Bike mounted bike pump

mlgt

All useful info and good bit of knowledge about checking caked on crud on the pumps. Ive decided on the road drive and actually wipe down my bike after every wet ride. So no doubt I will clean the pump if it has overspray or crud on it.

Looking forward to adding another item on the daily commuter

keef66

"A note of caution on this, framefit pumps (particularly on winter/wet bikes) can get exposed to a lot of water and shite, which can leave them useless when you come to need them."

Good point, I've read a couple of posts about Lezyne pumps where corrosion had made it impossible to unscrew the hose from the handle. Even though it goes in a jersey pocket I'm going to grease the threads on mine...

ai_1

keef66 wrote:

"A note of caution on this, framefit pumps (particularly on winter/wet bikes) can get exposed to a lot of water and shite, which can leave them useless when you come to need them."

Good point, I've read a couple of posts about Lezyne pumps where corrosion had made it impossible to unscrew the hose from the handle. Even though it goes in a jersey pocket I'm going to grease the threads on mine...

I'm not sure a jersey pocket is better than a frame mount in terms of corrosion. Plenty sweaty condensation available!
I hadn't heard about this being a problem. I'll bear it in mind and maybe check the hose once in a while.

mlgt

agreed. I used a gabba as my daily jacket and my phone gets a bit damp from the buildup from a 30 or so minute cycle to/from work each day.

However I just didn't like the idea of a pump sticking out the back that's all. Hence I wanted a frame mounted one.

Will see how I get on. If I don't get on with it. I can ebay it and with the money buy some canisters.

ai_1

mlgt wrote:

agreed. I used a gabba as my daily jacket and my phone gets a bit damp from the buildup from a 30 or so minute cycle to/from work each day.

However I just didn't like the idea of a pump sticking out the back that's all. Hence I wanted a frame mounted one.

Will see how I get on. If I don't get on with it. I can ebay it and with the money buy some canisters.

I'm sure it will be fine.
Also IMO CO2 canisters are not a replacement for a pump.
A pump is there whenever you need it, as many times as you need it. CO2 canisters are a one time deal, or however many canisters you brought. Great when you're in a hurry like a cold wet roadside or in an event but I would only use them to supplement my pump, not to replace it.
Pumps are essential kit, CO2 inflators are optional extras.

Bordersroadie

Definitely get a pump with a flexible hose. On a typical winter's day, you do not want to be bending/breaking valves with a direct-fit mini pump which you will inevitably end up doing as you wrestle with it to squeeze the best pressure you can from an inadequate little device.

This leaves you two options, assuming you want good quality.

1. Lezyne series (eg Road Drive)
2. Topeak Morph series (eg Road Morph)

1. Pros: flexi hose, beautiful to look at, effective for true 100psi, lightest weight of its type. Cons: they can unscrew valve cores and the flexi hose can vibrate out.

2. Pros: flexi hose is permanently attached and secures to the valve with a push/clamp, no valve damage, effective for true 100psi, almost as light as option 1, and because the hose exits the side, you can hold the bottom of the pump on the ground when pumping making it far easier to get good pressure quickly. Cons: utilitarian in appearance, some may think it looks a bit ugly with the visible hose.

Recommendation: Topeak Mini Morph. I've owned one for three years and used it many times. It's utterly dependable, easy to use with gloves, takes abuse with impunity and pumps to a proper pressure, who wants "get you home" pressure if you have a flat after the first 5 miles of a 105 mile ride?

On the subject of road muck affecting a pump, the Mini Morph looks like sh1t (it's been transferred from bike to bike hundreds of times and been through 3 winters) but is completely unaffected in performance.

Bordersroadie

By the way there are various pump + bottle clips available (Blackburn does a range with various versions that fit most pumps) so you do not need to eliminate a bottle just to have a pump attached.

daniel_b

Bordersroadie wrote:

Definitely get a pump with a flexible hose. On a typical winter's day, you do not want to be bending/breaking valves with a direct-fit mini pump which you will inevitably end up doing as you wrestle with it to squeeze the best pressure you can from an inadequate little device.

This leaves you two options, assuming you want good quality.

1. Lezyne series (eg Road Drive)
2. Topeak Morph series (eg Road Morph)
.

The race rocket I posted above also has a hose

keef66

"This leaves you two options, assuming you want good quality.

1. Lezyne series (eg Road Drive)
2. Topeak Morph series (eg Road Morph)"

I've clearly gone through the same thought process since I have one of each.

The Road Morph is so good it was 18 months before I bought a track pump! It even has a little in-line pressure gauge

simon_masterson

TimothyW wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

Ai_1 wrote:

Simon Masterson wrote:

Framefit is best (eg. Zefal HPX); those rubbish little mini pumps are a bit pointless. Strap it under your top tube. Then buy some better tyres to reduce the frequency of need!

I both agree and disagree!
Most of the mini-pumps are not really up to the job of fully inflating a tyre, certainly not without a lot of hard work. However, in my case they almost never have to. Punctures are a VERY rare occurrence in my last 4 years of cycling.
A mini pump is very unobtrusive and is good enough to get you going again. If it was a frequent problem I'd endorse getting a more substantial frame pump but I can live with one ride a year when I have to finish on a slightly soft tyre. Most mini-pumps will get you to about 80psi without too much trouble and that's enough to get most people home safely on 25mm tyres - in fact it's not far off what I normally put in the front tyre. I think my new Road Drive will do better than 80psi although I haven't tried it properly yet. I use a track pump at home to set the tyre pressures and a mini-pump is fine in an emergency on the road.

That's a perfectly reasonable way to look at it. I'd argue the case for the framefit, on the basis that a) in the event of a puncture I'd rather be able to get up to decent pressure fairly easily and continue as normal rather than simply limp home, and b) strapped under the downtube it's very unobtrusive, and I don't have to worry about remember it - but I'd agree on viewing it as an emergency measure.

A note of caution on this, framefit pumps (particularly on winter/wet bikes) can get exposed to a lot of water and shite, which can leave them useless when you come to need them. I commute five days a week and carry my pumps (yes, I carry two) in my rucksack, having learned the hard way.

If you're going to frame mount make sure you check the pump before you set off on a long solo ride!

My HPX has definitely suffered a bit this way. It's a bit tatty and tarnished, but still seems to work fine - and of course you can service them. I guess it depends on what pump you're using, where you have it on the bike, and your guards/lack thereof. I definitely agree in principle, however - leaving your pump on the bike and assuming it will work when you need it is risky.