TRF Forums

what pressure do i want in my tyres for riding off road in snow etc? i would have thought it should be increased by a couple of psi to help the tread bite through the snow - as you would with a car. any ideas?

I drop my tyre pressures to around 16 psi or less

This allows more rubber to contact the ice/snow providing more grip.

It also flexes the tyre more generating greater heat to keep the rubber at working temp.

Fresh snow gives much more traction than the compacted stuff on the tarmac.

Trelleborg army special tyres are used by the scandinavian military on their bikes. Special compound for low temps/snow.

Stay away from big puddles ...... got halfway across one last year...then the ice broke.........

What tyres are you using - many marked with M+S - Mud and Snow!

Don't forget a small thermos of tea!

blimey you drop to 16psi... I tend to run my at 12-14psi normally :-s

yeah me too - i usually use 12 to 13psi if its really muddy or 14 to 15 for 'normal' conditions.

i have metzeler 6 days extreme fitted.

The trails can be very stony here (sussex) running tubes at less than 14psi increses puncture risk - espescially as I'm on a 690 enduro. OEM on this bike is metzeler sahara's at 22psi for off road. I now run metzeler 6 days extreme at around 16 psi - this is for commuting to work too.

Metzeler 6 days are M+S marked - mud and snow. Judging by the wear rate they have a high silica content for cold, wet and ice.

One thing to bear in mind re punctures is that the muddy ground that was soft before the freeze will now be frozen solid.

Apparently the trelleborgs used by swedish army are studded on the outer tread. when it gets icy they drop the pressure to let they studs contact the road.

Have a peek at this guide.

http://www.mc-addict.com/aguidetowinterriding.htm

Me too and I'm a porky 14st. I drop them in the car in snow too, to give more contact patch. When I was in the army we used to do it with the landrovers in Norway too, but they did have studded tyres though!

i run my mt21s at 15psi

dont forget rim locks

I run 17 psi front, 15 psi rear, on AC10's (Michelin), with their heavy duty tubes, for the peaks. Big risk of pinch punctures there, but I've been ok so far.

I don't use rim locks, so wont drop the pressures any further for mud and snow, as most people do.

TBH, I'm not sure I'd notice the difference in grip a psi or two would make on the varied terrain a trail ride throws up for me, I don't seem to have more or less grip issues than anyone else, so have never bothered experimenting, beyond adding 2 psi to the front to ward off pinch punctures. The 15 psi base level is what Michelin advise for off tarmac tyres, different manufacturers tyres are different though.

Experimenting is the key, but I wouldn't go lower than 15 psi without rimlocks.