Faster Tires - Set Me Straight

I have a Trek Madone 5.9 (the beautiful red one) comes with Bontrager aero rims and Bontrager Race X Lite clinchers. I'm totally happy with them so far. I have approximatley 1,400 miles on them. They pump up to 120 psi and I weight 145lbs...but you know how it is...higher pressure = faster? So the question. Should I stick with Race X lites at 120 psi or try 145 psi Verdesteins or Vittorias to make me faster????
Thanks in advance for your opinion!

OscarC said:

I have a Trek Madone 5.9 (the beautiful red one) comes with Bontrager aero rims and Bontrager Race X Lite clinchers. I'm totally happy with them so far. I have approximatley 1,400 miles on them. They pump up to 120 psi and I weight 145lbs...but you know how it is...higher pressure = faster? So the question. Should I stick with Race X lites at 120 psi or try 145 psi Verdesteins or Vittorias to make me faster????
Thanks in advance for your opinion!

Energy lost in flexing tires does slow you some.
Higher inflation pressure can lower energy lost from flexing, but it depends on the surfaces you are riding on... you may bounce to the point of loosing contact with the road.
Absolutely smooth tires make sense for efficiency.

OscarC said:

I have a Trek Madone 5.9 (the beautiful red one) comes with Bontrager aero rims and Bontrager Race X Lite clinchers. I'm totally happy with them so far. I have approximatley 1,400 miles on them. They pump up to 120 psi and I weight 145lbs...but you know how it is...higher pressure = faster? So the question. Should I stick with Race X lites at 120 psi or try 145 psi Verdesteins or Vittorias to make me faster????
Thanks in advance for your opinion!

Energy lost in flexing tires does slow you some.
Higher inflation pressure can lower energy lost from flexing, but it depends on the surfaces you are riding on... you may bounce to the point of loosing contact with the road.
Absolutely smooth tires make sense for efficiency.

OscarC said:

I have a Trek Madone 5.9 (the beautiful red one) comes with Bontrager aero rims and Bontrager Race X Lite clinchers. I'm totally happy with them so far. I have approximatley 1,400 miles on them. They pump up to 120 psi and I weight 145lbs...but you know how it is...higher pressure = faster? So the question. Should I stick with Race X lites at 120 psi or try 145 psi Verdesteins or Vittorias to make me faster????
Thanks in advance for your opinion!

Other, more expensive race tires may have lower rolling resistance. I'd guess the Conti Attack/Force, or Michelin Pro Race, etc, may be slightly better, but it's hard measure the differences and even harder to get any real test data.

Higher pressure doesn't make you faster on real road surfaces. In fact, it's just the opposite. High pressure on any kind of road texture causes a lot of road vibration energy to be transmitted from your tires up through the frame and into your body, then dissapated as heat.

At your weight, try running 90 psi front, 95 rear. You'll roll faster, and have a lot better ride, grip and road holding. You'll even be able to descend faster with more safety when your tires are staying on the road.

OscarC said:

I have a Trek Madone 5.9 (the beautiful red one) comes with Bontrager aero rims and Bontrager Race X Lite clinchers. I'm totally happy with them so far. I have approximatley 1,400 miles on them. They pump up to 120 psi and I weight 145lbs...but you know how it is...higher pressure = faster? So the question. Should I stick with Race X lites at 120 psi or try 145 psi Verdesteins or Vittorias to make me faster????
Thanks in advance for your opinion!

Other, more expensive race tires may have lower rolling resistance. I'd guess the Conti Attack/Force, or Michelin Pro Race, etc, may be slightly better, but it's hard measure the differences and even harder to get any real test data.

Higher pressure doesn't make you faster on real road surfaces. In fact, it's just the opposite. High pressure on any kind of road texture causes a lot of road vibration energy to be transmitted from your tires up through the frame and into your body, then dissapated as heat.

At your weight, try running 90 psi front, 95 rear. You'll roll faster, and have a lot better ride, grip and road holding. You'll even be able to descend faster with more safety when your tires are staying on the road.

OscarC said:

I have a Trek Madone 5.9 (the beautiful red one) comes with Bontrager aero rims and Bontrager Race X Lite clinchers. I'm totally happy with them so far. I have approximatley 1,400 miles on them. They pump up to 120 psi and I weight 145lbs...but you know how it is...higher pressure = faster? So the question. Should I stick with Race X lites at 120 psi or try 145 psi Verdesteins or Vittorias to make me faster????
Thanks in advance for your opinion!

"higher pressure = faster?", no.
higher pressure = harsher ride?, yes

At your total bike + rider weight of <165lbs, you could lower your pressure a bit without increasing rolling resistance or risking pinch flats. The "plus factor" will be a less harsh, more comfortable ride.

BTW, the "max inflation presssure" spec on clincher tires is ~50% of the pressure it takes to blow the tire off an appropriate rim. Despite what you may read in manufacturer's propaganda or be told at your LBS, it _is not_ an indication of tire quality, per se.

OscarC said:

I have a Trek Madone 5.9 (the beautiful red one) comes with Bontrager aero rims and Bontrager Race X Lite clinchers. I'm totally happy with them so far. I have approximatley 1,400 miles on them. They pump up to 120 psi and I weight 145lbs...but you know how it is...higher pressure = faster? So the question. Should I stick with Race X lites at 120 psi or try 145 psi Verdesteins or Vittorias to make me faster????
Thanks in advance for your opinion!

"higher pressure = faster?", no.
higher pressure = harsher ride?, yes

At your total bike + rider weight of <165lbs, you could lower your pressure a bit without increasing rolling resistance or risking pinch flats. The "plus factor" will be a less harsh, more comfortable ride.

BTW, the "max inflation presssure" spec on clincher tires is ~50% of the pressure it takes to blow the tire off an appropriate rim. Despite what you may read in manufacturer's propaganda or be told at your LBS, it _is not_ an indication of tire quality, per se.

the high-end Vredesteins and Vittorias are worth trying because they're very good tyres.

Like the other guys suggested, at your weight, 120psi would probably be absolute max you would wanna use, unless you're riding on smooth, glassy roads.

I had a couple of expensive Vittoria EVOs that were the best tyres I've used, but they both cut and blew like I've never had before.

the high-end Vredesteins and Vittorias are worth trying because they're very good tyres.

Like the other guys suggested, at your weight, 120psi would probably be absolute max you would wanna use, unless you're riding on smooth, glassy roads.

I had a couple of expensive Vittoria EVOs that were the best tyres I've used, but they both cut and blew like I've never had before.

Ozark Bicycle said:

BTW, the "max inflation presssure" spec on clincher tires is ~50% of the pressure it takes to blow the tire off an appropriate rim. Despite what you may read in manufacturer's propaganda or be told at your LBS, it _is not_ an indication of tire quality, per se.

For some reason, Michelin seems to be the only company to put both max and min pressures on the side wall. The exact right pressure is going to depend on your weight, the roughness of your area roads, and the stiffness of the tire casing. You'll probably want to start somewhere around 100psi and experiment a little. Keep in mind that higher pressure will make you feel faster even if you're going slower because you're bouncing all over the road.

Ozark Bicycle said:

BTW, the "max inflation presssure" spec on clincher tires is ~50% of the pressure it takes to blow the tire off an appropriate rim. Despite what you may read in manufacturer's propaganda or be told at your LBS, it _is not_ an indication of tire quality, per se.

For some reason, Michelin seems to be the only company to put both max and min pressures on the side wall. The exact right pressure is going to depend on your weight, the roughness of your area roads, and the stiffness of the tire casing. You'll probably want to start somewhere around 100psi and experiment a little. Keep in mind that higher pressure will make you feel faster even if you're going slower because you're bouncing all over the road.

I am 180 lbs. My bike is 18 lbs. What pressure for front and rear tires would suggest for me? Thanks.

artmichalek said:

For some reason, Michelin seems to be the only company to put both max and min pressures on the side wall. The exact right pressure is going to depend on your weight, the roughness of your area roads, and the stiffness of the tire casing. You'll probably want to start somewhere around 100psi and experiment a little. Keep in mind that higher pressure will make you feel faster even if you're going slower because you're bouncing all over the road.

dhk said:

Other, more expensive race tires may have lower rolling resistance. I'd guess the Conti Attack/Force, or Michelin Pro Race, etc, may be slightly better, but it's hard measure the differences and even harder to get any real test data.

Higher pressure doesn't make you faster on real road surfaces. In fact, it's just the opposite. High pressure on any kind of road texture causes a lot of road vibration energy to be transmitted from your tires up through the frame and into your body, then dissapated as heat.

At your weight, try running 90 psi front, 95 rear. You'll roll faster, and have a lot better ride, grip and road holding. You'll even be able to descend faster with more safety when your tires are staying on the road.

Wow, I am surprised that the higher pressure will actually make me slower. That doesn't seem to make sense. As an example if you we're talking about a car, I would spend more gas if my tires we're underinflated and less if they had proper inflation.
Is there an article or something that talks about what your saying?

OscarC said:

Wow, I am surprised that the higher pressure will actually make me slower. That doesn't seem to make sense. As an example if you we're talking about a car, I would spend more gas if my tires we're underinflated and less if they had proper inflation.
Is there an article or something that talks about what your saying?

"Proper inflation" is the key phrase here. People could pump their car tires up to 60+ psi, but they don't. Excessive inflation in cars leads to excessive tire wear, a harsh ride and dicey handling on rough roads and in the wet. Don't confuse "max inflation pressure" with "proper inflation pressure".

Here's a quote from Frank Berto on the issue: "Unfortunately, overinflated tires aren't much fun, either. The ride beats you up like a jackhammer and they 'feel' insecure when you corner."

Also, somewhere in the depths of the shop, I have an old (late 80s/early 90s) article on the subject of tire inflation. IIRC, information from tire manufacturers indicated there was an optimum tire "drop" (their term) which was a function of rider+bike weight, tire size and inflation pressure. The proper inflation pressure gave an optimum combination of low rolling resistance, good handling and comfort. Too high a pressure actually increased rolling resistance on real life road surfaces, as well as degrading both handling and comfort.

OscarC said:

Wow, I am surprised that the higher pressure will actually make me slower. That doesn't seem to make sense. As an example if you we're talking about a car, I would spend more gas if my tires we're underinflated and less if they had proper inflation.
Is there an article or something that talks about what your saying?

I agree with Ozarks comments about "proper inflation". As with car tires, if bicycle tires are UNDERinflated, there will be increased rolling resistance, decreased efficiency, and increased puncture susceptibility.

90-100 psi is within the acceptable range for the tires sizes that we are discussing here and as such is not underinflation.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/tires.html#pressure

OscarC said:

Wow, I am surprised that the higher pressure will actually make me slower. That doesn't seem to make sense. As an example if you we're talking about a car, I would spend more gas if my tires we're underinflated and less if they had proper inflation.
Is there an article or something that talks about what your saying?

http://draco.acs.uci.edu/rbfaq/FAQ/8b.14.html
http://www.terrymorse.com/bike/rrdiscuss.html

IndyRider said:

I am 180 lbs. My bike is 18 lbs. What pressure for front and rear tires would suggest for me? Thanks.

It depends on what tire size you're running. I'm 'bout your size, and I inflate my 700x23c tires to 100-110psi.....with the difference determined by if the ride's a commute, and if so, how many textbooks are in my messenger bag.

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/7508.0.html (scroll down to "PSI too high?"😉

Every trustworthy expert source I have ever read about tire inflation is what most of the posters here are saying, that being that proper inflation equates to lowest rolling resistance. Scientific tests indicate that highly-inflated tires have higher rolling resistance because they bump into then bump up in the air over the rough surface of a road. A softer tire will deflect and maintain surface contact. The end result is that you go faster with tires that do conform to the surface somewhat. Rigid tires are not good for turns either if you ever hit a bump while in the turn.

Don't buy into the myths that some people buy into that high pressure racing tires are lower rolling resitance. What the racing tires are hard for is the tremendous forces that elite riders put on their bikes with their fantastic body strength.