Air Pumps

[harveymt]

Just trying to decide on accessories I need. Drawing a blank on pumps. Am I right in thinking that I should get one of the bigger floor type ones with a gauge that I use to check tyre pressures as and when needed and also get a mini pump to use when on the road. These don't have gauges and you just pump to what would feel right and check with the bigger pump when you get home?

Also, for the mini pump, what difference do the psi of the different pumps mean? Some say 90, some 120. Is that the maximum they can pump too?

I saw something like this for a floor pump. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Airace-Infinity-Sport-Floor-Steel/dp/B003SWZJQM/ref=pd_cp_sg_0 as a cheaper option though this http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=39688 gets better reviews. Any pointers?

There is a wide range of mini pumps at the shops round me. What sort fo psi raqted pump should I be looking at buying?

Cheers.

 

[RWright]

I have a topeak JoeBlow Sport and it works great for me. I use it on 55 and 120 psi tires.

Mini pump psi rating would depend on what psi your tires require......or may require in the future if you change bikes. The higher the better normally because it allows you to increase your choice of tire to higher psi types.

I have a mini pump but it takes some time and effort to inflate a tire. I got a small CO2 inflator and a box of 16g CO2 cartridges and carry it and a few of the cartridges in my saddlebag. I don't use the mini pump anymore. I also carry a couple of spare tubes. I can inflate a 120 psi tire in about 5 seconds with it. This is what I bought, they sell boxes of CO2 cartridges too.
http://www.tyreinflators.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=2444

 

[cyberknight]

You can get pumps with gauges, it just depends how much you want to spend and the size of the pump you want to carry .
For commuting i carry a topeak road morph which is essentially a mini track pump with a fold out foot peg and a gauge , its not as fast as a C02 infaltor but your never going to run out of gas if you have multiple punctures.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/...le&utm_medium=Shopping&utm_name=UnitedKingdom
Nothing against C02 , i just prefer to carry a pump.
For the weekend i carry a mini pump mounted beside the bottle cage which is more of a get me home pump but is smaller with no gauge .With a bit of practise you can get an idea if your tyre is pumped up enough by using a track pump to get to the right pressure and pressing on the tyre to see how solid it is and then you have a benchmark when using a mini pump.
This is what i carry ...
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/categ...uct/review-topeak-pocket-rocket-pump-11-45200
The rating of the pump is the pressure the pump can handle but be aware that some pumps will never get to their stated max pressures unless you have arms of steel, thats why i like the pocket rocket as i have tested it on fully inflated tyres and i can still pump some more in.
At home i have a track pump that i use to check the pressure a couple of times a week , the joe blow that RWright mentioned is supposed to be a good pump .

 

[wisdom]

As above really.
I carry co2 and a spare tube on the road bike as i only have a small under saddle bag, if going on a longer ride than my daily commute i will take a small pump in my rucksack.
I inflate the tyres every weekend to the correct pressure with a track pump that lives in the garage,I just do it at the same time as mickling the chain.
The Hybrid has a pump mounted next to the bottle cage, But it takes some serious work getting high pressures but it does get you home.A spare tube is carried on the bike also.
Same routine at weekend as the road bike.

 

[Boon 51]

I thinking on getting a Joe Blow floor pump they seem to have good reviews..

 

[harveymt]

What is the actual deal with getting tyres up to pressure? If you read reviews of mini pumps they seem split between 5 star 'this easily gets my tyres to 120psi' and 1 star 'this only gets my tyres up to 60psi and then broke'. I appreciate that the smaller the pump the harder it will be to work when getting up to required pressure and the more pumps you will have to use.

Say something like this- http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=11313

It's rated at 160psi but some reviews say they could get to 100psi with difficulty and others that they got to 120 or more easily. Is this a lack of strength on some reviewer's part or are the rated psi's just theoretical numbers?

Colour me confused!

 

[Lee_M]

another vote for joeblow from me, but I take CO2 out with me, and occasionally a pump in a bag ( not on the frame - see the rules!)

 

[lavoisier]

I have a topeak JoeBlow Sport and it works great for me. I use it on 55 and 120 psi tires.

Mini pump psi rating would depend on what psi your tires require......or may require in the future if you change bikes. The higher the better normally because it allows you to increase your choice of tire to higher psi types.

I have a mini pump but it takes some time and effort to inflate a tire. I got a small CO2 inflator and a box of 16g CO2 cartridges and carry it and a few of the cartridges in my saddlebag. I also carry a couple of spare tubes. I can inflate a 120 psi tire in about 5 seconds with it.

+1. I have a mini pump out on the road just to put some air into the tube to check it's fitted ok and then use CO2 carts.

 

[harveymt]

For the CO2 stuff if I bought http://www.tyreinflators.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=2444 that was mentioned above then a box of refills like this http://www.tyreinflators.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=267

I could use a small mini pump to semi inflate the tyre then use a CO2 cartridge to get it up to pressure? That box of 50 in the link above is 40p a cartridge.

 

[GlenBen]

Ill also put on a vote for the Joe Blow, I almost cried in the shop paying that much for a pump, but it really is worth it. You can sometimes get quite good deals on them if you dont mind searching around a bit. It is absolutly worth the cost though, saves so much time and effort.

As for out on the bike I have a Topeak Peakini i just throw in my bags. It takes a fair bit of effort to pump and wont get up to anywhere near the right pressure, but it gets me home everytime and it never runs out of Co2. Plus, it just gives me another excuse to get Joe out when I get home.

It really is personal preference when out on the bike, both have their dis/advantages, but at home Id certainly invest in a good track pump with gauge.

 

[Dilbert]

Another vote for Joe Blow Sport Track Pump . One my commuter I have one of these, quite big but easy to use and no risk of snapping valve heads off and bangs up to 100 psi in no time. I have a Pocket Rocket, which I carry on my road bike and on MTB trips. It has a clever converting head thing and a bit of tube to isolate frantic pumping motion from valve tops (I suspect I am cack handed). I have loads of Topeak stuff now and all of it from multi-tools to pannier racks is superb.

 

[RWright]

For the CO2 stuff if I bought http://www.tyreinflators.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=2444 that was mentioned above then a box of refills like this http://www.tyreinflators.co.uk/index.php?act=viewProd&productId=267

I could use a small mini pump to semi inflate the tyre then use a CO2 cartridge to get it up to pressure? That box of 50 in the link above is 40p a cartridge.

On the cartridges check out the "Will fill" section under product Overview. I got 16g threaded because one will take a 27" tire up to 130 psi. I don't carry a pressure gauge, I squeeze the tire. Not the most accurate way but there was a little left in the cartridge and I was near 110 psi when I got home and checked it with my floor pump. 90 psi like the 12g cartridges fill the tire to is just a little less than I feel comfortable doing at my weight. It would probably get me home fine but I don't want to risk a pinch flat if I hit something substantial. However,12g cartridges may be perfect for your personal application.

 

[simon.r]

I've just had to replace the head on my Joe Blow pump after about 20 years! It's been used on bikes owned by me, family and friends on a very regular basis over that time. Maintenance has consisted of being stripped down once and having new O rings fitted. Definitely recommended.

(Head replaced with a Super Chuck which seems good so far).

An alternative to carrying a mini-pump is a frame-fit pump. Not very fashionable, but work well, especially if yor frame has a pump peg (which sadly not many modern frames do)

 

[lulubel]

I've got a Joe Blow track pump at home, and I'm very happy with it.

For out on the road, I've got a Lezyne Road Drive on the road bike (which has never been used, but I bought it based on good reviews from people who have had to use them) and on the MTB, I've got a Lezyne HV Drive that I used yesterday, and it pumped the tyres up more than adequately for off-road use and plenty hard enough for use on the road too. Both pumps have a bracket that fits on the bottle cage mounts, and a velcro strap to secure them.

 

[MrJamie]

If you havent used a track pump before you'll be so impressed how much easier it is than trying to pump up a tyre with a mini pump. I got a Lifeline one from wiggle, well rated and not too pricey, the gauge isnt that accurate though, but i tend to pump my tyres up until they deform just the right amount under my weight rather than a specific number.

The Lezyne mini pumps are great and feel well built