how much effort to pump to 100psi?

GordonFreeman

Strange question but how much effort does it require to pump to 100 psi?
I use the bike pump on Kennington road but my arms are knackered after a min and can only get it to 80psi.
Maybe I should use a track pump at a shop.

t.m.h.n.e.t

With a track pump very little. Trackpumps are cheap enough to buy though,they pay for themselves quite easily.

desweller

Pretty easy to reach that sort of pressure with stirrup pumps and frame pumps. Mini pumps often require much more effort or will not displace enough volume.

cougie

Buy a track pump. You won't look back. Honest.

Peddle Up!

Agree with the above. A frame pump will put enough air in a tyre to get you home (but a CO2 injector is better), but a track pump will inflate your tires to bursting point. For what it's worth I have a Joe Blow and find it excellent.

ForumNewbie

I couldn't manage without a track pump, as I usually top up my tyres before every ride.

Wacky Racer

My mini pump is emergency only, it will get enough air in to keep me riding, but anything over 80/85psi is too much work for me. My track pump gets me up to 100psi in about half a dozen strokes and absolutely no effort whatsoever.

sungod

i've got a lezyne road drive (medium size), with the add-on pen gauge, it gets to 110psi easily, i've gone over 120psi by accident when i just kept pumping without checking the gauge

some minipumps pump too much air per stroke, which gets really tough as pressure rises - it's like going up an increasing gradient in far too high a gear, you'll soon reach the point where your full body weight won't be enough to turn the pedals

the lezyne needs more strokes but it's less effort per stroke, like being in lower gear going up the hill, so you'll get much further

rolf_f

sungod wrote:

some minipumps pump too much air per stroke, which gets really tough as pressure rises - it's like going up an increasing gradient in far too high a gear, you'll soon reach the point where your full body weight won't be enough to turn the pedals

Those'll be the ones for MTBs - low pressure but lots of air needed.

shouldbeinbed

Track pumps are the best but a bit bulky to carry on a bike. I have a £20 topeak pocket rocket that I can put ~100psi into without breaking sweat. Its better than bigger & more costly frame pumps

Rigged

If you're light like me than I can put my whole body weight on the handle of my track pump (joe blow) at 85 psi without it putting any more air into my tyre.

Fortunately I fill to 80-90psi so only need to give it one short bounce of my weight on the handle to bring it up to the 90. Worth keeping in mind if you happen to be very slightly built but still much more effortless than smaller manual pumps.

I've also got a small lezyne pressure drive mini which I can get up to the same pressure but the smaller volume means a lot more pumps and more use of muscle over bodyweight. Good thing is it has a hose so that the strain isn't going straight to valve.