You’ve got 3 pump options, what are they?
Today we wanted to talk about the different options that you have to pump up your tires. It’s not just as cut and dried as buying a pump.
Road bike tires are pumped up to a much higher pressure that tires on other types of bikes. Whilst kids bikes, mountain bikes and cheaper bikes tend to have Schrader valves, quality road bikes will almost always have Presta valves.
One of the reasons for this is that Presta valves allow you to pump your tire up to a much higher pressure. Many road tires are pumped up to 120 lbs or more. Road bike tires are relatively narrow, and require a high-pressure to perform.
If you’re new to road cycling then you may not realise that many pumps are not able to pump to 120lbs. For example it’s rare to find a small hand-held pump that will pump to this pressure.
So let’s examine the options that you have for inflating your tires.
1. Floor Pumps
One essential piece of equipment for any beginner road cyclist is a floor pump. A floor pump is an upright pump that is placed on the floor, with flaps for you to use to place your feet on when inflating your tire.
It can be a little difficult pumping up a road tire to 120lbs. It takes quite a bit of pushing.
A floor pump should have an accurate pressure gauge, with a turning dial to allow you to indicate the required pressure so that one glance will tell you when you’ve achieved that.
It should be solid, strongly made and heavy. It should also have a dual fitting to pump up both Presta and Schrader valves. I use mine to pump up the Schrader valve in my wheelbarrow as well.
Quality floor pumps are more expensive, as you would expect, however are easier to use and last much longer than a cheap pump.
Simply owning a floor pump, however, is not sufficient. There will also be times, on the ride, when you need to pump up the tire. Most commonly after a flat.
2 Pumping options on the road – hand held and CO2
For inflating your tires on the road you have 2 options, and many people carry both. The first is a small hand-held pump which fastens on your down tube or if small enough, in your pocket, and the 2nd is a CO2 canister inflator. (In fact you can get both in one now).
A hand-held pump is unlikely to pump up your tires to 120lb. Despite claims to the contrary, I found that the one I purchased would rarely pump beyond 80, and only with extreme effort.
Quality handpumps usually have 2 stages of operation, allowing you to pump to a higher pressure. However it still unlikely you will pump to 120lbs, or at least not without significant effort. A hand-held pump is just there to get you out of trouble.
Another option is a small CO2 canister with detachable fitting, using a 16 gram CO2 cartridge. A small fitting screws onto the cartridge and allows you to use the pressure in the cartridge to blow up the tire.
However these also have their problems. Some can be difficult to connect to the valve or difficult to operate. And when you use them they can freeze the fitting or the valve, and your fingers if you have them in the way.
However CO2 pumps are a fine option for pumping your tires up to 120lbs fast and efficiently, it’s done in a second. Just do some research before choosing. Talk to your local bike shop.
CO2 canisters are the modern way of inflating your tires on the road. They are extremely effective however be aware that you are limited in how many times you can pump by how many canisters you carry. One canister will pump up the tire once, with some left over.
I now carry 2 spare tubes and 2 CO2 canisters. No hand pump. But I always ride in a bunch, and if I run out, which hasn’t happened yet, there is always someone else to help out with a canister.
Those are your options for pumping up your tires. Personally I’d forget about the hand pump unless you ride on your own, a quality floor pump and a quality CO2 fitting, with 2 or 3 canisters in your saddleback should do the trick.
Today’s quick tip.
If you use a CO2 canister on the road let your tire down when you get back home and pump it up by hand using your floor pump. Tires pumped up using CO2 gradually lose their pressure. And remember, check your tire pressure before each ride, there’s good reasons to do so.
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