The air pressure of your bicycle tire has an enormous impact on the bike's handling, comfort, and rolling resistance. In other words: the tire pressure determines how a bike or e-bike feels. If you want to get the best performance out of your bike, you should invest some time in determining the appropriate air pressure. In our comprehensive guide on the topic of "air in tires," you'll learn how much pressure you can apply to your wheels, and we also have a table with recommended values for you.
There is a recommended tire pressure for every cycling discipline. Additionally, the tire manufacturer recommends a maximum allowable air pressure.
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This gives you some leeway to adjust your city bike, gravel bike, road bike, trekking bike, or MTB to your preferences. |
What's the benefit? 👉 With the air pump in hand, you can quickly and cheaply optimize features like performance, road holding, durability, efficiency, and safety.
Overview of Tire Air Pressure
Did you know that pneumatic tires were invented to make the ride less bumpy? They were initially meant to cushion, nothing more. The impact on driving characteristics only became apparent later.
High Air Pressure in Bicycle Tires
A high air pressure supports the tire sidewalls and brings stability to the tire, the wheel, and thus the entire bicycle. Especially tires with conventional tubes are less prone to punctures with higher air pressure. Blowouts, which sometimes hit the rim, generally do not occur at increased air pressure. In addition to improved stability, you can also enjoy a lower rolling resistance with more tire pressure – the bicycle rides more easily as less material sticks to the road. Due to the reduced contact area of the tire, there is less friction, and the bike rolls better. However, this advantage also comes with a disadvantage: you lose grip due to the smaller contact area with the ground.
Low Tire Pressure Feels Different!
Low air pressure causes the stability of the tire walls to diminish, but on the other hand, it provides enormous grip on the ground. With the increased contact area of the tire, the bike practically sticks to the ground. If you overdo it here, it's hard to get going. The tire is under less pressure, which reduces stability; in the worst case, the bike feels spongy. Due to the unstable tire sidewalls, the tire floats and wobbles, resulting in an insecure riding feeling despite the high grip.
Please Don't: Too Much & Too Little Tire Pressure
Is there too much air pressure? Tires should cushion, not bounce!
A tire filled too tightly bounces formally over the ground. You feel every bump, cobblestones, roots, and stones come directly to the intervertebral discs. This is particularly noticeable on otherwise unsprung bicycles like gravel bikes, urban bikes, or mountain bike hardtails. Due to the bouncing tire, you additionally lose grip and control.
Too little air pressure in the tires
A significantly too low tire pressure is particularly not recommended for tube systems . The dreaded "punctures" or snake bites happen quickly here, the tire compresses completely over bumps down to the rim. The result: the tire gets pinched by the rim and the rims get nicks. With tubeless tires, a tire foam can provide protection against punctures, but even here there must not be too little air!
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Low air pressure |
High air pressure |
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✅ good grip, thus more traction |
✅ less rolling resistance |
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✅ higher comfort due to more self-damping of the tires |
✅ good puncture protection |
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✅ higher rolling resistance |
✅ better stability in the tire |
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❌ spongy riding feeling |
❌ less damping |
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❌ lower puncture protection |
❌ less control |
Here is our tried and tested rule of thumb:
➜ On smooth, dry roads, you ride more efficiently with higher pressure.
➜ On uneven, difficult surfaces and in wet conditions, you have better grip with less tire pressure.
§ Are there regulations regarding tire pressure?
For car tires, there is a manufacturer's specification, how does it look for bicycles?
➽ For bicycle tires, no ideal air pressure is prescribed, the producer only states a maximum load or a recommended range . You will find this value next to the tire size, brand, and type designation on the tire sidewall – not only for bicycle tires but also for tires with e-bike approval.
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There is no universal value for the correct pressure in bicycle tires. |
🤔How do I find the right tire pressure for my bike?
The optimal tire pressure is always a mix influenced by many different factors:
- the desired riding characteristics (see above) and preferences
- the type of bicycle
- rider's weight
- riding style
- surface
- weather conditions
- choice of tire
- tube or tubeless
- purpose – training, racing, leisure...
Basically, a portion of experience is always required. The right tire pressure is best determined through extensive testing.
- Grab a pump with a pressure gauge and find a test track similar to your usual routes.
- Inflate the tire to the maximum allowed pressure (you will find recommendations for different bicycle types in the table below).
- Take a lap and pay attention to the riding characteristics.
- Gradually reduce the pressure in a controlled manner to feel the differences.
📋 Checklist: Is the tire pressure correct?
Here are a few questions to help you find the right tire pressure:
- Do I have enough grip in corners?
- How well does my bicycle tire roll?
- How does the tire behave with obstacles like roots and stones?
- Do I feel safe, or is the bike too spongy?
- Do I have enough air in the tire to largely prevent rim strikes?
MTB, Road Bike, Gravel & Co. – How much Bar/PSI should be in the tires?
Please note:
- Depending on tire width or size, the tire pressure can vary by a few Bar/PSI.
- The width of the rim also plays a role in the optimal air pressure of the bicycle tires.
- Increase or decrease by about 1 PSI per +/- 5 kg body weight.
- Our table assumes a rider weight of about 80 kg.
- Since more weight is on the rear wheel, higher values are recommended here.
| Which bicycle? |
Bar/PSI front tube |
Bar/PSI rear tube |
Bar/PSI front tubeless |
Bar/PSI rear tubeless |
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MTB (wide tires) |
2.3 Bar/ 33 PSI |
2.5 Bar/ 36 PSI |
1.8 Bar/ 26 PSI |
2.0 Bar / 29 PSI |
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Road bike (particularly narrow tires) |
5.2 Bar/ 74 PSI |
5.9 Bar / 86 PSI |
4.5 Bar/ 65 PSI |
5.2 Bar/ 75 PSI |
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Gravel bike (narrow to medium tire width) |
3.5 Bar / 50 PSI |
3.7 Bar / 53 PSI |
2.7 Bar/ 39 PSI |
2.8 Bar/ 40 PSI |
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City bike (medium tire width) |
3.8 Bar / 55 PSI |
4 Bar / 58 PSI |
3.5 Bar / 50 PSI |
3.8 Bar / 55 PSI |
Tire pressure by type of bicycle in the overview
Tire pressure E-Bike
Attention! Since there is no "the E-Bike", similar values apply here as with Bio-MTB, Bio-Gravel, or Bio-City bikes. However, you should consider the higher weight of electric bikes.
Especially City E-Bikes are often on the road with too flat tires according to our experience. With a regular bicycle, you notice when the tire pressure decreases because the bike becomes harder to ride. With the E-Bike, the drive compensates for this. Therefore: Regularly check tire pressure!
Tubeless vs. Tube – what you should consider!
The recommended pressure for tubeless tires is generally about 1 Bar (approx. 15 PSI) lower than for comparable tube systems.
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Important! Our table gives you an overview, the actual tire pressure depends on the exact tire width, the weight of the rider, and other factors. |
Tire pressure on the bicycle – FAQs
Tire pressure – what units are there?
The air pressure in bicycle tires is measured in Bar or PSI (pounds per square inch) (Image © Topeak)
What measuring devices can I use to determine the correct air pressure?
A thumb press is enough? This type of pressure measurement is only recommended for rarely used leisure bikes! There are several ways to check the air pressure more accurately:
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A floor pump with an integrated pressure gauge is highly recommended because you don't need any additional devices and steps. The display tells you directly while inflating how much tire pressure is reached (Image © SKS) |
Even mini pumps can be equipped with a pressure gauge today (Image © Topeak) |
For a CO2 inflator, you usually need a separate measuring device (Image © Peatys) |
Digital and extremely precise – the separate pressure gauge is especially worthwhile for ambitious athletes (Image © Dynamic) |
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❄️☀️ Once tire pressure – always tire pressure? When should you adjust the tire pressure to the conditions?
Here is a tip from the BMO editorial team: Check the pressure on your bicycle tires regularly. There are a few reasons for this:
- The air pressure changes with the temperature. When the weather becomes warmer or colder, it can fluctuate. Therefore, it is worth checking the tire pressure according to the season.
- In winter you have better grip with slightly less air pressure.
- Not only with the seasons does the optimal air pressure change, but also with significantly changed weather conditions an adjustment of the tire pressure can be sensible. You can probably run a higher tire pressure on dry track conditions, while a lower air pressure offers more grip on wet ground.
- Bicycle tires lose air over time. Therefore, you should check the tire pressure regularly. It also depends on how often you use your bike; weekly or monthly is a recommended interval.
- For a tour with additional weight you should adjust the tire pressure.
- When changing a tire, you must of course adjust the pressure or determine a new ideal air pressure.
You can find much more information in the other parts of our tire series:
