With tubeless, if I go too low psi (relative to my weight and other factors), how will this handle sharp cornering over gravel and dirt? Can it lead to squirm or other downsides?
I ask because I’m used to running tubeless over poor pavement, gravel roads that are relatively straight. And the lower psi provides more comfort from my experience. But on more technical terrain (not rocky or roots, just steep and twisty) should I run more psi, same or less?
I’ll go out and test when spring is here but for now I’m curious about how tire pressure works in general, and if too low affects handling on such terrain and what if any are the benefits of lower.
My $.02: is that yes, at some point lowering tire pressure will yield handling that isn't confident and also you risk rim strike on rocks etc. My advice would be to play with pressure during a ride and when you find something you like, ride with it and measure when you are done. Different trails and conditions will warrant different pressures; there no right answer.. When I'm riding a new route, I will pump up to the higher side of what I think I may want knowing that it is a lot easier to let a bit of air out than adding some back.. My tolerance for being bounced around varies as well and that influences it too..
Noonievut wrote:With tubeless, if I go too low psi (relative to my weight and other factors), how will this handle sharp cornering over gravel and dirt? Can it lead to squirm or other downsides?
I ask because I’m used to running tubeless over poor pavement, gravel roads that are relatively straight. And the lower psi provides more comfort from my experience. But on more technical terrain (not rocky or roots, just steep and twisty) should I run more psi, same or less?
I’ll go out and test when spring is here but for now I’m curious about how tire pressure works in general, and if too low affects handling on such terrain and what if any are the benefits of lower.
lower the pressures until you are getting rim strikes or the tires are squirmy when cornering.
IME the squirm happens at lower pressure on loose/rough terrain than on hard surfaces.
in general, the lower pressures give more grip, control and comfort
I have had a much longer hx with MTB and lower pressures (as low as 10 range on 3.0 in tires) on my mid fat bike. On my gravel bikes, there is much less tire volumn to keep tire on the rim and prevent rim strikes. So, for gravel 40-42 mm tires, I run somewhere in the 25-32 psi range depending on how much rock exposure that I anticipate. I am 5'8" 175#. I don't go much below that for my size because once you feel the squirmy feeling I think you could pop the tire off the rim on a tight corner or tear a sidewall on rocks, which I have had happen. Ride softening and trail grip is pretty good in these psi ranges also.
