TireDial › Gravel tire pressure
Tire pressure chart
Gravel tire pressure
On a gravel bike, your weight, your tire width and above all the surface decide the right pressure. This chart gives starting pressures for the front and rear, calculated with the TireDial app’s model.
Example: 70 kg (154 lb) rider, 40 mm tubeless tires, mixed gravel
33 PSI front · 37 PSI rear
2.3 bar front · 2.6 bar rear
Gravel tire pressure chart
Row: your weight without the bike. Column: the width printed on the tire. Each cell shows front / rear pressure.
| Rider weight | 35 mm | 38 mm | 40 mm | 45 mm | 50 mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg 110 lb | 33 / 37 | 30 / 33 | 28 / 31 | 24 / 27 | 21 / 24 |
| 60 kg 132 lb | 36 / 41 | 33 / 37 | 31 / 35 | 27 / 30 | 23 / 26 |
| 70 kg 154 lb | 39 / 44 | 35 / 40 | 33 / 37 | 29 / 32 | 25 / 28 |
| 80 kg 176 lb | 42 / 47 | 38 / 43 | 36 / 40 | 31 / 35 | 27 / 31 |
| 90 kg 198 lb | 45 / 50 | 40 / 46 | 38 / 43 | 33 / 37 | 29 / 33 |
| 100 kg 220 lb | 47 / 53 | 43 / 48 | 40 / 45 | 35 / 39 | 31 / 35 |
| 110 kg 243 lb | 50 / 56 | 45 / 51 | 42 / 48 | 37 / 41 | 32 / 36 |
Show the chart in bar
| Rider weight | 35 mm | 38 mm | 40 mm | 45 mm | 50 mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg 110 lb | 2.3 / 2.5 | 2.0 / 2.3 | 1.9 / 2.2 | 1.7 / 1.9 | 1.5 / 1.6 |
| 60 kg 132 lb | 2.5 / 2.8 | 2.2 / 2.5 | 2.1 / 2.4 | 1.8 / 2.1 | 1.6 / 1.8 |
| 70 kg 154 lb | 2.7 / 3.0 | 2.4 / 2.7 | 2.3 / 2.6 | 2.0 / 2.2 | 1.7 / 2.0 |
| 80 kg 176 lb | 2.9 / 3.3 | 2.6 / 3.0 | 2.5 / 2.8 | 2.1 / 2.4 | 1.9 / 2.1 |
| 90 kg 198 lb | 3.1 / 3.5 | 2.8 / 3.1 | 2.6 / 3.0 | 2.3 / 2.6 | 2.0 / 2.2 |
| 100 kg 220 lb | 3.3 / 3.7 | 3.0 / 3.3 | 2.8 / 3.1 | 2.4 / 2.7 | 2.1 / 2.4 |
| 110 kg 243 lb | 3.4 / 3.9 | 3.1 / 3.5 | 2.9 / 3.3 | 2.5 / 2.9 | 2.2 / 2.5 |
Assumes tubeless, a 9 kg (20 lb) bike, 25 mm internal rim width, standard casing, dry mixed gravel and 45% of the weight on the front wheel. Rounded to 1 PSI or 0.1 bar.
Your exact pressure in seconds. The TireDial tire pressure calculator uses your weight, your bike, your measured tire and rim width and your maximum pressure, front and rear separately. Free for iPhone.
Adjusting the pressure
The chart covers the default assumptions. If your ride differs, adjust the chart value by these factors. Example: with a butyl tube, 60 PSI becomes 63 PSI. Multiple factors multiply.
| Condition | |
|---|---|
| Hardpack, lots of tarmac | +6% |
| Rough gravel | −6% |
| Loose, deep gravel | −9% |
| Butyl tube | +7% |
| Latex or TPU tube | +4% |
| Wet roads or trails | −7% |
| Supple, lightweight casing | +2% |
| Reinforced casing | −4% |
| Comfort-oriented | −5% |
| Firmer | +5% |
Surface makes the biggest difference
After your weight, nothing affects gravel tire pressure as much as the surface. Hardpack can take a little more; on rough or loose gravel, lower pressure gives more traction, more control and less fatigue. On mixed routes, set up for the surface that makes up most of the ride, and add a little if sharp rocks risk pinch flats or rim strikes.
Why more pressure in the rear?
The rear wheel carries about 55% of the rider and bike weight. A little more pressure in the rear makes both tires deflect equally. Bikepacking luggage shifts the load further: add the luggage to your rider weight.
Tire width and rim
Wider gravel tires need noticeably less pressure: going from 40 to 45 mm drops it by about 13–15%. The chart assumes a 25 mm internal rim. On wider rims the tire measures wider, so measure the actual width and use that column.
Tubeless or tubes?
Gravel is where tubeless shines: no tube means no pinch flats, so you can run the low pressures that bring grip and comfort off-road. Butyl tubes need about 7% more pressure as a safety margin, latex or TPU tubes about 4%. More on this: tubeless vs. tubes.
Wet conditions
In the wet and in mud, a little less pressure (about 7%) helps the tire conform to the ground and find more grip. More on this: tire pressure in the wet.
FAQ
What PSI should I run on my gravel bike?
With 40 mm tires and a 70–80 kg (155–175 lb) rider, starting pressures on mixed gravel are about 33–36 PSI front and 37–40 PSI rear (tubeless). Wider tires and rough terrain need less. The chart above has the exact values.
What pressure for gravel tires on the road?
If you ride mostly tarmac or hardpack, add about 6% to the chart value. Going much higher rarely pays off: wide tires roll well on tarmac at moderate pressure.
What pressure for bikepacking?
Luggage adds load, mostly at the rear. Add the luggage weight to your rider weight and read the chart for that total.
How do I convert bar to PSI?
1 bar is 14.5 PSI, so 2.5 bar is about 36 PSI. The chart is also available in bar above.
More charts
These are well-founded starting points, not manufacturer specifications. Fine-tune by feel and always stay within your tire and rim limits. How TireDial calculates is explained in the methodology. See also the safety notice.
The right pressure for every ride.
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