Recommended psi seems too high

The tires on my hybrid say the recommended psi is between 75-100. But my tires feel very hard at around 45 psi. It feels like they'll blow up if I go much further. At first I thought my psi gauge might be off so I bought a floor pump with a built in psi gauge and it shows the same as the other one, 45 psi.

Should I just stick with 45 psi or would you recommend going higher?

Hi,
Usually MTB (fat wheel) work around 50 psi, street bike 75-100 psi and Road 100-120 psi.

Matteo

At recommended pressure you will get better performance, less roll on turns and less chance of gravel pinch flats.
Tires can feel firm at lower pressures.

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Dope,when training and talent just aren't enough.

Running at a lower pressure can make for a more comfortable ride, but beware of pinch flats if you go too low. I would pump it up to at least 75 PSI. My road tires get extremely hard at about 50 PSI but they are rated for 120 PSI. I usually only inflate them to 100 PSI for comfort.

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One life, one chance. Don't waste it!

Remember, when you press on the tires with your thumb, you're applying only a pound or so of force. When you sit on the bike and hit pothole at 15mph you're asking the tire to not only take the combined weight of you and the bike, but do this whilst applying all that force onto one very small section of tire at speed.

Pumping the tires to the recommended pressure is good for both you and the tire.

If the "feeling" of it being too hard bothers you, just get a good track (floor mounted) pump with a gauge, inflate the tires and just don't press the tires with your thumb :P

I always inflate my 700 x 25C to the recommended pressure of 100 Psi = 7 BAR. Well actually I inflate a bit more since so I don't have to inflate them everyday.

A little extra won't hurt since you lose some when you remove the pump head, or at least I do. The casings are usually rated for only 75% - 80% of what it actually can take so that there is a safety margin.

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One life, one chance. Don't waste it!

As others have said, the best thing for you to do is to go to your local bike shop and purchase a decent floor pump with a pressure gauge. This is much more accurate than your thumb, and will make pumping your tires a 30 second deal. A decent one will not cost too much.

Experiment with different pressures within the range recommended by the tire manufacturer and settle for what is the best combination of rolling resistance and comfort for your riding needs.

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