Keeping spare pump in truck cab//car trunk?
#1
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Keeping spare pump in truck cab//car trunk?
I've thought about keeping my spare full size pump in my truck cab. I haven't, as it seems to me that heat in a closed up vehicle might possibly damage the washer (correct term?) on the plunger. Good idea not to, or am I overly cautious?
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Unless the temperature inside your vehicle gets hot enough to melt the plastic/rubber components of the pump, you won't have an issue.
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Just be sure to store it in an upright position. If you lay it down on its side, the lube pools on one side of the cylinder and when you go to pump the gasket may be dried out and not seal, and the pump may not work. Standing upright with the gasket at the bottom (pump handle in down position), then the gasket is lubed and when you start to pump the gasket will seal against the side of the cylinder.
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I keep a floor pump in the shed with the bikes. In the summer months it will get up to around 105F in there. The last pump lasted 10 years before the plastic nozel crumbled on a 10F morning.
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#10
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I keep an older Blackburn floor pump in my minivan underneath the rearmost seat It has survived hot and cold with no problems. It saved my rear a couple of years ago when I had a flat on the 4th of July and discovered the donut spare had very little pressure. Be Prepared!
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I use a frame pump on all my bikes. What good is a spare pump in your vehicle when you're miles away when you need it?
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#12
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I keep a Ryobi battery operated pump in the SUV. Good for vehicle tires also. But then you have to worry bout charging the battery. However pumping up the tires is a quick process.
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I have CO2 for miles away. The one in the truck would be for other riders who forget to air up before starting a ride--has happened a few times. (or if I forget-tho it hasn't happened-yet)
#14
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I carry a full size floor pump in 2 different vehicles. They are on their side. No problems so far. I also have CO2 for the road and one vintage bike has a Zefal frame pump I gratefully used this week.
Mike
Mike
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cheap insurance, why not if you have an extra
I carry a CO2 inflator & spare cartridges, plus a hand pump on the bike. I have a history of off-roading in my vehicles, so I carry an accessory inflator in the Jeep. my home shop, has it's own electric inflator. too many been-there, done-thats, to be w/o. old guys know stuff. I also have cheap kneepads in the Jeep for changing flats in nice slacks ...
I carry a CO2 inflator & spare cartridges, plus a hand pump on the bike. I have a history of off-roading in my vehicles, so I carry an accessory inflator in the Jeep. my home shop, has it's own electric inflator. too many been-there, done-thats, to be w/o. old guys know stuff. I also have cheap kneepads in the Jeep for changing flats in nice slacks ...

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Have a compressor pump in my rig
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So you only use it on bikes?? Hilarious.
My full size pumps have been used for the CAR tires for near 50 years. One day I got a flat when it was minus 20 something. Got out the spare and it was completely empty as well. Spent 10 minutes filling it I think. Pretty sure it's still faster than the battery powered gizmos at Auto stores. Several times I pumped up a slow leak to get me to a tire shop.
Then the last 10 years the free gas station pumps got fewer and far between. Every month or so I would fill them up.
My new Volvo is filled with NO2. So it lasts till next winter cold. But I still carry the pump anyway.
My full size pumps have been used for the CAR tires for near 50 years. One day I got a flat when it was minus 20 something. Got out the spare and it was completely empty as well. Spent 10 minutes filling it I think. Pretty sure it's still faster than the battery powered gizmos at Auto stores. Several times I pumped up a slow leak to get me to a tire shop.
Then the last 10 years the free gas station pumps got fewer and far between. Every month or so I would fill them up.
My new Volvo is filled with NO2. So it lasts till next winter cold. But I still carry the pump anyway.
Last edited by GamblerGORD53; 10-22-22 at 11:00 PM.
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And my HPS and HPXs have pumped up other's tires many times. (En route as well as the parking lot.) I've now gone to carrying the tiny schrader-to-presta adopter carried by Cantitoe Road so I can even help the hapless non-presta users without risking losing pump parts swapping the gasket and spring around. ($10. They ship promptly.)
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For the past 15 years or so I keep a pump:
In my car
In my truck
In my wife's car
In the garage
At my office.
Each pump works fine. All are quite old, inexpensive Park or Performance
I also keep a pump on every bike we have, 8 total, as well as a CO2 inflator and basic tools and inner tube.
In my car
In my truck
In my wife's car
In the garage
At my office.
Each pump works fine. All are quite old, inexpensive Park or Performance
I also keep a pump on every bike we have, 8 total, as well as a CO2 inflator and basic tools and inner tube.
#20
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When my wife and I go on a trip, we dont like to drive the Interstate hiways since they are so bland. We take to older 2 lanes. I always throw in my upright pump and a couple of worn down but serviceable tires, in case we meet up with a cross country cyclist with a flat.
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#21
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For the past 15 years or so I keep a pump:
In my car
In my truck
In my wife's car
In the garage
At my office.
Each pump works fine. All are quite old, inexpensive Park or Performance
I also keep a pump on every bike we have, 8 total, as well as a CO2 inflator and basic tools and inner tube.
In my car
In my truck
In my wife's car
In the garage
At my office.
Each pump works fine. All are quite old, inexpensive Park or Performance
I also keep a pump on every bike we have, 8 total, as well as a CO2 inflator and basic tools and inner tube.

The three great advances in bicycles, closely related
1) The roller chain (which made the safety bicycle, what we still ride today, possible}
2) The safety bicycle and
3) the pneumatic tire; needed on the small diameter wheels of the safety bicycle but less so on the high wheelers
Everything since has been upgrades. Yes, in racing, essential, but for riding in general? Just nice.
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This thread made me want to pick up a spare pump to keep in my trunk. So I started looking for something cheap and reliable, but thought for just a little bit more I can get a nice, fancier pump. But then I thought, why would I want to keep such a nice pump in the trunk? So now I cannot justify either getting a nice pump that I'll seldomly use, or spending money on a cheap pump.
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I misplaced my good floor pump last year and bought a cheaper one to replace it. Of course, the original reappeared as soon as I got the replacement, so now I keep the cheaper replacement in my car. It stayed there all last summer and there was no problem.
#24
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I keep a JoeBlow pump in the trunk and haven't any problems for over 10 years.
Last edited by kcjc; 11-02-22 at 06:54 PM.
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#25
I don't know.
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I have a Zefal HP from circa 1986. Works perfect. Amazing.