I’m being deluged by ads for micro pumps ( for use in place of cartridges).
Could make a nice unexpected present.
But are they any good? Dozens of them with wildly varying prices.
Thoughts? Experiences?
CityCyclingEdinburgh Forum » Stuff
E- pumps / micro pumps
(20 posts)-
Posted 3 months ago #
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Depends…
I have an early Lezyne one.
Aluminum body - thick enough to not dent.
Seals and reversible Schrader/presta hose well made and ‘reliable’.
I think spares are generally available but there is now so much ‘choice’ unclear if spares for all models are/will be available (not that I need any - this is an on the road/emergency pump).
There is an inevitability that there is a trade off between ‘conveniently small’ and tedious to pump up a tyre from flat.
Any pump is better than no pump miles from anywhere, but beware cheap ones or ones with unrealistic promises!
Posted 3 months ago # -
Hoses may seem ‘old fashioned’ but generally better than ‘snap-on’ systems.
Lots of bikes?
Have you got a good track pump?
Family present’?
Posted 3 months ago # -
for clarity, I meant this sort of thing: https://www.fumpapumps.co.uk/products/nanofumpa
https://www.flextail.com/products/tiny-bike-pump
Not a traditional micro-pump (hand pump) of which we have several.
Posted 3 months ago # -
I favour the Lezyne with the hose as proposed by illustrious leader. It will work without fail. Apparently constructed from a single block of metal [oooooh, I might get corrected onnthat]
sometimes I wish I lived in a flat place so I could ride a Pashley with the huge Zefal pump attached.
I would not purchase a tiny bike pump. I would lose it before it even broke.
Posted 3 months ago # -
“for clarity”
Ah
Know nothing
Posted 3 months ago # -
“oooooh, I might get corrected onnthat“
Sounds likely
Think purpose of company was to ‘think about products and engineer well’.
Now with extra choice…
Posted 3 months ago # -
Have no personal experience of them, however they seem to be the gadget of choice these days on YouTube when folks are pumping up forks or tires.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Hand pumps never run out, and they don’t contribute to mountains of e-waste.
The longer the barrel, the better. Gings, heavens, we could even use frame-length ones again, if it weren’t for stupid fashion
Posted 3 months ago # -
I was quite enamoured of them when I was thinking about what to put in my Oh S*** Kit on the bike, but then I recalled how often I fail to remember to charge my phone, earbuds, watch, or indeed the bike itself and realized co2 cartridges are still the safe option for lazy people. Never using a mini hand pump again if I can help it though, take those and some flat 2"+ tyres to a BDSM club and the masochists will be happy for days.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Not micro, but for all our various adult / kid cycles and the also the car, we have this compressor from the big bad bezos shop - setting a comfy PSI and getting a huge amount of use out of it between charges, well recommended. I keep it on the bike, but I'm very much a kitchen sink kind of traveller given the Urban Arrow is already 50kg on its own :)
Posted 3 months ago # -
I don’t want to prejudge the conclusion but I think it is a No?
Posted 3 months ago # -
I'm with @neddie on the e-waste issue. However, micro hand pumps are the work of the devil. 10 minutes frantic puffing to get a tyre to the firmness of a blancmange.
On balance, I think an e-pump is overkill and a hand pump should be enough for you to limp home or to wherever the nearest track pump might be.
Thinking more about this, and the inner Calvinist of the keen cyclist shows through. We sweat out buying a very small and useful portable device - when most other folk seem to have no qualms about buying a two tonne SUV.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Talking of waste, I've always thought this with CO2 cartridges, as well as being more trouble than they're worth. A mini-compressor might actually represent an improvement in this respect.
I've got a combination pump/CO2 adapter (Bontrager Air Rush) and it does neither job well to be honest.Posted 3 months ago # -
With tubeless tyres more rapid inflation required of course.
Tubeless not fitted on cargobikes (yet) so I'd just use short wider mini pump for now.Posted 3 months ago # -
I don't much like the waste from the cartridges.
my main concern re the e-pumps (inflators?) is how long they will last before they stop recharging fully.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Hand pumps never run out, and they don’t contribute to mountains of e-waste. The longer the barrel, the better.
Frame-fit pumps are ridiculously cheap these days, even Zefal ones. They're so cheap I'd half expect them to be free inside boxes of cornflakes.
The good old Topeak Road Morph or Mountain Morph are hard to beat though. Small enough to go in a bag. At least they have an actual handle and foot plate to use in track pump mode, compared with the Lezyne models that are a bit form over function. I have EBC's copy of the Mountain Morph and have used it plenty of times to inflate everything from a 90psi Brompton tyre to a 50psi 2.5 inch wide mountain bike tyre.
For her motorbike my bestie has one of those battery powered compressors, with a digital display for pressure and auto cut-off and stuff. I don't know which model it is but there are loads of them. It's small enough but not micro small. I however have a 12V compressor which is about the size of a small pair of binoculars and has the advantage of never needing charged, but has the disadvantage of needing to carrying around an inconveniently large motorbike to power it.
It feels to me all a bit like panniers. Here we are, toting Ortlieb and Arkel's finest, but sometimes a big old waxed cotton bag is all you really need. It may not be fashionable but it's simple.
Posted 3 months ago # -
@SRD, I've just taken delivery of a CYCPLUS AS2 based on good reviews. It's advertised for emergency use for road tyres to get you on your bike and get home but my initial testing indicates it will give at least 2 full inflations for the 700x32 @60PSI tyre/tubes I run.
I've now ordered the CYCPLUS AS2 PRO, which also has a pressure gauge, to use with my bigger gravel and mountain bike tyres. Probably should have ordered only this but together I'll be able to help out a pal as well.
Their advertising also states the models have less than 10% battery capacity loss after 200 charge cycles.Posted 3 months ago # -
@davey I'd been struggling to find reviews but found one for the cycplus earlier today and ordered one as well :)
The review I read was for the one with the pressure gauge but I think I've ordered the earlier one. will see how it goes down. definitely thought a gauge was a definite improvement over CO2 cylinders.
Posted 3 months ago # -
@SRD "earlier one", the older CYCPLUS AS2 PRO perhaps? It got a motor upgrade this year that is supposed to be more efficient and the one I've ordered. Either should give the same end result.
Be aware that the compressor in these things is really noisy and best first tested outside the house.
Posted 3 months ago #
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