experience without risking damaging my wheels etc?

My tires are the 27.5+ 3.0 Chronicles.


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## abelfonseca (Dec 26, 2011)

Keep lowering them one psi at a time until you find your sweet spot. I suspect your will be around 14 or 15 rear, 12/13 front. Carry a portable pump with you, that way if you lower them too much, just pump them up a bit.


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## paleh0rse (Jun 20, 2011)

Rider weight: 175 lbs
Nobby Nic 27.5x2.8: 12.5 F, 16.5 R


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Anything over 12 psi in my NN 3.0's and I'll be looking to replace the teeth shaken right outta my melon. The NN's are stiff casing tires and 10-12 is as high as a 160# trials rider needs. If only I could get a pair of NN's without the snakeskin to make em more lively and springy.

Yes, dead heavy springless and they're outta here...


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## hilltopcrew (Jun 30, 2010)

jpc111 said:


> Tubeless Stache 7 with Chupa's.
> 
> 215 # ready to ride
> 
> ...


Exactly my ready to ride weight, and I much prefer 11.5 psi f/r 😁


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

Dropped them to 13f 15r and performed much better but I will try also 12f in the next ride.


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## Ride&Smile (Jul 24, 2009)

Hi All,

I'm super surprised by the high pressures mentioned!

Pressure: Fr 6psi Rr 9psi
Tire widths: Knard 120tpi 29x3.0
Rider weight 224lbs Bday suit I ride in lycra because that is what we do in Holland ;-) Tubeless
Internal rim width: Stans Hugo's 49.9

I have a large Surly Krampus that weighs in at abour 13.8KG/30.6lbs
It must be said that Dutch surfaces are smooth I must say and we don't know what rocks are..


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## gr7070 (Apr 21, 2015)

Ride&Smile said:


> I'm super surprised by the high pressures mentioned!


I am surprised too.

F: 10 R: 10

220 lbs. rider only
46mm inner bead
Tubeless
HT (Stache 5, 2017)
Timid, intermediate rider
Rocky, rooty trails

For the record i just got it. Took it from bike mechanic to trails. Let some air out of both tires after eyeballing the amount of bulge on front tire and thumb squishing both tires.

Rode for two hours with a group of good riders. Tire pressure seemed like i got it just right by luck.

I checked pressures at home the next day with a new, high-quality gage, similar ambient temperature. I was shocked they were 10 psi each, but i have zero experience with plus tires and never gaged my 2.4" tire on narrow rims that i run quite low I'm sure.

By this thread i should add plenty of air. I will probably bring it up 2 each as I'm a little concerned for damage or flats???

Edit: Road very familiar trails today. The rear is definitely a little low. Will add 2 and go up our down from there. Front was pretty good. Going to add 1 and see.


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## gdb85 (Mar 4, 2017)

6'-230lb, tubeless set up...

i30-2.8 NN 13f, 15r

i38-2.8 Rekon 14f, 16r

i38-3.0 RR 14f, 16r

Yes I'm a "tard" 3 sets of wheels with different tires (hate changing tires with goop!)


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## Thustlewhumber (Nov 25, 2011)

I think once we all get Flat Tire Defenders, we will all be rocking some seriously low pressure.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

gdb85 said:


> 6'-230lb, tubeless set up...
> 
> i30-2.8 NN 13f, 15r
> 
> ...


Can't say I blame ya. with all the cleanup following, a tire change can be a marathon.

Air pressure has everything to do with conditions present as well as rider/bike weight and riding style. (Clydes or finesse)
West coast beach as low as they go, rock garden air up fairly stiff.


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

I only have a handful of rides so far, been around 15 on the bucksaw. 165-170ish with gear.
I'll start dropping a psi or two each ride coming up.


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## phidauex (Apr 17, 2013)

I tried out "the formula" today and landed at 9 and 11 psi on 3.0s (rider weight 135lbs). Felt good! Got a little self steer on pavement and very hard pack, but on everything else it felt better than the 12 I had been running. Looking forward to more experimentation.


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

I think that the only way would be to go too low (or too high) before you understand what works for you. I am 85 kg and I was running 13f 15r on my NN 3.0 but after a friend's recommendation I dropped it to 11f 14r and it seems to work even better.


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## hwcn (Jul 31, 2010)

200lbs fully suited
50mm external width rims
29+f/27+r
Front tire:WTB Ranger 29x3.0 @ 10psi
Rear tire: Schalbe RR 27x3.0 @ 14.5psi


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## gr7070 (Apr 21, 2015)

phidauex said:


> Got a little self steer on pavement and very hard pack, but on everything else it felt better


I've never heard that term before, but that's a great description of what I experienced, as well. I'd turn and at some point the front tire would continue want turn further almost on its own accord. It would force overstearing in some turns.


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## phidauex (Apr 17, 2013)

gr7070 said:


> I've never heard that term before, but that's a great description of what I experienced, as well. I'd turn and at some point the front tire would continue want turn further almost on its own accord. It would force overstearing in some turns.


That sensation is one of the few negatives of the larger tire size, at least a certain pressures. At some point you have so much traction that the tire develops a mind of its own. But on Specialized Ground Control 3.0s, I didn't start to sense it until 9psi, and even then, only on pavement or hardpack that was very close to pavement.


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## stumpynerd (Oct 8, 2012)

Ride&Smile said:


> Hi All,
> 
> I'm super surprised by the high pressures mentioned!
> 
> ...


Whew. If I ran that low of pressure Id destroy my rims. Im in the north edge of Rockies however


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## Shark (Feb 4, 2006)

Tried 14psi today....getting better! no tire roll/squirm and more grip.


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

What is the recommended psi difference between 2.8 and 3.0 tires for the same rider?


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

I've settled on about 14.5/16 psi for the DHF/HRII for now. 

Tried running them a little higher at first, but didn't find much benefit to it.


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

Thank you. What is your weight?


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## Smithhammer (Jul 18, 2015)

gpgalanis said:


> Thank you. What is your weight?


170lbs.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

gpgalanis said:


> What is the recommended psi difference between 2.8 and 3.0 tires for the same rider?


This is a very subjective topic. Rider weight, riding style and terrain all factor in. Some peeps like the rock hard tire feel and others like a softer feel, etc.
Best advice is to air up to 18-20 and drop pressure in 1 psi increments til you find the golden pressure for the terrain and riding style. This can be different depending on the ride and place. +bikes are nearly as sensitive to pressure change as a real fatbike.

Being a 160# rider with a trials background, I run lower pressure than a clydes could dream of getting away with. Max psi in 3.0's is 14 psi. On the sand I can go 5f, 7r and float along just fine, yet on the rocks 10f 12r and away I go. Do I squish em, yup... Do I rim out, nope. Object of the game is to not be that bull in a china shop. Finesse and style count, don'tcha know!!


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## gpgalanis (Apr 7, 2015)

Thanks guys. I am almost 200 lbs and I run my NN 3.0 on the soft side with 11 front and 14 rear without any issues but I am expecting my DHF 2.8 so I will most probably have to increase psi a bit.

I found this online (I think it is from Pivot)


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Hope the tire pressure cops don't arrest me!! lol


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## teknorob (Apr 12, 2014)

rider weight/ Height: 165lbs/ 5ft7inch
Riding: techy rooty loamy (now rocks to speak of) single track and 1-3 minute steep techy down hills
Bike: Ibis Mojo 3 Medium
27.5 Derby 40mm internal rims running tubeless
Nobby Nic Trailstar 2.8 Front: 15psi
Nobby Nic Pacestar 2.8 Rear: 16 psi / Rocket Ron 2.8 16psi

Been riding this combination for about 8 months in all types of weather, although dryer than usual spring/ summer in UK. Rolling is noticably quicker with the RR, on the back with so far very little trade off in grip compared to NN, even in the the wet. RR qets a bit squirrelly in sand as you expect.

We dont have a lot of sharp rocks so i've not any issues with hardiness, apart from a couple of very small pin pricks on the RR which stans sealed without any noticable airloss. I've not noticed any squirming with either set up.

Taking the bike out to Spain for 3 weeks in august and ive indulged in a a High Roller 2.8 for the front and Rekon for the back as its a lot rougher and the descents are 10-20 minutes for fast sharp rocks with roots too. Taking the NNs just in case but cant wait to see how the maxxis go.


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## defy1 (Jul 9, 2017)

155 pounds
2.8 on 35 rims tubeless
Run 12-13F
15-16 rear


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## joeychitwood (Jul 10, 2017)

I weigh 155 pounds and am fairly new to the sport. Running 10 pounds in the front and 12 in the rear on my Fuel EX5 27.5+. I don't have enough experience to start dialing it in yet, but I appreciate reading what others are running.


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## proecadgod (Jun 8, 2011)

Just got a SC Hightower 27.5+. (2.8's f&r) Started out with 20psi, but based on my weight (192) and what others were doing I adjusted it down to 15 front and 16 rear. Ride improved a lot and I haven't changed it for about a month of riding. 

My next step is to try running 14 front and 15 rear. If that works out with no problems I'll perhaps try going a little lower.

By the way...I live in Central Massachusetts and the trails are rooty and rocky so the lower pressure is key.


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## proecadgod (Jun 8, 2011)

Update:

Ran 14psi front and 15 psi rear and didn't have an issues. Bike handled great and we did a 14 mile loop on some really nasty large rocky and rooted single track with lots drops and switchbacks. Also seemed like I could have gone a little lower.

I'm thinking about dropping down a little more to 13 front and 14 rear. By the way my body weight without gear is 192lbs. 

I'll keep you posted on the next run.


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## 53sled (Mar 11, 2016)

I was running 25f 28r on my 27.5 x 3 beartooth. think i got a pinch flat up front riding very rocky section at Landahl (near Kansas City )
240lbs suited up. was my first ride other than up and down the block.

hoping it was a fluke.
haven't fixed yet started raining and had to get my kid home.
tire was still on the bead after pushing it for maybe a half mile while it still had some air.
stock setup 

WHEELSET
Vera Terra PLUS XM35 rims 32h, 

TIRES
Vera Eos, 27.5" x 3.0", 60tpi


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## proecadgod (Jun 8, 2011)

25 front and 28 rear is too much even at 240lbs. I'd dial it down to 17-19psi and see if you get side wall squirm.



53sled said:


> I was running 25f 28r on my 27.5 x 3 beartooth. think i got a pinch flat up front riding very rocky section at Landahl (near Kansas City )
> 240lbs suited up. was my first ride other than up and down the block.
> 
> hoping it was a fluke.
> ...


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## jct (Mar 26, 2004)

bike: jabberwocky rigid SS 32:19
RimS: Bontrager line plus 39mm internal
tires: 3" chupas
weight: 200

front: 11psi
rear: 12-13psi

local terrain is Santa Cruz all over. i used to ride 10/11 front and rear but have bumped a little bit for more speed.

works for me.


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## 53sled (Mar 11, 2016)

proecadgod said:


> 25 front and 28 rear is too much even at 240lbs. I'd dial it down to 17-19psi and see if you get side wall squirm.


I used to run over 30 psi on my 26" DJ bike. so I am very slowly modifying my riding and pressure. Only got an hour before the flat happened. My son has a 20" mtb and I have him in the same 30psi range. Need to make sure I carry spares next time.
But I wasn't nearly as tired as trying to muscle a single speed DJ bike around the trail even at a kid pace.

I will probably do a tubeless over winter, maybe go to a tougher 2.8 Maxxis F/R


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## Impetus (Aug 10, 2014)

I run high enough to minimize sidewall squirm, but low enough to not feel like a basketball.
What numbers actually read on the gauge to make that happen I've found will depend on what tire, what rim, how long it's been since it rained (dry dirt/loose dirt), and to some degree the air temperature.

at 160#, on 43mm internal carbon rims I generally find that 9 to 11 psi works well in the front for rigid fork, and add a pound on the days I have the Reba on.
For the rear, it's usually 12-13 psi. 

I've used Knards, Rangers, Bombolonis' and currently on Chronicles. I'm pretty sure my next front tire will be a 3.0 Minion unless I can source one of those new Vittoria Cannoli's.


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## hwcn (Jul 31, 2010)

195lbs.

29x3.0 WTB Ranger front 10.5 psi
27.5x3.0 WTB Ranger rear 14.5 psi


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## Dr Evil (Sep 20, 2015)

160 lbs. with gear on my 2017 Fuel EX-8 plus bike. Switched from the stock Chupacabra's to Maxxis Minion DHF/DHR II 2.8's. Rode the other day at 16 front 18 rear. I plan on dropping 1 psi front and rear for the next few rides to experiment and dial it in. I'm sure I can go lower.


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## 53sled (Mar 11, 2016)

proecadgod said:


> 25 front and 28 rear is too much even at 240lbs. I'd dial it down to 17-19psi and see if you get side wall squirm.


sidewall says 25 to 35 psi. I'm scared to get another pinch flat. nothing but roots and rocks here. I think these tires are very light as the sidewall wrinkles like a dragster.


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## alexdi (Jun 25, 2016)

WTB Ranger 29x3 Light
39i rim tubeless
175 lbs in gear
XC trails
14 PSI (front)

Any lower makes the bike reluctant to turn. Really low (<10 PSI for me) makes it near-unrideable, though the straight-line traction is unbelievable.

This particular tire has been astonishingly durable. It feels like tissue paper, but hasn't flatted in 500 miles of rocky, rooty singletrack. Knock on wood.


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## goforbroke (Nov 11, 2008)

Custom steel HT, tubeless setup with me weighing 235lbs.

Wheels DT Swiss XM551 40mm internal 
Front tire: Maxxis highroller II 27.5x3.00 15psi
Rear tire: Specialized Purgatory Grid 2Bliss 27x.5x3.00 20psi 

I had RocketRons 27.5x3.00 on before the above setup and removed them. The lack of traction in turns and handling the chunky stuff turned me off to them.

Since were all tire pressure junkies I found a new tire gauge that reads accurately and can take a beating, better then the accu gauges we all use.0 I’ve been using a Joe’s racing 30PSI tire gauge(bought on amazon) that is a schrader valve equipped but I use a Presta to schrader connector and it works great. Still waiting for Jaco to come out with a gauge for bikes or something lower then 60PSI. 

It’s a toss up with the accu-gauges. I have one (15psi) that is two years old and works great still, while the new one I bought (30psi) has been dropped once with the protective shell on and won’t zero out anymore. It “zeros” out at 3psi which was annoying as hell.


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## wilson1417 (Mar 25, 2009)

27.5+
WTB scraper 45i
WTB ranger 3.0
10 front
11-12 rear
165lbs

29+
Duroc 50
Chupacabra 3.0
8-9 front
10-11 Rear


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## c_trail_biker (Aug 12, 2010)

53sled said:


> sidewall says 25 to 35 psi. I'm scared to get another pinch flat. nothing but roots and rocks here. I think these tires are very light as the sidewall wrinkles like a dragster.


Your gage may be off. On my bontrager floor pump 20 is really 30psi, and at the lower pressures is completely useless. I have a digital sks and that is better, but will sometimes read low if air escapes around the valve. You might want to swing by your LBS and ask to borrow their gage for a second see what it reads.


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## HEMIjer (Jul 17, 2008)

Stache 180 pounds. with Line pro 41mm internal

Chuppa front - 10-11 psi, do not feel need to go higher or lower
Chuppa rear - 13 - 14 psi 

mulefats 50s

Chuppa front - 12 psi
Chuppa rear - 14-15 psi
WTB Ranger 3.0 light on rear - 14-16 psi - Sidewall did seem to flex slightly more than the Chuppa with lower range of PSI

In general though I do realize Plus tires have a lower range of fully usable PSI but I can generally do the feel method sometimes will stop and let a little out.


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## NesquikNinja (May 7, 2013)

Is it a problem to adjust the tire pressure up and down frequently when running tubeless? I assume I can just put the valve stem at the top?

I'm running about 20 PSI on my Krampus because I'm riding mostly pavement. Curious if I can adjust it up and down when venturing on/off pavement. Both set up tubeless with stans.


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## bachman1961 (Oct 9, 2013)

Still with tubes, kind of stubborn that way but reason based on no problems (yet) with flats. My bike is still on the N.Nics 27.5 x 3.0 and I run 16 to 17 front (have tried a bit lower too) Rear is 18 to 22 usually. 

I find it it easier to start a bit high and the way the bike responds helps remind me to consider bleeding some off as needed per venue or trail conditions. 
A good quality lower range analog gauge like 0 - 30 psi is easy work to get accurate vitals.


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## chelboed (Jul 29, 2005)

Just spent a few min inputting data from page 1:


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Guess I can't do it! I weigh 160 and don't qualify! -.-

Trail, trials and various. 8-12 with 27.7x3.0's


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## Negotiator50 (Apr 21, 2012)

chelboed said:


> Just spent a few min inputting data from page 1:
> View attachment 1163799


Wow!!! Thank you. This is so helpful.

I would suggest that we also identify the type of tire from now on.

For me, 27.5 x 3 rocket Ron's. 205 lb on the scale. 14 front. 16 rear. Trail.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk


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## Weaponized (Oct 22, 2017)

Still getting my new bike dialed in but...

27.5 X 2.8 Maxxis Rekon's
Yeti SB5+

20.5 rear
19.5 front

Weight with day pack 225lbs. It feels quite good at these pressures but I barely have 20 miles on my new bike so I'm sure I'll be tweaking as I see the need. Riding is pretty tight single track with lots of roots.


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## Dr Evil (Sep 20, 2015)

So after riding on Saturday at 15 front and 17 rear on my 2.8 DHF/DHR II 2017 EX-8 27.5+ at 166 lbs with gear I still felt like I was bouncing a bit off of rocks at Elm Ridge's single track trails. I dropped down to 12 front and 13 rear at the end of the ride and tested it out for a very short time. Man, what a difference. Will try that this weekend although this being the second ride switching from Chupacabras to the Maxxis I did notice I am a bit slower. Even though I am not racing I hate getting left in the rear when riding with my friends. Traction is way better over the Chupas but not liking having to keep up now all of the sudden. Will try out Bontrager XR4 team issues when my LBS gets the 2.8's at the end of November. They seem to be a happy medium between the lighter less grippy Chupas and the heavier more grippy Maxxis's.


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## C.A.S.H. (Jun 23, 2010)

Depending on where I ride either 15 f/17 r or 16.5 f/18r on 3.0 Purgatorys. Getting ready to sell my Stumpy 6fattie as I'm going back to a hard tail plus bike. I'm going with 2.8 Minion/Rekon combo so I'll have to experiment with that.


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## 53sled (Mar 11, 2016)

mine is a bontrager as well. may need to get a new gauge. going tubeless asap got another flat ftar this weekend.


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## BansheeRune (Nov 27, 2011)

Dr Evil said:


> So after riding on Saturday at 15 front and 17 rear on my 2.8 DHF/DHR II 2017 EX-8 27.5+ at 166 lbs with gear I still felt like I was bouncing a bit off of rocks at Elm Ridge's single track trails. I dropped down to 12 front and 13 rear at the end of the ride and tested it out for a very short time. Man, what a difference. Will try that this weekend although this being the second ride switching from Chupacabras to the Maxxis I did notice I am a bit slower. Even though I am not racing I hate getting left in the rear when riding with my friends. Traction is way better over the Chupas but not liking having to keep up now all of the sudden. Will try out Bontrager XR4 team issues when my LBS gets the 2.8's at the end of November. They seem to be a happy medium between the lighter less grippy Chupas and the heavier more grippy Maxxis's.


I feel your pain on the different tires and their performance. My Nobby Nic 3.0's are noticeable in many ways. Yes, traction is amazing. But the hit to fuel economy is big at the same time. I also have a pair of Rocket Ron 3.0's that hole they roll fast and are easy on the fuel economy, their traction is not as good as the Nobby Nic's. I weigh in at 160-165 and run em 8-12 psi dependent on terrain and such.


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## wthomas (Feb 24, 2009)

Interesting. The pressures I found that work best for me are 16 front, 18 rear with Maxxis DHF/DHR 2.8's. I'm about 205-210 with riding gear.


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## edt (Mar 13, 2017)

PSI: 11-12 f / 12-14 r
Weight: 170-175lbs w/gear
Tires: Maxxis Rekon 2.8 120 tpi
Rim IW: 35mm
Bike: Giant XtC Advanced hard tail w/120mm fork

15-17 psi works well for gnarlier trails but the ride becomes rubbish.
Too much tire deflection/harness for my preference.


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## Dr Evil (Sep 20, 2015)

Changed out my DHF/DHR for Rekon (2.8) front and rear (27.5+ 120 tpi). 12f/14r seemed good but I may play with it a bit next season and try 11/13. Enjoy the less rolling resistance and don't feel I sacrificed much on grip or braking.


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## TrekWarMachine (Jul 26, 2017)

Trek Stache 5 (2018)

Chupacabras Tubeless (Stock: 29" x 3.0")

165 lbs

10 front / 11 rear (Accu-gauge 15 psi meter)


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## s0ckeyeus (Jun 20, 2008)

I've been upping my pressures as time goes by. Right now I'm doing 14.5 PSI in the front and 17 PSI in the back. I lose out a bit on traction over roots and rocks, but I don't lose as much energy pumping stuff and don't have to worry as much about rim strikes. I weigh around 175 lbs and ride WTB Rangers (3.0 front, 2.8 rear) on i40 rims.


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## c41xracer (Sep 2, 2017)

2017 stumpy 6 Fattie FS
I'm 215 with out gear and wheels are 35mm ID
27.5 3" High roller front 18 psi
27.5 3" Purgatory rear 21 psi

27.5 2.8 High Roller Front 20 psi
27.5 2.8 Recon+ rear 22 psi


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## Libikerdad (Nov 18, 2017)

Me 175 LBS riding wieght

2017 stache 7 line pro 40 wheels, 29x3 dhr2 front tire 10psi, 29x3 chupacabra rear 11.5 psi

2018 mojo 3, ibis carbon 742 rims
27.5x 2.6 dhf front 15psi, 27.5x 2.6 recon rear 18psi


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## c41xracer (Sep 2, 2017)

Found this chart...........


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