Under Pressure

From VeloTouriste

I took it easy this last 4th of July weekend, the pressure to get out town, be somewhere with just about everyone else on the road simply wasn't that appealing. Instead I took a couple of local 25 mile rides. It has warmed up more, but it was still breezy monday and...local roads weren't all that crowded. I usually tend to inflate my tires up past the recommended pressure. I don't know what it is, maybe that competitive urge that seems to get beat into our heads everytime you pick-up a bicycle magazine that covers racing.

This weekend I rode with my tires at around 100psi instead. I'm running Panaracer Pasela TG tires with gum walls, meant for touring, but they are especially good for sometimes rough pavement in the hills and out to the coast. Something about running these tires at slightly lower pressure seemed to make the bike a little more responsive — just that little bit of give, making the bike ride better and overall more comfortable. I would not want to run tires much lower on paved roads, but I will definitely try this more in the future, even with no cobblestones in sight.