Originally Posted by
Ben I.
Admittedly, I've never had to pump a tire with a mini pump but I'm sure my time will come soon enough. From what I've heard, a lot of the effort required to pump a tire up to pressure depends on the pump and how it is often difficult to get up to the higher pressure for road tires.
The key is, just don't use those 'mini' pumps for a road bike. A road bike takes 100 pounds of pressure- don't get a pump that says it only produces 100psi, because though it maybe possibly will put out that pressure, it'll only do it with a lot of force. The recommended pumps in this thread- the Topeak road morph and the Lezyne road bike pumps- are all rated for 160psi and putting 100psi in a road tire is a breeze. The Lezynes in particular are so skinny and light that you barely notice them on your frame, and there's really no reason not to get the biggest model (the one that will fill your tire in the fewest pumps). They cost a little bit more than an old style mini pump, but you'll be glad you have one when you're stuck on the side of the road.
A short, fat 'mini' pump should only be used on mountain and cruiser bikes- bikes with fat tires that you typically run at no more than 60psi.