Which Bike Pump To Buy?

If you are new to cycling you may be wondering which bike pump to buy? The first type of pump you are going to want is a hand (or mini) pump. As you get more into cycling you will probably also want a floor (or track) pump.

Presta Valve

Schraeder Valve

Valve Type

Most bikes will have either Presta valves or Schraeder valves. You can get pumps that will automatically fit both (Specialized call these Switch or SwitchHitter pumps. Bontrager call them Auto Select). This is particularly handy if you have several bikes. The pump will just fit and work with whichever valve type you attach it to.

If you don’t have a pump that automatically fits both valves. You can often unscrew part of the pump and flip over the internals to swap it between the two. However, some road mini-pumps will only come with a Presta valve and can’t be swapped. So it is worth checking before you buy.

Mountain Bike Or Road Bike Pump

As mentioned above some road mini-pumps will only fit Presta valves, otherwise, the big difference between mountain bike and road bike pumps tends to be incapacity. Mountain bike tyres need a lot of air in them at fairly low pressure (around 30 psi). Road bike tyres need a lot less air but at much higher pressures (around 100 psi). As a result mountain bike pumps tend to be fatter as they are designed to push a lot of air as quickly as possible. Road bike pumps tend to be thinner as they are designed to handle pushing smaller amounts of air at higher pressures.

In reality, you can pump up a mountain bike tyre with a road bike pump and vice versa, it might just take you longer and be a bit harder work.

Hand Pump

A hand pump, aka mini pump, is a small pump you can hold in your hand. These are designed to be carried with you so that you can fix punctures or top up your tyres during a ride. The main thing to look at is the size of the pump. The smaller the pump is the smaller the amount of air it can push into your tyre every time you push the pump in and out. The larger the pump is the harder it is to carry. So you need to find a balance you are happy with. Do you want a really tiny pump that will fit in a packet but takes ages to inflate a tyre, or do you want a bigger pump attached to your bike which will do it quickly?

Floor Pump

Floor pumps, also known as track pumps, will pump your tyres up really quickly and they normally come with a gauge so you can get your tyres to the exact pressure you want. Track pumps are too big to carry with you but they are great to have at home so you can quickly check your tyre pressure and top it up before you start riding. If you are going to be swapping out tyres then a track pump will make the job a lot quicker. Floor pumps are what we use in all of our shops and workshops