Whats the best Race Pump?

[scratchy]

OK, I'm doing more racing nowadays and I've been caught short with my old Micro pump that takes half an hour to inflate to 35psi (and pump my arms out).

Lil' Co2 jobbies seem like a good idea, (I've been told Threaded). But with longer events on my schedule (Wildside etc). There is the remote possibility of having a really bad stage using all my cartridges and having to resort to a pump.

I guess I wouldn't mind using it on my roadie as well. So something that can get up to 80+ without too much of a puff.

Oh and a good price.

Am I dreaming? Any advice appreciated.

[craign]

I've found high volume is best for MTB, i.e. large diameter barrel therefore more air each storke, but hard to get to high pressure; and low volume best for road, i.e. small diameter barrel therefore less air each stroke but easier to get high pressure.

[DW-1]

I've found high volume is best for MTB, i.e. large diameter barrel therefore more air each storke, but hard to get to high pressure; and low volume best for road, i.e. small diameter barrel therefore less air each stroke but easier to get high pressure.
soooo...

if you had a pump... that could "switch" between high volume low pressure and low volume high pressure... then that would be the deal right?

www.crankbrothers.com/pumps.php

Elvis.

[scratchy]

Hmmm. Yeah I had looked at those pumps DW1. MTBR seems to be torn between people who like them and those who don't know what the hell they are doing (nothing new there).

Anyone else vouch for the Crank Bruddas? Maybe if there was a couple more (even someone who wasn't the distributor ;)) I might be convinced.

Co2 capacity would be good as well.

[dunk]

I'll second the Crank Bros option. I've had mine (a PPA) for a few years now and haven't had a problem at all. I like the ability to switch between high volume low pressure and low volume high pressure, as well as a pretty accurate guage.

[M@DM!KE]

Run some proper UST tires and some stans sealant and you will never need a pump in a race again!!!

[...jim]

Co2 capacity would be good as well.

There are a couple of brands that do a CO2 capable head, with a cylinder that lives inside a standard body.

Ie: you flat, blow your load with a push of a button, and still have the ability to get out of jail if you run out of CO2. And if you're just out puttering around, you don't need to use CO2 - you can just pump the old way.

SKS and/or RavX and/or Genuine Innovations do 'em.

I've got one of these and it seems to work

http://www.genuineinnovations.com/INmain.asp?Option=CatList&Category=bike&SubCategory=hybrid

[John U]

all mini pumps i have used have been useless due to the fact that the pump ends up at stupid angle when you are trying to pump due to the way the pump connects to the valve.
i had the same troubles you had. an exhausting effort that would only result in 35psi, until i found the sigma sport pumps.
this little beauty has a small length of hose that comes out of the end of the pump when it is in use and a small foot peg. it acts like a small version of a floor pump. i have had mine for 2.5 years now and it still working well. you can get your body weight behind it which makes the job about a million times easier. it can easily get pressures up to 80psi and you you won't be rooted as a result. they pumps are made out of plastic but that hasn't been a problem. like i said mine is still going after 2.5 years.
the only issue with them is the way they attach to the bike. this issue can be avoided by sticking them in your camelback. they are reasonably light and i think mine cost about $35. there is also a version with a digital gauge.

http://www.sigmasport.com/index_e.html
i think mine was the alpha jet. don't waste your time with anything else.

i can not recommend this pump more highly.

german engineering, you can't go wrong.

see you at wildside.

[Mo]

freaks a pump is a pump.
i got a $10 Zefal, does the job.

[scratchy]

freaks a pump is a pump.
i got a $10 Zefal, does the job.

Bullshit. Like everything else in this sport, some do the job well, some barely do it at all.
My experiences before is that price isn't always a guage on quality. Feedback from ppl who have a race rig pump (yeah I got $10 shitter Zefal pumps when I've got a half hour to spare). Saying that my most reliable pump has been a "Giant" branded pump. Would have been around the $10 mark as well!

[mtb1611]

freaks a pump is a pump.
i got a $10 Zefal, does the job.

Utter bollocks matey. Under this theory, a bike is a bike, a tyre is a tyre, a brain is a brain.........;)

[Bodin]

Run some proper UST tires and some stans sealant and you will never need a pump in a race again!!!

I second that.



I've got one of these and it seems to work

http://www.genuineinnovations.com/INmain.asp?Option=CatList&Category=bike&SubCategory=hybrid

I second this as well - I used mine today and it works a treat.

[Fatman]

But since Scratchy did ask for a pump, the crank bros, not their mini one!
I have the mini but it's no good if you need it to inflate a tyre in a hurry. The larger crank bros pump is sweet, but is a little large.
The Weldtite Jet inflators are really quite good aswell but you need to get the 16g cartridges not the little ones.
I've used UST's with stans and still ended up with flat tyres and covered with latex goop. Punctures are a part of cycling and you will need a pump eventually.

[Bodin]

Punctures are a part of cycling and you will need a pump eventually.

I literally have not had one single flat since I switched to UST tyres and rims - and I put my tyres through hell. I'm not saying it's impossible to flat a UST tyre, but I've had incredible performance and reliability with them and I don't use Stan's.

(The pump I used today was for a mate who hadn't made the switch yet.)

[Fatman]

I had the unfortunate circumstance of the bead on the UST Pythons letting go. Bugger all you can do with that. I always carry a tube when I'm using UST's, once bitten twice shy?
But I must say I've had no dramas with tubeless since then.

[Bodin]

I always carry a tube when I'm using UST's, once bitten twice shy?

Me too. You don't have to be bitten to be a cautious motherf&*(er like me...

:D

[Mo]

Utter bollocks matey. Under this theory, a bike is a bike, a tyre is a tyre, a brain is a brain.........;)

yeah hence the dim-witted comment :p

[Bodin]

yeah hence the dim-witted comment :p

Easy tiger. No real place in this thread for a blatant shit-stir.

[craigb]

ive been looking for a new pump aswell at the moment and im sure we are not alone. as for tubless ive had 2 punctures and stans didnt stop either of them.

[Oddjob]

The Topeak Morph pumps might be worth a look. They are pretty small but fold out to act like a floor pump. http://www.topeak.com/products/pump_morph_lead.html

[scratchy]

Oddjob, a mate had that Morph thingy (might have been a Sigma though). A bloody good pump, as long as the ground was decent around you. Not the smallest pump though, but each stroke put a lot of air in. Don't know if it's a race pump, but rather a good multipurpose pump (he didn't have a floor pump at that stage, but it did double duty well).

The crank bros option did look good (ish) I'm a little skeptical about the lil sucka. I think if a mate had one and I could have tried it out I might have been swayed.

The sigma looks good, but in the end I went for a genuwhine innovations "Second Wind MTB" Co2 Hybrid/Compact Hand Pump.

$45 at my LBS with a 16gm cartridge, with a pump function for if/when I run out of cartridges.

http://www.atvsource.com/articles/press_releases/2005/011205_genuine_innovations_second_wind_mtb.htm

Things I liked about it:
Trigger air applicator.
Takes Prest or Schrader Automatically (so I can use it with my roadie).
Metal barrel should take a beating.
Takes, 12gm threaded or 16gm threaded or non threaded.
Fits in my jersey pocket (just!).

This is my race/event pump. I'll let people know how it goes!

Where do I get cheap C02 cartridges from? The supermarket?

[tnankie]

I have the slightly larger Crank Bros pump (power pump alloy) and I go both ways about it. Very good for inflating from dead flat, but its very touchy when topping up a tyre. Prestas work like a charm but schraders give me the shits with this pump.

[Grover]

for cheap cartridges hit up your local rifle club/shop. usually can only get non-threaded though.

i've got the smallest of the crank brothers things. it looked good on paper but the stroke is just to small. not biomechanically or time friendly.

i've recentrly got the ravx master blaster which is another of the pumps that you can fit a co2 canister in for dual use. it doesn't seem to reliable on the co2 discharge though.

i'll just stick to a small co2 head and a 40gram bigair canister. two flats in a race and your done for anyway.

[rek]

I have a Serfas Grifter and it's the best little pump ever. It's got a fairly wide body, a valve attachment that comes out of the main body on a cable (so you don't yank the crap out of the valve when pumping to higher pressures), and a little flip-out foot pedal thingy on the other end so you can use it like a mini floor pump type thing.

Pretty cheap too, from memory it only cost me $35 or so from Cecil Walker's in Melbourne.