MTB Tire Pressure by Rider Weight (XC, Trail, Enduro, DH Charts)

• Each cell shows front / rear.
• The main charts assume 29" wheels, 2.4" tires front and rear, and mixed terrain, with 16 kg of bike and gear (MTBPro's default).
• The weight in each row is the rider's weight. If you fall between two rows, go with a value in between.
• Further down you'll see how much the pressure changes with a different tire width, terrain, wheel size or an e-bike.

In psi:

In bar:

In psi:

In bar:

You'll notice that for lighter riders, Enduro and DH give slightly more front pressure than Trail. That's because each discipline has its own minimum safe pressure up front (15 psi for XC, 13 for Trail and 14 for Enduro and DH), and at low weights the calculation bottoms out at that minimum.

Total weight

What your tires support is your weight plus the bike and gear (pack, water, tools). That's why MTBPro asks for both. For a 75 kg rider, going from 10 to 22 kg of bike and gear adds about 2.5 psi front and 3 psi rear.

Discipline

Each discipline changes the pressure and how weight is split between the wheels:

XC prioritizes rolling fast and precisely, so pressure goes up a bit. Enduro and DH are about grip and letting the tire soak up hits, so pressure goes down. The adjustment is capped at about 3 psi front and 3.5 psi rear to avoid extreme pressures.

Tire width

The wider the tire, the more air volume it has and the less pressure it needs to carry the same weight. Example for 75 kg, Trail, 29" and mixed terrain:

If you run a narrower tire in the rear than up front, the rear needs a bit more pressure. For example, with a 2.4" front and 2.3" rear, the rear goes from 22 to 24.5 psi with tubeless.

Tubeless vs. inner tube

With inner tubes you need 2.5 to 5 psi more than tubeless so the tube doesn't pinch against the rim on a hard hit. The narrower the tire, the bigger the difference: with 2.4" tires, about 3.5 psi.

Terrain

Example for 75 kg, Trail, 29" and 2.4":

• Dry: half a psi more in each tire.
• Rocky: with tubeless you go lower (2 psi front and 1.25 rear) so the tire conforms to the rocks. With inner tubes you drop less (0.75 and 0.5 psi), because running too low increases the risk of a pinch flat.
• Wet: drop 2.5 psi front and 2 rear for more grip.

Wheel size

Smaller wheels have less air volume and need a bit more pressure:

E-bike

An e-bike is heavier and puts more load on the rear wheel. MTBPro adds 1.5 psi front and 2 rear and shifts 1% of the weight to the rear, on top of accounting for the bike's extra weight. Example for 75 kg, Trail, 29" and 2.4":

• Maximum: 36 psi with 26", 27.5" or 29" wheels (34 psi on 24" and 32 psi on 20"). With tubeless it drops to 34 psi with 2.1" or wider tires and to 32 psi with 2.4" or wider. For DH with 2.4" or wider tires, the maximum is 30 psi.
• Front minimum: 15 psi for XC, 13 for Trail and 14 for Enduro and DH, and it goes up with rider weight, inner tubes and narrower tires.
• Rear minimum: at least 15 psi, and always 1 psi above the front minimum.
• Front-to-rear difference: the rear is always between 3 and 8 psi above the front.

Always respect the maximum and minimum pressures printed on your tire and rim. If they conflict with the charts, the manufacturer's numbers win.

• Use an accurate gauge. MTB pressures are low, and a difference of 1 or 2 psi is very noticeable.
• Check your pressure before every ride, especially with tubeless: tires lose air over a few days.
• Adjust and test. The charts are a starting point. If the tire folds in corners or you're hitting the rim, add 1 psi. If the bike feels bouncy and lacks grip, drop 1 psi.