Why beginners are almost always overinflated
Shops send bikes out at 60–80 psi so tires don't burp off the rim during a test ride. That pressure is a nightmare on gravel — the bike bounces, vibrates, and feels sketchy. Lowering pressure is the fastest way to make gravel feel like a completely different sport.
A starting point by rider weight (40mm tubeless tires)
- 110–130 lb: 24 psi front / 28 psi rear
- 130–160 lb: 28 psi front / 32 psi rear
- 160–190 lb: 30 psi front / 34 psi rear
- 190–220 lb: 34 psi front / 38 psi rear
Chunkier gravel → drop 2 psi. Smooth pavement day → add 2–4 psi.
Signs your pressure is wrong
Too high: the bike vibrates constantly, your hands go numb, small rocks bounce the wheel off line. Too low: the tire feels squishy in corners, you hear the rim ping on rocks, or you burp air on a hard hit.
How to dial it in
Buy a good gauge — the ones on cheap floor pumps lie. Change pressure by 2 psi at a time between rides, not 10. Write down what you ran and what it felt like. Two or three rides and you'll have your number.