TireDial › Road bike tire pressure
Tire pressure chart
Road bike tire pressure
The right road bike tire pressure depends mostly on your weight and your tire width. This chart gives starting pressures for the front and rear, calculated with the TireDial app’s model.
Example: 70 kg (154 lb) rider, 28 mm tubeless tires, average tarmac
58 PSI front · 67 PSI rear
4.0 bar front · 4.6 bar rear
Road bike tire pressure chart
Row: your weight without the bike. Column: the width printed on the tire. Each cell shows front / rear pressure.
| Rider weight | 25 mm | 28 mm | 30 mm | 32 mm | 35 mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg 110 lb | 54 / 62 | 48 / 55 | 45 / 51 | 42 / 47 | 38 / 43 |
| 60 kg 132 lb | 60 / 69 | 53 / 61 | 50 / 56 | 46 / 53 | 42 / 48 |
| 70 kg 154 lb | 66 / 75 | 58 / 67 | 54 / 62 | 50 / 57 | 46 / 52 |
| 80 kg 176 lb | 71 / 81 | 63 / 72 | 59 / 67 | 55 / 62 | 49 / 56 |
| 90 kg 198 lb | 77 / 87 | 68 / 77 | 63 / 72 | 59 / 67 | 53 / 60 |
| 100 kg 220 lb | 82 / 93 | 72 / 82 | 67 / 76 | 62 / 71 | 56 / 64 |
| 110 kg 243 lb | 86 / 98 | 76 / 87 | 71 / 81 | 66 / 75 | 60 / 68 |
Show the chart in bar
| Rider weight | 25 mm | 28 mm | 30 mm | 32 mm | 35 mm |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 kg 110 lb | 3.8 / 4.3 | 3.3 / 3.8 | 3.1 / 3.5 | 2.9 / 3.3 | 2.6 / 3.0 |
| 60 kg 132 lb | 4.2 / 4.7 | 3.7 / 4.2 | 3.4 / 3.9 | 3.2 / 3.6 | 2.9 / 3.3 |
| 70 kg 154 lb | 4.6 / 5.2 | 4.0 / 4.6 | 3.7 / 4.3 | 3.5 / 4.0 | 3.1 / 3.6 |
| 80 kg 176 lb | 4.9 / 5.6 | 4.4 / 5.0 | 4.0 / 4.6 | 3.8 / 4.3 | 3.4 / 3.9 |
| 90 kg 198 lb | 5.3 / 6.0 | 4.7 / 5.3 | 4.3 / 4.9 | 4.0 / 4.6 | 3.7 / 4.2 |
| 100 kg 220 lb | 5.6 / 6.4 | 5.0 / 5.7 | 4.6 / 5.3 | 4.3 / 4.9 | 3.9 / 4.4 |
| 110 kg 243 lb | 6.0 / 6.8 | 5.3 / 6.0 | 4.9 / 5.6 | 4.6 / 5.2 | 4.1 / 4.7 |
Assumes tubeless, an 8 kg (18 lb) bike, 21 mm internal rim width, standard casing, dry average tarmac 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 | |
|---|---|
| Smooth, new tarmac | +4% |
| Rough tarmac, chip seal | −7% |
| Butyl tube | +5% |
| Latex or TPU tube | +3% |
| Wet roads or trails | −7% |
| Supple, lightweight casing | +2% |
| Reinforced casing | −4% |
| Comfort-oriented | −5% |
| Firmer | +5% |
Why more pressure in the rear?
On a road bike the rear wheel carries about 55% of the combined rider and bike weight. To make both tires deflect by the same amount, the rear needs more pressure. With the same pressure front and rear, the front tire is harder than it needs to be, and that costs grip and comfort.
Wider tires need less pressure
A wider tire holds more air and has a bigger contact patch, so it carries the same load at a lower pressure. Going from 25 to 28 mm drops the pressure by a bit over 10%, and from 28 to 32 mm by about the same again. That’s the main reason modern road bikes on 28–32 mm tires are more comfortable and often no slower on real roads.
Rim width: measure your tire
The width printed on the tire is a nominal size. On a wide rim the same tire measures noticeably wider: a 28 mm tire on a 25 mm internal rim often measures 30 mm. The chart assumes a typical 21 mm rim. On wider rims, use the column closest to your measured width. Here’s how: measuring tire width.
Is higher pressure faster?
Only on a perfectly smooth surface. On real roads, an overinflated tire loses energy to vibration because the bike and rider bounce over every bump. Above a certain pressure you get slower, not faster, and the rougher the road, the lower that point is. That’s why the chart recommends less pressure on rough roads.
Hookless rims: mind the maximum
Hookless rims are generally limited to 5 bar (72 PSI) under the ETRTO standard. Values above that in the chart apply to hooked rims only. The lower maximum of your rim and tire always wins. In TireDial you enter that limit once and the app never recommends more. More on this: hookless rims and tire pressure.
Tubeless or tubes?
With an inner tube, too little pressure risks a pinch flat (“snakebite”), where the tube gets pinched against the rim. That’s why butyl tubes need about 5% more pressure. Latex and TPU tubes are a bit more forgiving (+3%). Tubeless can’t pinch flat and allows the lowest pressure. More on this: tubeless vs. tubes.
FAQ
What PSI should my road bike tires be?
For 28 mm tires and a 70–80 kg (155–175 lb) rider, starting pressures are about 58–63 PSI front and 67–72 PSI rear (tubeless). Narrower 25 mm tires need more, 30–32 mm need noticeably less. The chart above has the exact values for your weight.
What does the pressure printed on the tire mean?
The number on the sidewall is a permitted range or a maximum, not a recommendation. The best pressure is usually well below the maximum. Never exceed the limit of your tire or your rim.
How often should I check my tire pressure?
Before every ride. Latex tubes and tubeless tires lose air faster than butyl tubes; latex often noticeably overnight.
How do I convert bar to PSI?
1 bar is 14.5 PSI, so 4 bar is about 58 PSI and 5 bar about 73 PSI. The chart is also available in bar above.
Does the chart work for triathlon or TT bikes?
As a rough starting point, yes. Aero bikes often put more weight on the front wheel. TireDial lets you change the weight distribution under Fine-tuning.
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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