The Importance of Air Pressure

Just as with your car tires, proper inflation pressure is very important to how your bicycle tires perform and last. And as with car tires, the most important variable that affects what the proper pressure should be is the load your tires are asked to carry.Thanks to more than a century of tire technology research, Michelin engineers have found that there's a certain amount of deflection in the tire profile that's optimal for balancing grip, efficiency, comfort and durability. That deflection is based on the tire's construction and the weight of the rider. Obviously, your style of riding can have an effect too, but the chart below should give you a reasonable guide of where to start when experimenting to find the proper tire pressure for you.