Bike pumps are one of those things that tend to get overlooked when people are buying their new bikes, or even just upgrading the accessories on their old one. So, before you spend too much of your cash on curve hugging lycra, it’s time to have a look at three of the best bicycle pumps on the market, they may just help you the next time your journey goes a little bit flat – something the lycra is very unlikely to do.
Serfas TCPG Bicycle Floor Pump
One of the advantages of Serfas TCPG Bicycle Floor Pump, over many of the others on the market, is the fact that it can be used on car tires, as well as being an ‘ordinary’ bike pump. It is easy enough to attach to the valves of either, and you’re ready to go.
Pumping up your tires is a breeze, too; there’s little effort required to use this bicycle pump. Also, if you have found in the past that some bike pumps haven’t been sturdy enough for your needs, then the metal barrel and nylon base of the Serfas TCPG Bicycle Floor Pump is going to be very much to your liking.
Are there any negatives about this bicycle pump? Well, there has been a slight tendency for the gauge to show the wrong reading, and that’s something that won’t please you if you actually know the correct psi for your tires. This problem could be down to air being trapped in the gauge, so reattaching the pump could solve this minor problem.
Topeak Blow Sports Floor Pump
As with the Serfas bike pump talked about above, Topeak Blow Sports Floor Pump is designed to fit both Presta and Schrader valves. With this bike pump, you’ll also get bladder and ball adapters, which is useful for those days when the mood takes you, and you just have to get outside with a ball.
This bike pump is also sturdy and has a good feel to it. The handles are wide, and have a rubber grip, so this means that you can get a better hold of the bicycle pump in even the trickiest of weather conditions. The gauge on the Topeak Blow Sports Floor Pump seems to have a more accurate reading than the gauge on the Serfas TCPG Bicycle Floor Pump.
Are there any problems that you need to be aware of with this bicycle pump? The only thing that springs to mind is a problem that is common to the majority of bike pumps that have a dual head for use with Presta and Schrader valves: it can be a bit bulky for what is an otherwise streamlined bike accessory.
Planet Bike Ozone Comp Floor Pump
Planet Bike Ozone Comp Floor Pump is lighter and less expensive than the other two bike pumps mentioned above. One of the chief reasons for this is the fact that pump has been constructed of a composite material, as opposed to the metal pumps listed above. That, of course, doesn’t mean that it’s any less capable of blowing up your tires, as it has the pressure rated up to 200 psi, whereas the Serfas TCPG Bicycle Floor Pump has a capability of 160 psi.
This bike pump has a number of very useful additional features, like the ability to pre-set the gauge to the pressure that you require, so that you can quickly and easily see how close you are to reaching the correct psi for your tire.
And the negatives of this bike pump? There are two that become obvious when using this pump: 1, there is some difficulty with keeping the tube attached, if it had a Presta valve; and 2, because it is made of a composite, rather than metal, there may be a few worries about just how long this will last you before needing to be replaced. Of course, seeing we haven’t performed a trial that lasts years, the last ‘problem’ may be completely unfounded.
So, although all of the bicycle pumps mentioned above do have their minor problems – and what product doesn’t? – they also have a lot of things going for them, too. If you want an alternative to the cheap bike pump that you may have got as standard with your last bicycle, then you could do far worse than thinking about investing in either the Serfas TCPG Bicycle Floor Pump, the Topeak Blow Sports Floor Pump, or the Planet Bike Ozone Comp Floor Pump. So, upgrade now, and make sure you aren’t let down by your next bike pump.