OneIsAllYouNeed

Which pump do you carry on the tandem? Would you recommend it to other tandemists? I'm in the market for something that can inflate big tires to high pressures (nominally 50 to 90psi in 50mm to 35mm tires, respectively). I've always carried a cheap SKS Vector frame pump, but it's time for something new.

merlinextraligh

We carry a Blackburn airstik. It's light and fits in a small seat bag.


And it actually works.


But it is strictly emergency backup to a C02 cartridge. Takes about 200 strokes to get decent pressure in a 25mm tire

diabloridr

Topeak Road MasterBlaster frame pump as backup to a CO2 cartridge is our choice.

reburns

We carry this: Lezyne - Engineered Design - Products - Hand Pumps - High Pressure - Micro Floor Drive HP/HPG

Darth Lefty 

I wonder sometimes why there's no pumps that have a crank. Seems like it would be less frustrating than doing shortened chest flies while leaned over.

Trsnrtr

Ditto.

rlp

A Micro Rochet as a back up to CO2. It takes a lot of work to get to high H.P. but it does get there and since I carry three cartridges I hope to have little use for it. Push on style head, and easily fits in a jersey pocket.

sch

Topeak Road Morph is my choice, if you can fit it to the frame, easy enough on a tandem with all the
tubing, but a bit difficult on a molded CF singleton. Road Morph has a flip down hold down you can
put your foot on and then use your body weight vertically to get above 100# without Schwartzenegger
arms. It also has 6-8" of flexible tubing which self stores on the pump and facilitates that vertical pumping.
The Road Morph: https://www.topeak.com/global/en/pro...-road-morph--g
On my CF I have a Lezyne, works fine but 180 pumps will get you to 85# with a 23mm tire. The last 30
strokes will wear you out. The first 120 are easy at 1/second, last 30 are 3-5 sec/stroke

OneIsAllYouNeed

Thanks, gang.
My shortlist includes:
Topeak Road Masterblaster
Topeak Road Morph G
Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HPG

DCwom

Classic Zefal frame pump. If your frame has the braze-ons for the frame pump like ours I wouldn't consider anything else as it fits an otherwise unusable space and requires no attachment HW.

https://www.amazon.com/Zefal-HPX-Fra.../dp/B00PB5VMOM

p2berg

Silica frame pump - expensive but they always work...

Paul J

I have been using co2 cartridges as my only resource but we have been talking about getting a small pump to keep in the trunk bag. this thread has been a big help.

DKMcK 

+1 on the Topeak Road Morph. All sch said plus it has a gauge.

joe@vwvortex 

Old full size Blackburn CF frame pump. I carry a smaller pump on my road bike and cartridges. Pump is there as a back up. On the tandem it's the primary and works fine.

Chancy

Folks,
We have always only carried a CO2 pump and enough cartridges for 2 punctures on day rides. While touring we carry enough cartridges for 4 punctures. In 17 years of riding the tandem only once have we had more than 2 flats on a ride and we were with another couple who had spare cartridges. That incident of three punctures was before I learned to properly fix a puncture -. Since then we haven't had more than 1 puncture on any ride and, knock on wood, no more than 2 punctures on a tour (2 ½ weeks self supported). Are you guys unlucky, overly cautious, or preparing for the worst case scenario...or are we pushing our luck?
How many punctures/flats have you had on a ride?

Tailwinds,
Charlie

OneIsAllYouNeed

Zefal HPX is the winner for my new tandem. The captain top tube is between sizes on the Topeak Road Masterblaster, but comfortably in the middle of the Zefal size chart. If I was putting a giant frame bags on this bike, the Lezyne floor drive might have been my choice.

That's a fun topic, too. I can only recall a handful of one-day rides with two flats, and one with 3 flats. The worst was touring on single bikes in goathead thorn territory.

I'd estimate we go 1000mi between flats on average.

I carry CO2 for races, but prefer a pump on all other rides.

joe@vwvortex 

And that one time one of the cartridges accidentally discharges before filling up the tube.......been there, done that.

Paul J

We carry two tubes and three cartridges all the time and go up one each when we tour. I also carry a quick patch to give me the ability to use an old tube if needed. I did have a time where I didn't see the wire in the tread and had two punctures in very short order.

socalrider

Use one that does both - The Genuine Innovations Second wind pump is small pump with a co2 option.. If you run out of co2 - it will function as a regular pump if needed.

You can keep an extra cartridge on the top side of the pump.. I have them on all my bikes and been using them for 5+ years. Great little pump w/ a co2 option..

https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Innov.../dp/B008K4YFBS

video -

geoffs

+ 1 for the Zefal hpx4 but I do usually use gas first

dabac

for the intended usage, a displacement (~piston) pump is the most immediate choice.
Making one powered by rotary motion would add parts, bulk and weight. Not the features cyclists are known to be fond of.

dabac

I carry two tubes and a pump. And self-adhesive patches. Add inflator and cartridge for group rides.

Sometimes its hard to find the splinter that caused the flat, and you get a repeat puncture.
Once I met a rider stranded by a flat, helped him out, only to flat myself two miles down.

Carbonfiberboy 

Topeak Road Morph G, on a bracket with a bottle cage. On the tandem, we carry a spare tire, 2 tubes, a patch kit, and a boot kit. When we flat, we automatically put on the spare tire. That's faster than looking for the puncture in the tube, then trying to figure out what caused it. Many times it's a slow leak that can't be found without water. The extra 4 oz. each for the spare tire is easily worth it. We run 28mm on our bike, but our spare is 25mm both to save weight and to make it shareable with singles. We have saved folks from serious hassles on remote rides. Our max flats was 5 on a 50 mile ride, all from separate causes, with PRO4 Endurance tires. We no longer use those tires. No, we don't carry CO2.

nfmisso

Topeak Turbo Morph G;

Admittedly 60 grams (280g vs 220g ) heavier than the Road G; but it is MUCH higher volume per stroke = faster. It has no problem taking 38-622 tires to 100 psi in a reasonable amount of time, nor 54-590 tires to 80 psi also in a reasonable amount of time.

zonatandem

Toppeak Mt. Master Blaster. Bit shorter/lighter and 100 pump strokes put in 100PSI on 25mm tire.
Just our input/experience.
Rudy and Kay/zonatadem