Mini Mini Mini Pump
 

Okay, so I currently have the Spin Doctor Rescue HV Mini Pump mounted to Lola, and am not a fan of it, at all! However, I cannot seem to find a mini pump that is any smaller than that. I have my Co2 inflator/cartridges, but got my mini pump upon other posters advice. Now, I am thinking of ditching it altogether in my tool roll (which I have yet to get, let's not go there ... :lol: ..., however, I did purchase the PoCampo Logan Trunk Bag ... haven't gotten to ride wth it yet, but it looks promising.) and taking it back or keeping it to use at home. For home, I currently have a Serfas floor pump that I am considering selling as I have never used it.

Anway, any suggestions on a smaller/thinner mini pump?

Thanks!

You could go for CO2 cartridges.

M.

Um, if you're not using the floor pump at home... how are you "topping off" your tires?

Any of the Lezyne pumps-- Road Drive, Pressure Drive, Drive Lite, Tech Drive, etc.-- are 2" shorter in the Medium size and nearly 4" smaller in the Small size.

I have two Medium sized Road Drives in both carbon and aluminum bodies; excellent hand pumps for 700x23 tires. One is equipped with the optional Pen Gauge hose with integrated pressure gauge, which is awesome, because it takes the guesswork out of mini pump inflating.

Of course, not knowing what you don't like about the Spin Doctor makes it impossible to say if a Lezyne will be better suited, but I've got no doubt that the Lezynes are better tools.

Be aware that the smaller the mini-pump, the more work it will be to use it. As far as your floor pump goes, you should have one to replace the air that your tires will lose over time, they tend to be much easier to use than mini-pumps; say 20-30 pumps for a floor pump verses over 200 for a mini pump; my arm is getting sore just thinking about it. Even with new tubes and tires, air will slowly leak from them, depending on the pressure of the tire, you should be checking the tires pressure at least weekly, for high pressure tires, and at least monthly for low pressure tires. Some on this forum will suggest daily and weekly, but your pressure, and mileage may vary.
Remember that reduced pressure leads to a greater chance of pinch flats when you hit potholes and other road hazards.
CO2 gets rather expensive for just topping off you tires every few weeks, not to mention the waste of all those cartridges.

Also, if you are running very flat resistant tires (Schwalbe Marathon Plus or similar type tire) you may find that you can forgo carrying a pump and patch kit most of the time especially if you have readily available public transit (extra especially if it's bike friendly) on your normal commuting routes. It may be easier, faster and much less messier for you to leave your bike well secured to a bike rack at a subway or bus stop when you get a flat and come back to it after work when you take it home to fix the flat in comfort. On rainy, snowy or truly cold days, fixing a bike a home is luxurious compared to the side of the road.
Also, if you are running a full chaincase on your bike, fixing a rear flat can be a serious drag on the side of the road if you need to actually replace the tube instead of patching it on the wheel.

I use my floor pump at home, much more frequently than I use my seatpost pump, or any other bike mounted pump that I have had.

As for a pump on the bike itself, I started with one that the Evil Empire sells, I think that it was a Bell. It got replaced with a Topeak Mountain Morph pump. I then decided that I liked the idea of my seatpost also being my pump. Now, I have a Biologic Seatpost pump. I still carry the Mountain Morph pump in one of my front panniers, mostly, to help others.

I roll with Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, so I don't actually use a bike mounted pump often.

You need your floor pump for the weekly checkup on your tires at home before you leave. I carry the Topeak mini pump in my frame bag for flat tires. It takes a little longer to inflate a tire with a mini and you have to be patient but it sure does the trick to get you home even though you don't pump it up to full pressure.

Brilliant! I had never seen that before -- now I want one! How long is it/how far can it typically insert? I subscribe to the GP/Riv school of sizing and only have a "fistfull of post" showing on my 60cm crosscheck.

Road Morph, or cell phone. That's all I use on the bike.

Floor pump every other day at home.

Get an Air Thief and roll up to an unsuspecting parked car (might need a Presta/Schraeder converter).

OK, so that'll get you to 35psi or so -- won't do much good on a 23mm roadie

Here is a link to where they can be had.
http://www.thinkbiologic.com/products/postpump-seatpost

Pretty much the same thoughts I was having. I don't know enough about physics, but, i would think that the pressure would equalize between the two tires.

They used to to make a little unit that would limit the pressure from a regular gas station hose. It kept you from blowing your tire off the rim. I would love to get my hot little hands on one. Problem is, I don't remember what it was called.

Yep, a higher-pressure tire will release air into a lower pressure tire, every time.

If your tire is completely flat, though, the car tire would air the bike tire up to whatever pressure the car tire was. The bike tire volume is so small that it would make no appreciable loss on the car tire's pressure, maybe 1 or 2 PSI.

I have one, too, but it doesn't really seem all that efficient compared to, say, a Lezyne Road Drive. Doesn't seem very durable either, but as an emergency unit should be fine, and certainly better than nothing.

On my fixed gear I have a Topeak Micro Rocket CB: 55 grams, carbon fiber finish, very unobtrusive mounted to the side of the water bottle cage. What's not to like? Well, actually using it to pump up a tire for one thing. Out of curiosity, after one flat (when the weather was nice and I wasn't in any hurry to get home) I counted 200 strokes before I gave up on it and called it good enough to ride home. I mainly carry it to find the puncture, seat the tires, etc., or as a "Plan E" if I use up my three CO2 canisters.

On my commuter, I have a Topeak Road Morph. It actually is useable as an inflation device, and I don't carry CO2 on that bike (I also have Tuffy Liners installed on that one).

Oh, and +1 on the floor pump. I use mine before every ride (well, not on the commute home from the office - but I do have my old floor pump stashed in my bike locker at work).

I got one of these which is truly tiny. It is so much work to actually use that I went the other way and now just have a full-length frame pump. If you truly don't get flats very often, maybe a mini would work great for you (psychological backup you hopefully don't have to use). The roads I use are nasty enough that I need a pump I can be comfortable using.

I also agree that it's worth keeping the floor pump for maintaining tire pressure. I also have an extra floor pump at work.

I just like the fact that it takes up no mounting real estate on the frame, thus one less thing that can get stolen while locked up, one less item to rattle, and one less attachment to clutter the look.

The Road Morph Mini is a little bigger but actually works and could replace a floor pump.

http://www.bikeshake.com/bike-images...-morph-g-1.jpg

My first requirement for a pump would be that it has a hose. I like Topeaks Morph series because of the handle and foot pad.

You are a chick. I am a chick. Generally, chicks are not famous for upper body strength. Ergo - mini pump is a lot of work with dubious results. Topeak Road Morph or bust! It has a hose, pretty accurate pressure gauge, a flip-up foot pad and moves a s#!tload of air to 160psi max.

Good Luck and ride safe.

SF

Due to some plumbing issues in my apartment I've been staying in another unit, and have not been able to pick up my bike from the shop where she was having her Brooks saddle/grips installed. To be honest (hope I'm not jinxing myself here), I don't top off weekly, although I know I should. Also, I haven't been able to get much riding in due to Lola being at the shop and before that (like I said) didn't check my tire pressure before every ride, although I should get into the habit of doing that. :)

Yes, the mini pump is a lot of work which is why I have CO2 as a backup. :) Thanks!

I have this one specifically: http://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Innovations-Ultraflate-Plus-Inflater

Pretty sure I didn't pay that much for mine, though!

M.

I've got CO2, too.

Hi Chad,
I'm just not a fan of the size. I'd like something smaller I can fit in a tool roll. :)

Thanks Chad! Are these all Presta valves? I've got Schrader valve on Lola's 700x38 tires. :)

Not necessarily. There are several design elements that make some mini pumps much better performing than others. I don't doubt the Road Morph moves a lot of air, but the tradeoff is that it's a big, honking pump. I'd add also quite ugly. The OP asked for small and thin, in fact, smaller and thinner than her Spin Doctor. The poor girl; in 25 posts, she's actually gotten only 3 reccos that directly answer her request!

Anyway, regarding pump efficiency, things like shaft diameter, friction, and rigidity, and material all affect efficiency, but in the end, we really have a decision to make: high volume for quick fills, or high pressure for easier filling at the top end. To illustrate, the Lezyne Pressure Drive will hit higher pressure in 1/2 the strokes it takes the longer Blackburn Airstick (http://www.cyclingactive.com/bikesge...est-mini-pumps).

A clever solution to this quandary is found in the Crank Brothers Sterling mini-pumps, which offer quick switching between high volume and high pressure modes, so the pumping effort stays low throughout the effort while maximizing volume output. The Sterling G, at 7.8", is also shorter than the Spin Doctor, though may not be quite as sleek and slender; I dunno.

Anyway, I think one-- man or woman-- can get very acceptable performance without having to go huge and bulky (which is not to knock the Road Morph's other fine attributes), particularly for only irregular use.