17 August 2011 - 7:53New Favorite Gadget

Over the last few weeks, I have been experimenting with tire pressure to overcome certain obstacles we encounter on any given local trail ride, like, slimy wet roots. Were I to obsess about it more, I might have found out more tangible data, but for now, I have discovered 2 things in regard to tire pressure.

1. Lower is better

2. Too low is not good at all

So how do you strike a balance? The answer is simple. Know your pressures fool! My new favorite toy is the Topeak Digital Smart Gauge. For what seems like a millennia, Dicky has gone on and on and on about tire pressure, and I was beginning to write him off as a crackpot with too much free time. Turns out his compulsive behavior is not completely without reason. There is a big difference between 16 psi and 14 psi in a 2.35 Nobby Nic. One is confidence inspiring, one is scary.



Now, I can’t ride without knowing what my pressures are. And truth be told, I am finding that I like lower pressures than I previously thought were possible. At Millstone, I was rocking 18 psi front and rear in my Rocket Ron tires. No shortage of grip there. Check out the video I made yesterday. During the fork cam portion of the video, you can actually see the tire balloon out. Kinda cool to see, and also to know that the tire was conforming to the ground, giving me sure footed traction, I had absolutely no problems with grip on Sunday.

Now, if it could tell you how many beers I’ve had…