Ask RMCyclist: Tire Pressure for Heavier Rider

How do you fill your tires so they won’t pop if you are a heavier than average person?

Miss V, Central Maple Ridge

David replies:

I usually inflate tires within 5 psi of the labelled maximum pressure to reduce snake bite flats. I have a pump with a gauge fit to it. But I also carry a basic tire gauge with me when I cycle. If you don’t have a gauge you could go to a gas station or even a bike shop.

Tires suitable for riding the dykes usually have a maximum pressure rating of 65 psi. I weigh 160 lbs and like a firm ride. So I inflate the tires on my ebike to 60 psi. 

For a heavier rider I would inflate the tires to the maximum to reduce the possibility of them bottoming out on the rim on rough terrain. I might even inflate to 170 psi for a heavy rider.

As a long time roadie I am used to riding tires at 110 psi or higher. I’ve never had problems. But I always assume that what I think I know could be wrong or that someone has a better approach. It’s not about being right. Its about getting it right.

(Image: The High Fin Sperm Whale, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons)