Pump options
 

At home I've got a compressor, definitely my preference. In the car I've got a mini compressor.. not the greatest but if your a stranded cyclist you love me. In the lean to shop I've got a joe blow floor pump handy in a pinch if I want to get the tube into shape while mounting etc.. I picked up a frame pump and found myself struggling to get to 30psi!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I get this is a descending hierarchy and the frame pump is well a frame pump.. but really? I could see getting up to possibly 50 psi on the side of the road with this contraption.. good enough to get to the next gas station/bike shop maybe? So I figured I'd pull the trigger on a Co2 pump.. seemed like a logical choice to someone who knows nothing about them.. the one I found that I like tops out at 50psi... depending on tire size!!! At that rate I'm tempted to just keep the frame pump, but would it be worth it to get the co2 pump just to save space? (my "frame" pump isn't compatible for mounting on my bike and is the main reason I carry a bag while biking).

You can use more than one CO2 cartridge to increase the pressure. I initially hand pump the easy PSI's and then complete with a single CO2 cartridge.

BTW, Innovation's cartridges are over priced. You can get similar ones on Amazon for significantly less. For example http://amzn.com/B0015V45F4

There are generally 2 types of frame-mounted pumps. High volume/low pressure and low volume/high pressure. I have a couple of Hurricane Air Scepter pumps (high pressue/low volume) on my road bikes and have no problem getting close to 100 PSI which is plenty to finish a ride.

First off a CO2 inflator give you limited air supply, if you carry 2 carts you "should" be ok, but if by chance you have a third flat your screwed. Plus you have to continually buy carts so the cost is never ending. CO2 is great though if you're racing and need to supply air fast.

A frame pump is the best, if your frame pump won't go above 50psi there's something wrong because even the worst mini can get to that pressure. Thus it may be time for either a new frame or a decent mini pump. Frame pumps are much faster and easier to get to high pressures, the best are Blackburn, Zefal hp, Topeak, and Silca Impero.

If you want a smaller mini style pump then there is a middle of the road size, in between a mini and frame pump in size, is the Topeak Road Morph G, hands down the best pump for the money in a smaller pump.

If you want a true mini, the best are the SKS Raceday, I have this pump too and it will get to 115 psi which is all the furthest I pump my tires up to anyways. Topeak has some smaller pumps that I've never used but do look promising like the RaceRocket HPX, but I've never used one so you need to ask around. Lezyne makes a very nice mini as well, but they are expensive, I have one and like it a lot, but I actually think the Topeak Road Morph is better for 1/2 the cost, but the Lezyne is lighter and looks nicer.

I will mention this, mini pump manufactures will say that their pump can reach whatever pressure, say 160psi...THEY CAN'T!!! Most mini pumps will only get to about half of that pressure! There are a very few exceptions that will get to about 2/3rds of the rated pressure, but none will get to the max rated. Also keep in mind that a mini will require around 500 strokes to get to 80psi, the Topeak Road Morph will take about 150, a frame pump about 60. Also I would try to buy a pump that has a hose nowadays, reason for that is because tube manufactures in an attempt to save a penny or two on construction are no longer reinforcing the interface between the valve and the tube, thus if you'r using a direct connect pump you take a risk of tearing the valve from the tube, although using the little stem nut on a presta valve will prevent most of that.

I have to say I've never used anything but a frame pump in over 50 years. I now use a mini frame pump on the road and a decent full size frame pump at home. I don't race, and I have no idea what pressure the tyres are. I just pump until the tyre feels hard enough to me. This isn't very scientific but has always allowed me to finish my ride at wharever speed I want. By all means buy a decent pump and pressure gauge if you need to know you're riding on correctly inflated tyres, but what is the correct pressure? Surely it depends on the sort of roads/terrain you're riding on, and what about the weight of the bike or rider? Is there a chart that gives you the correct pressure for all variables? I sometimes think that it's too easy to get hung up over "experts" iron rules, cycling is fun - well it is to me... just my two pence worth ;-)

Just had a rear flat on a ride today. Changed out the tube and inflated the rear tire to 100 psi with a Lezyne road drive mini pump. (checked the pressure when I got home). The amount of force needed to achieve the pressure is proportional to the area of the pump piston. Road bike mini pumps have smaller diameter pistons so you can get to the necessary pressure. The tradeoff is it takes more strokes. Mtb minipumps usually have large diameter pistons to pump more air for the bigger tires, but they won't get to as high a pressure with normal human strength.

My fave minipump right now is the Topeak Race Rocket or Race Rocket HP. I can get to 100 psi with the Race Rocket, but the HP version is even smaller diameter to further reduce the effort necessary. That's the one my wife uses.

+1 on the Topeak Road Morph G. Spare mounts are available so you can leave one on each bike. The hose is vital with the new generation of wimpy inner tube valve stems. The gauge (on mine at least) is reasonably accurate.

lowest PSI I have on any road bike is 90 highest I believe is 110 and yes apparently my frame pump is cheap junk.. I'm not a racer but I do like to go fast and be back on the road faster when stranded but then again from the sounds of it not cheap junk pumps would be fine too.. do they make a holder for like a 4 pack of cartridges that can go in a pocket? and what's the one time cost on a frame pump you would actually buy for yourselves? Still torn here..

Topeak's Roadmorph or Mt. Morph will pump up tire 700x25 to 110 lbs with 110 pump strokes.
I'm not a body builder type but a 13-lb 79 year old avid cyclist.

Correction to above post: 135 lbs NOT 13lb!

Just in case you are not aware of it, you can also use the Edit link to fix previous posts.

-1 on Topeak Morph pumps. They're big and heavy and not appropriate for roadies. The Race Rocket pumps are half the size and weight.

Ah...so 13 lb was when you were racing, eh?:thumb:

If we are discussing 700c road tires that need 100-120psi, all of the mini pumps will require 100-150 strokes to get there from zero...and they will get harder to pump at the end. They also get hot from the friction of the piston gasket rubbing the pump chamber tube (they will heat up less if you take your time and pump slowly).

For road tires, especially tubulars, you have to be able to get to 100-120psi. Pump manufacturers max pressure ratings are...optimistic. That means that a 120psi rated pump usually will fall short, so get one rated for 160psi just to have a chance of working a tire to 120psi without superhuman effort and patience.

A really lightweight pump that works for me is the Lezyne HP Road Drive M (medium size as opposed to large or mini). For topping off on the road, it is about as good as it gets. The flex hose and screw on valve connector is more secure and durable than the clamp on type connectors and makes it easier to pump without breaking the valve stem. Despite the fact that the connector is listed as for Presta only, you can use it with Shraders by adding a small o-ring (or you can get the hose that goes with another Lezyne mini model).

CO2 is fast and easy but dependent on carrying a supply of expensive and heavy CO2 cartridges.

If you use unthreaded 12 gm cylinders they are neither heavy nor expensive. You can buy these in any sporting goods store or the sporting goods department of any X-mart as they are used in Paint Ball guns and come in boxes of 15 or 25 for less than $.50 each. An Innivations Superflate and others use them.

I carry a mini-pump to get the tube seating checked and inflated to 20 - 30 psi followed by a single CO2 cartridge which gives me 100 psi in a 700-23 tire and is much faster than pumping it with the mini-pump. The combination of the mini-pump, the superflate and 3 CO2 cylinders weighs less than a standard frame pump.

Wut?
I have a Road Drive M. The hose has a Schrader end and a Presta end. You thread the end you don't need into the pump, so the end you *do* need can thread onto the valve stem.

Not exactly. Air heats up as it's compressed and cools as it expands. The pump gets hot from some of the work done compressing the air. If you have an air compressor, you might have noticed how hot the line from the compressor to the tank gets. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles%27s_law

Currently I only carry a mini-pump but do envy the quickness of CO2. However, I've helped at least three riders over the years, who blew through their CO2s for one reason or another, and needed a manual pump. Carrying both mini and CO2 would be ideal and I've seen one mini-pump/CO2 combo, but haven't heard much about it recently. I do like the idea of manually pumping to ensure proper bead seating, then finishing off with CO2. My friend expended one CO2 and almost one tube when the tube snuck out of the tube (yes, he did accept my offer for my mini).

Regarding "pumps up to xxx psi" package claims, that is only half the story. A more complete statement is, "pumps to xxx psi with xxx lbs of force", and that "pounds of force" is what the user puts into the handle. I am not sure what the "average" person can exert on a bicycle pump, since the exerted force depends on ergonomics. I have a mini (Bontrager) with t-handle, and it is easier to use than a straight handle.

I always find it easier on the pull stroke than the push stroke, anyone else? If so, I wish you could flip a switch to pump during the pull stroke, especially towards the end, when my hand is shaking as I try to reach what I consider "acceptable" and I am both fatigued from 100+ strokes and muscle tired from the resistance force.

True, compressing any gas (air) generates heat and allowing it to expand absorbs heat (that's the "refrigeration cycle" in a nutshell). However, the friction of the gasket sliding along the pump tube also warms up the walls of the pump. If the pump were "frictionless" it wouldn't heat up so much. If all the heat came from merely compressing the air, the tire, pump hose and pump cylinder would all heat up more or less equally. They don't.

I have no problem getting our tandem tires (622-37) to over 100 psi with our Topeak Turbo Morph Bike Pump with Gauge
http://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Turbo-M...dp/B000FIE4PO/

The foot peg is especially helpful for pumping efficiency.

Not true - the air in the tire and hose is actually expanding - it as lower pressure than inside the pump. The pump cylinder is where the work is being done compressing the air, outside of the cylinder the air is expanding.

Fiddlesticks. If you're that worried about weight, take a laxative the night before you go for a ride. The difference in weight is the same as filling a water bottle 3/4 full, i.e. negligible.

For my purposes, I want a pump that's reliable, doesn't take a zillion strokes, and doesn't fight back at 105 psi. The Road Morph fits the bill.

I don't think the highlighted comment is true. When you pump up a tire, you are increasing the pressure in the tire, pump hose, and of course the pump cylinder. The air may be "expanding" insofar as the tire volume is expanding as you pump it full of air, but the pressure is increasing in the tire and the attached hose. This leads to increased temperature. Sure, the tire "expands" a bit as you pump it up, but you are not letting the air expand freely forever. Expansion is limited by the fixed volume of the tire inner tube. Eventually the pressure in the tire build up (to 100+psi for road tires).

I've already conducted an experiment to check this out, and you can check it yourself. I've used a gadget in my shop (a "Fieldpiece" refrigerant thermometer) to check the temperature of my bicycle pump under two different scenarios. Scenario 1: pumping with the pump connected to open air; and 2: pumping into a tire.

In both scenarios there was a temperature increase, which was greater when pumping up a tire. The only way to explain the increase in scenario 1 is that the heat was generated by friction in the pump cylinder. If what you claim is true, the temperature should havedecreased due to gas expansion.

Just my 2 cents. Correct me if I'm wrong.

physically a longer frame fit pump moves more air, than a short mini pump.
less strokes.

Tube stems have a check-valve, floor pumps can have one in them too .

Have an extra mount for the Hurricane Scepter you'd like to sell?