MTB tyre pressure guide
Mountain bike tyre pressure is a trade between grip, rolling speed and protecting your rims. The right PSI depends on rider weight, wheel size, casing strength and what the trail throws at you.
Wheel size: 29er vs 27.5
A 29-inch wheel rolls over square hits more easily, so you can run a touch more pressure for the same comfort. 27.5-inch wheels have a shorter contact patch and benefit from 1–2 psi less to keep grip in corners.
Discipline: XC, trail, enduro, downhill
- XC — light casings, smoother trails. Higher PSI (22–28) for speed.
- Trail — reinforced casings, mixed terrain. 20–26 psi typical.
- Enduro — heavy casings or inserts. 18–24 psi with extra grip.
- Downhill — DH casings and inserts. 22–30 psi to support sidewalls under load.
Starting-point pressures (trail, 29er, tubeless)
| Rider weight | 2.3" | 2.4" | 2.6" |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60 kg | 20 / 22 | 19 / 21 | 17 / 19 |
| 70 kg | 22 / 24 | 21 / 23 | 19 / 21 |
| 80 kg | 24 / 26 | 23 / 25 | 21 / 23 |
| 90 kg | 26 / 28 | 25 / 27 | 22 / 25 |
| 100 kg | 28 / 30 | 27 / 29 | 24 / 27 |
Front / rear PSI for trail riding on a 29er with tubeless setup. Add 1–2 psi for rocky terrain, drop 1–2 for mud.
Terrain adjustments
- Mud — drop 1–2 psi to maximise the contact patch and let knobs bite.
- Rocks — add 1–2 psi to reduce rim strikes and pinch flats.
- Roots and wet roots — bias lower for grip; an insert helps protect the rim.
- Bike park / DH — heavier casing, inserts, and a few extra psi.
Road or gravel rider?
The RidePressure calculator covers road and gravel setups in detail. MTB pressures here are starting points — fine-tune by feel on your local trails.
Open the bike tyre pressure calculator →