Mini pumps

Yours must have been part of a bad batch, I've had mine for about 3-4 years.

On the subject of Lezynes, remember there are times when having what basically doubles as beefy extendible aluminium baton in your jersey pocket is a good thing.

Anyone had a dumbass experience with the Topeak Race Rocket or similar rubber tube type mini pumps...? I occasionally seem to make an error screwing the head onto my valve so that when I remove it having inflated the tyre I end up unscrewing the threaded head of the tyre's valve itself - immediately releasing the air i the tyre. I'm clearly being a dunce as I can find no online reference to this happening to anyone else. What am I doing wrong people? I feel like a right tit!

NB this doesn't happen every time. I am often able to inflate and then release with relative ease.

I am often able to inflate and then release with relative ease.

Me too, it's really getting me down...

Fnar fnar.

Anyone got or tried one of those tiny-wee Airbone pumps:

http://www.airbone.com.tw/ZT702Product.htm

They look like they should be a joke but can't find anything negative online. Seem to get up to 100psi with relative ease considering their size. As an emergency pump to carry at all times seems like a good choice.

Have you watched the video in that link?

It takes a minute of pumping to put less than 10psi into the tyre.

Ah… I hadn't. In that case I think I shall stick with my Lezyne.

I have one too.

Miro is right, take quite a long time to pump up the tyres, but it does pump it up.

If you're not in a rush, and want to keep your kits as small as possible, it'll be fine, otherwise stick to the Lezyne.

Actually, the longer Airbone one might be a better idea;

http://www.airbone.com.tw/ZT705Product.htm

Lots of strokes = an inevitable consequence of small pumps.

I have the slightly longer 120mm one as an emergency, carry everywhere pump. With some fat rubber bands cut from old inner tubes i bind it and a small adjustable spanner to my puncture repair kit to make a pack i can thread my belt through. I've used it in anger about half a dozen times and got on fine with it.

I've got the schrader head with presta adapter which seems to be the most common. The adapter slows things down a little, but it all works and seals well. You can keep the adaptor screwed into the nozzle, but it's easier to fit it to the tyre before the pump so i keep mine in my repair kit. Adaptors are a generic component, so cheaply and easily replaced if you loose them.

Pumping force is set by the internal cross-sectional area of the cylinder, and the airbone's 254mm^2 is slightly larger than the two other mini-pumps i have to hand for comparison (210mm^2 and 190mm^2 for the forward strokes of a wrench force road and an old blackburn). That works out to around 175N for 100 psi, (~the weight of an 18Kg mass) - that's only the last part of the last few (tens of) strokes. Getting up to pressure i can rattle it back and forth pretty quickly, and generally find it comfortable enough to pump.

The other thing which limits pumps is how much air they compress but fail to push past the non-return valve so that it just re-expands as the piston is withdrawn. In the airbone's favour, it has it's non-return valve built into the head of the plunger, about as close to the working volume as possible, but it lets itself down a little with a pump stroke that stops 2mm short of the cylinder end, and even with a full stroke the protrusion on the plunger would reach only a third of the way into the recess in the end cap. Not wonderful, but i've seen far, far worse. (You've just prompted me to try improving mine - i'll let you know how it goes.)

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I'm lookin some good small pump for me. Mini Morph is the biggest what I would be willing to buy. Here are my options:

• Topeak Pocket Rocket, good for the price?
  
• Topeak Micro Rocket, smallest of these.
  
• Topeak Mini Morhp, good with a floor mini floor pump feature?
  
• Specialized Air Tool MTB, same price range as Pocket Rocket.
  
• Lezyne Pressure Drive Mini, S & M size.
  
• Lezyne Alloy Drive Mini, S & M size.
  
  

I'm thinking about that Mini Morph because th floor pump feature, but the size worries me a bit. Offcorse it wit nicly in the messenger bag. Is it a good buy for it's price?
And if that appears to be too big for carryin arround i might can buy a Lezyne to travvel pump in the bag.

What do you recommend?

Pretty happy with my pressure drive... pretty sure the other Lezyne one doesn't do 120psi.

Pretty happy with my pressure drive... pretty sure the other Lezyne one doesn't do 120psi.

Do you have the S or M version?

Topeak Mini Morph or lezyne micro floor drive hp?

Edit: Just ordered Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HPG.

After having a disgusting experience yesterday, with a shitty old Topeak and ice toolz plastic tyre levers, I got myself the Lezyne road drive and crank brothers speed lever, just had a quick trial run changing an old tube, and they are both fantastic. Best mini pump I've used in ever, and the tyre lever, once inserted was unexpectedly amazing. Thumbs up, cool story bro

so today i got a flat, fitted a new tube and pop - my trusty old Innovations Air Supply pump split at the head. I walked round to The Bicycle Repair Co and bought the cheaper of the two pumps they had on sale, a Topeak Mini Morph at £26!

Not impressed!!!!!!!!! Very fiddly to used, took 150 pumps to get the pressure I used to get with 80 pumps on the old pump and to cap it all, I now find the bracket doesn't fit underneath a bottle cage!

Seriously pissed off now!

Lezyne Micro (reduced to £31.50) at Tredz online

[I have no affiliation with Tredz]

I would recommended the Lezyne Road Drive instead, a good size that's not too small or big (two choice of length).

What is the verdict between the Topeak Race Rocket mini pump and the Lezyne alternative such as the Lezyne HP Drive ABS Pump? Topeak is the better design with a hose that you don't have to attach. Is the quality better with Lezyne? The Lezyne is a little cheaper. Which pump is best?

I'd say race rocket. My favourite mini-pump by a country mile.

1 vote for the Lezyne here. Looked at both and ended up going for the Lezyne Pressure Drive Mini ABS which is the full alloy CNC one rather than the part plastic. Seemed to be much nicer quality than the ~£5-7 cheaper HP Drive and nicer to use than the Topeak.

I've dropped my alloy Lezyne at speed and had it run over by a car and it's still faultless.

Just to provide a counterpoint I've got the Topeak and really like it.