Scarbo

Hello. I'm a roadie who has only recently started riding a MTB and I would like to have some recommendations on MTB-specific bike pumps. I have several road bikes and pumps, and although I have not tried, I'd imagine those pumps would not suffice for MTB. Please correct me if I am wrong. I'm kick-butt on a road bike but I admit I know next to nothing about MTB. Thanks!

Luis G.

You are likely going to be fine using a road pump on a MTB bike. May require a few additional pumps.

Mountain Mitch

Don't know why you think your pump won't work. If it connects to the right valve stem you're in business. Road bikes need way higher pressure so it's no problem getting your mtb up to pressure.

On the mountain bike I don't like carrying a pump since they tend to rattle around. I carry a co2 cartridge filler in my pack instead. I also have a very small light pump in the bag 'just in case' ....but it would probably take forever to pump up a tire.

Scarbo

Hi Luis, Mitch. I was not sure is all. I assumed that MTB pumps/CO2 cartridges came in larger capacity sizes to accommodate the larger MTB tires. I guess not. Thank you!

gsa103

In general, it goes the other way, MTB are not-suitable for road bikes. MTB pumps are typically "high-volume" designed to move more air with each stroke. That means that it's harder to pump when the pressure gets above about 60psi.

Using a road pump on a mountain bike means that you'll have a very easy time pumping but it may 2-3x as many strokes as for a mountain bike pump.

deapee

You are correct that MTB specific pumps are HVLP and road pumps are HPLV...it would take forever to fill a mtb tire up with a road pump...but it would certainly do it, eventually. The opposite it not always true, however.

grubetown

What specific pumps do you have?

Canker

The only real issue and it is the same with most bike pumps is the gauge isn't very accurate at 30psi and lower where most people run their mtb tires.

osco53

Nothing beats a good guage, Mine,,
and this pump does dual duty,,
for MTB tires and shocks/air forks: Btw Pumping a 29x2.25 tire up from empty with a typical hand pump,,about 100 pumps to reach 30 psi... Not complaining, I am an Athlete right !

Or be a wuss and carry several Co2 throw aways

Topeak Rawks

Scarbo

I have three road pumps: older Blackburn and Topeak pumps and a new, sleek looking Lezyne. I was not sure how they would do pumping up a 29x2.2.

bobwysiwyg

I like the SmartGuage as well, small, accurate. I have two, one for the car and I carry one with me on the bike always.

gsa103

Just fine.

Honestly, I've used a road pump to inflate tires on an SUV. THAT was difficult.

A 29x2.2 isn't really that different than any other bike tire, the key thing is that MTB tires are usually much lower pressure, so air volume required is only a little higher than a standard road tire. Most of time is spent putting the chuck on, etc. The 2-3 extra pumps aren't noticeable.

YourMomApproves

You need to work on your finger gauges. It's not that complicated people.

Cyclist01012

i just use a 10 year old silca super pista for everything. that's when i'm not using a 30 year old silca track pump.

grubetown

However, telling the difference between 18 and 20 PSI is tricky with a finger gauge.

osco53

Yeah and I must add for those that don't know,,, A difference of 2 psi in the front OR rear tire with give you a vastly different handing bike.

And I have learned that down here In Hot Florida my tires heat up and psi's go up by 2 to 3 digits so I don't roll the bike out of the air conditioned house and set Tp's, I wait till I get to the trail head and If It's an early am ride I set psi's about 2 below my optimum, and sure enough at rides end In the heat I got harder tires

Tire pressures on a mountain bike are the single biggest factor In ride quality beating most all those fancy shiny new things we get suckered Into buying by the Industries advertising, they spend mega bucks on this remember? Brainwashing us Into thinking we NEED this or that great new thing...

Another thing I've found to be true for me, If I start an Early AM ride when trails are wet and then they dry as the heat of the day comes up, sometimes tires heating up can be a good thing.

I cannot stress this enough, GO TUBELESS so you can feel the difference and get your tire pressure right !

No cheap or old pencil guage's for this kid~

Scarbo

Thank you all for your comments and suggestions.

YourMomApproves

...and meaningless on the trail.

Try again?

YourMomApproves

One of the silliest things I've read this month. And I've read a lot of really silly things.

Completely unsupported by science.

grubetown

YourMomApproves - Talking Tires

Back to the OP. You can use pretty much any pump to inflate your tires and there are obviously two sides to every discussion. Personally, I use a gauge.

nashvillebill

That link to "Talking Tires" is pretty irrelevant here, it's discussing rolling resistance of high-pressure skinny road tires versus pressure on various road surfaces. And while the graphs may look dramatic, they are using a huge psi difference for increments on the x-axis but very miniscule increments on the Y axis to accentuate their point. A 2 psi difference on the road bike tire would be an almost-immeasurable difference in rolling resistance. Even on a low pressure MTB tire I'm skeptical of claims that 2 psi makes a vastly different handling bike. And what would tubeless versus tube matter? Air is being compressed inside the tire.

Looigi

One function of tire pressure is to prevent pinch flats. Running tubeless, there's no tube to pinch, though pinch hard enough and you can puncture the sidewall of the tire. Anyway, you can generally get away with running lower pressure tubeless and not pinch flat. Whether 2 psi is significant depends on how much 2 psi is relative to the base pressure. 2 out 100 is only 2%. 2 out of the 5psi you might be running in your fat bike is 40%! I run 16 front and 18 rear on my tubeless mtb, so a difference of 2 psi can be consequential.

One thing to do is equip yourself with a gauge that is accurate and has the requisite resolution at the pressures you're running. The typical road bike floor pump's gauge doesn't do very well at 30 psi and below. I use a 0-30 psi Accugage for my mtb tires. 20 psi is 66% of full scale.

osco53

Nope no science, Just my riding experience.

If you start spending time on true single track and get around to running tubless on a decent bike and set of wheels this will pan out for you. But hey we all ride at different levels.

When I was a Newb I could not tell the diff with a 4 psi difference, mostly due to lack of saddle time and running tubes.

Betcha didn't know this one:

A tube fights with the inside of the tire sidewall restricting It's movements in an unpredictable way simply because
two rubber surfaces pressed together trying to move Independently are unpredictable,,,
Sidewall flex is everything when It comes to traction and rolling resistance..

A thin coating of baby/talcum powder on the tube before you mount it up can help some...

Spend some time learning how modern Mtb tires are made and how they Interact/react to different rim widths, tire pressures, rubber compounds and tread designs.

On my 27.5 X 2.35 tires on 25 mm I.D. rims a change of 2 psi is night and day... Especially in the front tire.
I rode this AM in the wet at 23F/25R
Last week when things were dry I set up at 25F/27R about 9 am, sunny and hot, 83..Then at rides end about 2 pm, really hot, bout' 95 I found my tire pressures were up to 27F/30R...

That's my science,,

Or It's just silly to some

LesterOfPuppets

I don't do finger gauge, rather I just put all my weight on the bike, pretty much push myself off the ground while holding onto bar and saddle. Looking at tire sag will get you right where you wanna be. Might take a little bit to get used to new tire width/volume.

YourMomApproves

I started spending time on "true singletrack" (hilarious description BTW) in 1987...

This "true singletrack" was actually true singletrack in the mountains and hills of California and nothing like the flat, absolutely tame **** that can be found in Florida.

After a few decades of riding cutting edge bikes I switched to tubeless on a set of ENVE carbon rims coupled with an Ibis HD.

Your specious claims still make no sense except for the truth that we all do ride at different levels. Levels that are so different that you can't even see some levels from the newbie flatlands that you are trapped in.

Another myth being perpetuated by a newbie. Jobst is rolling in his grave... (google it lest you continue to expose your foolishness)