Recommended tire pressure

Riding the GAP and C&O starting the 16th. Have 700x38c tires with recommended 50-80 PSI. What is the best tire pressure? Different for the C&O than the GAP? I will just be carrying tools and extra clothing for the day's weather and I weigh 125 lbs, if that makes a difference. Thanks.

Nice to see a fellow Hoosier embarking on the trip down the GAP/C&O. Riding surface and condition, tire type, bike type, rider weight and gear weight all affect the best tire pressure to use. There are numerous web sites that allow you to input these variables and output a recommended tire pressure. With some additional assumptions including not being an ebike, I ran the online tire pressure calculator by Silka and, interestingly, the outputs for the front and rear tire pressures were below the minimum rated pressure (50 psi) for your tires which is probably ill advised if for no other reason than to insure they seat properly.

If it were me and I weighed 125 pounds (which I might have in the 6th grade) I'd probably put 60 in the rear and 55 in the front. The trail surfaces are relatively smooth with no serious chunks that can cause pinch flats using low pressures. The surfaces of the GAP and C&O are not so different that using different tire pressures on one trail versus the other is warranted.

Well, those are my thoughts. I'm sure others will offer their thoughts and recommendations as well. If you need any assistance in or guidance riding out of Pittsburgh, I'd be happy to assist.

Those questions would not even have occurred to me. But I am sort of a "make sure the pressure is in the recommended range and go ride" kind of person.
What is the impacted of 10 or 20 PSI one way or another (as long as it is within the recommended range of the tire) ?
Are you planning to ride very fast ? I imagine it could matter then.
Terry

Ignoring speed as an objective and, in the context of a week-long trip down the GAP and C&O, there are at least two reasons you may want to adjust tire pressure within the manufacturer's recommended range.

The first would be to increase your comfort on the bike and the second would be to increase traction. Both of these generally increase with lower tire pressures so long as not to be so low as to increase the risk of pinch flats. A lower pressure increases the cushioning effect of the tires which makes the ride more comfortable and it improves traction due to a larger tire "contact patch" which is helpful in soft or unstable (e.g. muddy) surfaces. With a fair amount of riding you'll find a pressure(s) that is safe, comfortable and reliable.

All that said, I don't agonize or adjust my tire pressures to the nearest psi to try to achieve the perfect pressure. I spend more time planning and finding a nice cafe or ice cream shop along the way.