[lawrence]

I'm a road rider and someone gave me a set of cyclocross wheels and tires. I'm going to put them on my road bike, I have enough room with the brake calipers, and do some recreational smooth path riding along a river that gets used by all different types of recreational riders, a graded fine gravel but maybe some dips and some holes which I will do my best to avoid.

What tire pressure should a 105 lb. rider and a 211 lb. rider use on these paths?

 

[pretender]

80 psi

 

[krisdrum]

79 psi

 

[pretender]

79 psi

Pinch flats!

 

[cyclevt]

In all Seriousness...

When I know I'm going to be on my cross bike on paved surfaces or hard pack smooth dirt, I'll go to the maximum recommended pressure as printed on the tire. There's no danger going lower except for pinch flats and denting a rime at the mid/high 20s or low 30s.

Cross bikes and tire really offer a wide variety of options.

 

[Spanky_88007]

I go 230 lbs and have always ridden 60-65ish on and mild off road, as well as some singletrack. I can keep up 19 mph for a pretty good stretch on pavement and only a little less on gravel with that pressure. I've never pinch flatted.

 

[krisdrum]

Pinch flats!

79.5? 80 just seems overkill.

 

[krisdrum]

I'm a road rider and someone gave me a set of cyclocross wheels and tires. I'm going to put them on my road bike, I have enough room with the brake calipers, and do some recreational smooth path riding along a river that gets used by all different types of recreational riders, a graded fine gravel but maybe some dips and some holes which I will do my best to avoid.

What tire pressure should a 105 lb. rider and a 211 lb. rider use on these paths?

Seriously? Seriously.

1) Under the conditions you describe, there is no need for a cyclocross tire. A slighter wider road tire, maybe, but even then, not necessary
2) Asking for tire pressure for such a wide range of rider weight without more information is difficult
3) What size are the tires? What kind of tread pattern? What are you after? Increaded comfort? Speed? Handling?

If they fit on a road bike, they must not be that wide, unless you have some freak of a road bike or something that is older and has increased tire clearance. Even then I'd imagine they can't be more than a 28 or 30.

 

[lawrence]

The tires are 32 or 35 and I have a set of cyclocross rims for them. They'll fit my bike as I have long reach road calipers and I have plenty of room. The bike is 5 years old and has Tektra brakes. I don't want to use a slightly wider road tire because I don't have one and I have the cyclocross tires, but I do agree with you, the wider tires would be fine for this ride. I've even ridden on 23s and 25s on these type of paths but I want the extra traction and softness of these tires. Speed is minor but I don't want 20 lbs in these tires as speed will be dramatically affected. I want to be comfortable but yet keep up with my friends on this ride. Some will have MTB, others comfort bike, some will have road bikes, and one will have a tandem with 35 road tires,

What more information about weight do you need? female 105 lbs or so, male 211. She has a cyclocross bike with cyclocross tires and the cyclocross type brakes and I have a road bike with cyclocross tires and wheels and road brakes. My road bike, the cyclocross tires are a fine small cross hatched type pattern, small squares, and they are brand new.

 

[krisdrum]

The tires are 32 or 35 and I have a set of cyclocross rims for them. They'll fit my bike as I have long reach road calipers and I have plenty of room. The bike is 5 years old and has Tektra brakes. I don't want to use a slightly wider road tire because I don't have one and I have the cyclocross tires, but I do agree with you, the wider tires would be fine for this ride. I've even ridden on 23s and 25s on these type of paths but I want the extra traction and softness of these tires. Speed is minor but I don't want 20 lbs in these tires as speed will be dramatically affected. I want to be comfortable but yet keep up with my friends on this ride. Some will have MTB, others comfort bike, some will have road bikes, and one will have a tandem with 35 road tires,

What more information about weight do you need? female 105 lbs or so, male 211. She has a cyclocross bike with cyclocross tires and the cyclocross type brakes and I have a road bike with cyclocross tires and wheels and road brakes. My road bike, the cyclocross tires are a fine small cross hatched type pattern, small squares, and they are brand new.

Ok, so based on that, I'd go towards the recommended upper limit psi on the sidewall for you and towards the bottom of the recommended psi for the lady. That's probably about 80 and 50, respectively. Need more comfort, pull over, give the valve a quick tap to let some air out and repeat until you get the comfort you are after.

 

[c-lo]

tire pressure is highly over rated. from everything I've read and studied over the years it's all about technique on the bike. look for the flat spots.....BE the flat spots....AVOID the rocks.