Commuting - Pump misery

Got a flat on Monday night and found that my barely used Topeak pump doesn't work. Luckily a passing cyclist was able to help me out.

On the way home I bought a new Crankbrothers pump and although it's a good idea (does both shrader and presta valves) the implementation is rubbish. There is no way this pump has been tested in the field. It's going back to bike shop tomorrow.

Anyone got any favourite makes out there? Tried and tested?

There's only one choice. Full metal construction, reversible chuck, bombproof quality, 4 sizes fit almost any bag or frame and most importantly not a crappy mini-pump.

Zefal HP-x
http://www.zefal.com/AAA/page.php?nom=produits&sousFamille=2007pompeTradAutofixable&langue=an


http://www.zefal.com/AAA/BASES/PRODUIT/imgHR/prod73imgHR.gif

^^^ +1

Best portable pump ever.

+1 on the zefal pump. Works great, can inflate a tire to a good pressure in less than a minute (just to get you home).

Are there frame pumps that can be locked?

Are there frame pumps that can be locked?

Someone on these forums came up with a self-machined pair of lockable clamps that fit water bottle bosses. That's the only solution I've seen.

edit: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=381949&highlight=

Got a flat on Monday night and found that my barely used Topeak pump doesn't work. Luckily a passing cyclist was able to help me out.

On the way home I bought a new Crankbrothers pump and although it's a good idea (does both shrader and presta valves) the implementation is rubbish. There is no way this pump has been tested in the field. It's going back to bike shop tomorrow.

Anyone got any favourite makes out there? Tried and tested?


Curious which Topeak model pump do you have exactly?

CO2 - in the last 10 years, and 40,000+ miles of cycling, it's never let me down. It's also much quicker, and doesn't clutter up the bike.

I bet if you let them know, they will send you a replacement. I've had great results with topeak (todson) customer service.

I use Topeak Road Morph w/ Gauge Mini Pump, I like the hose that comes out during filling makes it easy to use.
I have no problem getting preassure up to over 120psi. with it. Its never failed me yet in fact I just used it on the road a few days ago.

topeak roadmorph works well for me.

I luv my HPX's...

Topeak road morph. It has never let me down

+2 on the Topeak Roadmorph. We have goathead thorns aplenty around here, and mine gets used quite a bit. My favorite frame pump ever.

edit: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=381949&highlight=
Thanks to your post I found something even better, the BioLogic ZorinPump. It's a pump that acts as a seatpost too. They say it's 100% serviceable and it fits 27.2 and 33.9 seat tubes. Looks interesting to me.

http://www.zorinpump.com/images/new%20images/zpumpanim.gif

http://www.zorinpump.com/zorinpump.htm

I think I'm gonna order myself one just to try it out.

i have the topeak road morph and i hate it. i've never been able to get high pressures from it, and it's hard even to get to like, 60psi. could it be broken or do you think it's more likely user error? :o

I have a road morph and I can pump to 100 PSI in relatively little time, even if I haven't used it in a year.

Thanks to your post I found something even better, the BioLogic ZorinPump. It's a pump that acts as a seatpost too. They say it's 100% serviceable and it fits 27.2 and 33.9 seat tubes. Looks interesting to me.

[.IMG]http://www.zorinpump.com/images/new%20images/zpumpanim.gif[/IMG]

http://www.zorinpump.com/zorinpump.htm

I think I'm gonna order myself one just to try it out.

No problem - let us know how well it works once you receive it please.

I found something even better, the BioLogic ZorinPump. It's a pump that acts as a seatpost too.

My Dahon Speed P-8 came with this pump/seatpost. Seems well made. Haven't needed it for any flats yet . . . but put it in service one day at a park pumping up some kids inflatable toys.Worked great!

+ 5 Topeak Road Morph G

The big advantage of the road morph over that Zefal is that the hose so that you can use the Road Morph in the same way you'd use a floor pump. So handy!

Anyone got any favourite makes out there? Tried and tested?

Topeak Road Morph w/Guage. Have tried a slew of other types over the years, including the aforementioned Zefal HP...good pump, but the Topeak's tube extention makes it much more like a floor pump. Better leverage. Easily gets to 120 psi. All that being said I ride airless tires exclusively now. My wife uses pneumatics still, so the Topeak's on her bike.

BTW, that seatpost pump looks interesting. If anyone gets one give a report, please. I'm in the process of building my wife a touring bike and a 'hidden pump' looks like a good security/weight saving idea.

Thanks to your post I found something even better, the BioLogic ZorinPump. It's a pump that acts as a seatpost too. They say it's 100% serviceable and it fits 27.2 and 33.9 seat tubes. Looks interesting to me.

http://www.zorinpump.com/images/new%20images/zpumpanim.gif

http://www.zorinpump.com/zorinpump.htm

I think I'm gonna order myself one just to try it out.

If that can pump tires up to 120PSI easily. I probably get one.

yah keep us updated on the Zorin! That looks fantastic!

If that can pump tires up to 120PSI easily. I probably get one.
The website says over 100 PSI. My guesstimate is 120 is not much more than 100. ;)

i have the topeak road morph and i hate it. i've never been able to get high pressures from it, and it's hard even to get to like, 60psi. could it be broken or do you think it's more likely user error? :o

I regularly use mine to get my tires to 125 psi, and it's fast and easy to do that. It's my second Road Morph (the bracket for the first one broke, and rather than wait for a replacement I just picked up a second one), and both have been equally easy to get that kind of pressure with. If yours only does 60, I'd say there's something wrong with it.

IMO, the best portable air pump you could carry around with you in case of a flat tire would be a CO2 like the Air Chuck by Genuine Innovations. It's small, light, easy to use, and works great for when you need a quick fix.

http://www.genuineinnovations.com/bikeprods.aspx?prodid=1000

I have the road morph and the Zefal. They both work great for me. I also have a blackburn frame pump that I thought was trash but after using the zefal, i realized I didn't have the blackburn fully seated on the valve. I can get 120 psi with any of these 3 pumps now. Before you throw away the pump, make sure you are using it correctly.

IMO, the best portable air pump you could carry around with you in case of a flat tire would be a CO2 like the Air Chuck by Genuine Innovations. It's small, light, easy to use, and works great for when you need a quick fix.

http://www.genuineinnovations.com/bikeprods.aspx?prodid=1000

CO2 = ongoing costs and stuff to landfill on every flat tire. -1000 for me, I'll never do it, but OK if you want to. Seems like a lot of screwing around and possibly being stranded if you have more flats than you have cartridges, or if you screw up and don't get the inflater on the valve right, but I've never used one so what do I know?

I found these guys the other day in my web wanderings. The cycleaire looks like the solution to a lot of pump problems.
http://www.cyclaire.com/

+8 on the topeak road morph. It was my only pump for a year or two before I finally broke down and bought a real floor pump. When I broke my frame mount, I asked them where I could get another and told them that the rubber gasket in the head of the pump was very worn too (from normal wear) and they send me a new bracket and not just the gasket but the whole hose including the guage. Now I have an extra hose/guage. :D


i have the topeak road morph and i hate it. i've never been able to get high pressures from it, and it's hard even to get to like, 60psi. could it be broken or do you think it's more likely user error? :o

I would let them know. I'm not sure how you could be using it wrong. I'm sure they will replace it with no hassles.

I also like the road morph, but like others, the mounting bracket broke pretty quick for me, so I have to chuck it in the pannier with everything else. Not a huge deal, since the pump itself still works great.

I found these guys the other day in my web wanderings. The cycleaire looks like the solution to a lot of pump problems.
http://www.cyclaire.com/

This looks very interesting. I just may have to try one of these.

I bet if you let them know, they will send you a replacement. I've had great results with topeak (todson) customer service.
Damn! I wish I knew that. I just had my Road Morph fail on me -- it was acting like the seals were messed up. It's been in enough slop and been used many times so I think I got my money's worth. I bought another just like it.

I also like the road morph, but like others, the mounting bracket broke pretty quick for me, so I have to chuck it in the pannier with everything else. Not a huge deal, since the pump itself still works great.

It seems they have changed the mounting bracket. I'm not sure how long ago you got yours but it may be worth checking into if you are interested. The old bracket had a piece that screwed on to the actual pump body. This piece clipped into the mounting bracket. The new one does not have this.

love the roadmorph. Love the hose, pumps w/o hoses I have this real tendency to pull the stem out of the tube.

http://www.biketiresdirect.com/Images400x267/GIGUP-1.jpg

I called yesterday to a nearby ZorinPump seller. They say they'll have it in next week.

I will have a look at it and decide if I get one. It would be fun to free up more space in my bag, plus it's under 40$, which is the price of a good hand pump (mine recently broke, it's was a plastic POS) .

For me the best pump is the Topeak Roadmorph. I have one for each bike and have used them many times. Having said that, it is not a pump I could recommend for my wife. She would have a problem getting enough pressure out of it as she is a bit small. In her case, CO2 is the way to go. Different strokes as they say.

Thanks for all the suggestions. The mini pumps are so ubiquitous now I forgot that pumps with a tube were still available - they seem like a much better design because there is less chance of it coming off the valve all the time. Quite like the look of the Road Morph but I really would like to support British design and buy the Cycleaire. Looks pretty sturdy in the demo video too.

Thanks for all the suggestions. The mini pumps are so ubiquitous now I forgot that pumps with a tube were still available - they seem like a much better design because there is less chance of it coming off the valve all the time. Quite like the look of the Road Morph but I really would like to support British design and buy the Cycleaire. Looks pretty sturdy in the demo video too.



I'm disappointed in you lot; been checking out the Commuter Bicycle Pics thread with its fine array of panniers, saddle bags, even plastic bins mounted on the back of your bikes. I would have thought you would all be carrying one of these on your commute to work http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Bike_pump.jpg/450px-Bike_pump.jpg:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::D


Minipumps and CO2 - you lot are getting soft :p

jonahhobbes, haha, nice


I regularly use mine to get my tires to 125 psi, and it's fast and easy to do that. It's my second Road Morph (the bracket for the first one broke, and rather than wait for a replacement I just picked up a second one), and both have been equally easy to get that kind of pressure with. If yours only does 60, I'd say there's something wrong with it.

thanks aley! i havent tried to use it in a long time (..because i hate it) but i will try again tomorrow just to make sure it wasn't something dumb. if i still can't get it, i'm going to the top!


I would let them know. I'm not sure how you could be using it wrong. I'm sure they will replace it with no hassles.

thank you! i definitely will do this. don't you love real customer service? it never ceases to amaze me. they must know people are goign to post about them on bikeforums :)

+ whatever on the ToPeak Morphs. Carry a Mini in my commuter bag and a Mountain this rest of the time. Had a Crank Brothers and tried to use it to help a friend once. After much work got to 90psi and it slipped when we tried to do 100. Bought the Morph the next day and never looked back.