scarleton

Folks,

I need a hand pump that works! Mine is OK, but the pressure gauge SUCKS and it takes forever to get the tire up to 80~100 psi. What hand pumps do folks recommend? The only place I can carry it is next to the water bottle, so full length is out, but longer is better in my opinion.

What is key is a gauge that will work reliably. I say that because I have a Topeak Road Morph G but the gauge stopped working and I blow two inner tubes do to that! I have a smaller hand pump now and it takes too long to pump and the gauge on it doesn't seem to go above 50 psi.

Any recommendations? Lezyne look nice, are they?

MRT2

How about just replacing the gauge on your Road Morph G?
https://www.topeak.com/products/Pumps/trk_rp03

bboti

what about this one: https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Turbo-...esbikestore-20

scarleton

That is an option, but if it broke on me once, how do I know the new one won't break on me? When I am 100 miles into a 200 mile ride and I blow two tubes due to the tire gauge doesn't work, I am a bit reluctant to trust the build quality of the gauge. What is your experience with the pump/gauge?

scarleton

Why, yes, that is an option, but one gauge by that manufacture broke on me once already. When I am 100 miles into a 200 mile ride and I blow two tubes due to the tire gauge doesn't work, I am a bit reluctant to trust the same manufacture.

Do you have personal experience with this pump & gauge?

MRT2

Yes. I have used it for years and it is by far the best frame pump I have ever used.

I don't understand how you blew 2 tubes, even if the gauge was broken. There are lots of frame pumps that don't even have a gauge.

scarleton

Simple: I trusted the gauge when it said 80psi and kept pumping, it went POP and I didn't know why. I did it again and when that went POP, the light bulb went on.

indyfabz

Just got back from another 500+ mile, self-contained tour in Montana, some of which was on gravel, with my Road Morph G. I don't leave home without it. Operator error, perhaps?

indyfabz

Sounds fishy to me. How does a tube blow inside the tire? The only time I have seen a tube blow during inflation is when the tire is not property seated and comes off the rim. I doubt one could ever get enough pressure with that pump to blow a properly seated tire off a rim.

scarleton

Go put 160 psi into a 700c x 28 tire and see if it pops. I am guessing it will pop around 140~150 psi. Mind you many pumps can go to 160 psi, there are hand pumps that will go to over 300 psi!

scarleton

So back to my original question: any recommendations for pumps OTHER than Topeak pumps?

indyfabz

Why would anyone do such a stupid thing? Is that what you allegedly did with your Road Morph G? If that's your claim, I call B.S.

Retro Grouch 

What's wrong with the time tested analogue method?

Calibrate your hand by squeezing the tire that didn't go flat. Now squeeze the tire that you are re-inflating. When they feel about the same, you're good-to-go.

1nterceptor

I use my portable pump(s) a lot. For my own flats(Schwalbe/Continental slicks) and other riders';
fellow riders stopping me on the bike paths w/ out a pump and for riders on charity events I volunteer
for. Five Boro Bike Tour, at least 6 or 7 every time. Same thing with New York City Century. NY Bike MS,
Tour de Cure, Escape NY, Tour de Bronx, JC Ward Tour, etc., etc.

One of my earlier Topeak Road Morph G; the valves started to leak a bit - got rid of it. Tried the Planetbike
Versair; similar to the Morph -no gauge. It was nice and operated the same way; but I've broken the foot
piece twice. Planetbike has lifetime warranties on a lot of their products. And they sent me a new one every
time.

Tried the Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HPG; similar layout to the Morph and Versair. But I found the handle
to be too small and uncomfortable for my small hands.

Tried the Crankbrothers Gem L. Pumping was supposed to be fast & easy with hi volume to start; then
switching to hi pressure. It had the same weakness as most short/tiny pumps. Needs lot of pumps and
strength to get to a useful pressure.

Currently I'm back to the tried and true - Topeak Road Morph G.

79pmooney

There's another approach, though it doesn't address your question. You could do what cyclists have been doing for 100 years. Develop a feel for a properly inflated tire. Inflate your tires, front and rear, with a pump and gauge to the pressure you like. Squeeze the tire with your fingers. Do this every time you pump up. After a while you will not need a gauge on the road.

I spent 20 years without a gauge that worked Wasn't a big deal. Raced most of my races just using my fingers. And always did the finger check after I used a pump with a gauge. Fingers work. Gauges, as you have seen, not always.

Ben

scarleton

You know what, I was there(physically, not mentally, fore I was obviously not paying attention), you where not there. NOBODY KNOWS EXACTLY what happened (except for God, of course). Are you willing to simply let the past be the past and DROP exactly what happened?

You are welcome to call me and my prospective as many derogitory things as you like because I will be the first to admit that generally speaking I am full of BS, I make no sense most of the time, I make more stupid chooses then wise ones and as a result of that do a lot of dumb things. But all in all, I am still left with the same simple question:

Does anyone recommend any hand pumps OTHER then those made by Topeak?

(Side note: I am very glad you have had wonderful success with your Topeak pump. I know they are a great manufacture. I own other products of their and do love them, myself. Please do NOT take my desire to seek other options as a way of saying that Topeak is bad company, or they make bad pumps, they are not, I am simply looking at all my options.)

Korina

Yes, I love my Lezayne.

That work?

scarleton

Might I ask, which one do you own?

prj71

Anyone have experience with the Topeak RaceRocket HP or RaceRocket HPX?

Have fingers...no Guage necessary.

BobbyG

Regardless of the pump, I use what I call the "Charleston" method, after the name of the 1920's dance craze. I squat and place one hand at each end of the tube pump, and then place a knee outside of each hand. I then pump using my knees to help squeeze my hands.

roadfix

Out on the road my thumb is my trusty pressure gauge. I trust it and keeps me rolling... Works every time.
I don't care for gauges except on my floor pump at home.

jefnvk

Can't help, other than I agree with the others. The Road Morph G is, quite simply, the best frame pump I've ever tried. The fact that it inflated tires enough to blow them should tell you that.

In any case, even with such a good pump, it took a while to get my 27x28/32 tires to even 95PSI. It is not as if with a little care, you can avoid that problem.

Korina

I think it's the Lite Drive; I didn't buy it, and my bike's at home today. I had to use it a couple months ago, and even my wimpy arms were able to pump the tire plenty full. I love love love the separate hose. Just brilliant.

JanMM

I have a road morph G, a road morph mini and a mountain morph.
Best I've ever used - thankfully, haven't used them much.

ddeand 

I've got Lezyne pumps on all my bikes and a Floor Drive in my garage as my main pump. If I was on a tour, I would carry a digital guage, but for regular rides, I just test the tire by squeezing it. It's pretty easy to get the feel for adequate pressure in an emergency situation. Lezyne makes a couple with built-in guages, now.
Lezyne - Engineered Design - Products - Hand Pumps - High Pressure - Digital Pressure Drive