Experiment but don’t stress about it too much.
I settled on something by just lowering it on similar rides a few psi at a time till it felt a bit too soft.
Remember the “ideal” tire pressure is different for every single surface you’re riding on, as well as your own bike, wheels, tubes, tires, and not just your size but how you personally balance your weight on the bike. There isn’t a secret anyone’s withholding.
It’s also not worth that much speed to be a touch too high. Too low is a much more drastic penalty.
I’m not sure what you mean by my being “in the right ballpark” or “close enough”. The recommendations I received from local pros and friends are to ride my new Corsa Control 28’s at least 100psi while several other sources, including the SILCA calculator recommended here, say that my ideal pressures are right around 80psi on old pavement, 85psi on “medium pavement”. To me, 15-20psi is a HUGE difference.
I wouldn’t worry about 5psi. But 20? That’s a difference I want to understand better. And not the specific number, but the principles behind it.
Thanks to everyone for your input! After a huge amount of reading and binge-watching videos on this over the last day or two, I’ve become convinced that this is a concept where the “conventional wisdom” is in the process of moving to a new point of view. I’ve also become convinced of the idea that (within reason) wider tires at lower pressures are going to be faster, and more comfortable, without a significantly increased risk of pinch flats: so basically, a win-win-win.
I’m going to step down from the 100 psi I’ve run up until this morning to the 85psi that the SILCA calculator suggests for “medium pavement”. I don’t pretend to fully understand all the science behind this, but I’ve now read the same kind of recommendations from enough trusted people that I’m willing to go with that idea.
By the way, the SILCA blog has a bunch of little typographic errors but is well-written and well-explained. Well worth reading.
Again, thanks!
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