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Shopping Tips For
Bike pumps come in two main types, floor and frame. A floor pump is full sized, usually about 2.5 feet in height and with enough pumping power to get your bike tires up to even 200 psi. A frame pump is a compact pump that you carry on your bike - on the bicycle frame itself, in your bike bag, or in your jersey pocket - in case of a flat while you're out riding. Frame pumps don't usually provide for much pumping power; you'd have to really work hard to even hit 100 psi. So those are the most common bicycle pump types, floor pumps and frame pumps. Frame pumps can further be categorized as true frame pumps, which are a bit larger, or mini pumps, where the goal is to build a pump in the most compact and lightweight design possible, while still providing decent pumping power. Popular pump makers include Topeak, Blackburn, and Joe Blow. Many floor pumps include a pump head which has both a Schrader and Presta valve fitting. That way, you can pump up the tires of your road bike with the Presta head just as readily as you can pump up the tires on a BMX bike with Schrader valve inner tubes. Floor pumps provide high-capacity air-filling power and can manage high-pressure pump jobs that smaller portable pumps simply aren't able to do. Most floor pumps are designed to be rebuildable, so that if a part breaks or wears down, you can make the pump repair yourself. A common pump problem is that the rubber hose gets brittle with age. Some advanced features to look for in bike floor pumps include: double air shot inflation, so that each stroke of the pump handle blasts extra air into your tires; steel gauge barrel construction, which makes for more forceful pumps when you hit higher tire pressures; wooden handles, which are a craftsman touch as compared to a plastic pump handle. Now about frame pumps, whose designs are quite varied, where size and weight are key considerations. Whether you bike ride to work regularly or tour the backcountry on weekends, you should carry a bike pump as well as a tire repair kit on your bike in case of a flat tire. A convenient frame pump snaps directly onto your bicycle frame without any additional mounting hardware that mini pumps might require. A full size frame pump is heavier and bulkier than mini-pumps, but when it comes time to pump up your tire on the side of the road, it will prove easier to use and will get more air into your tires. So then, mini pumps are small, lightweight pumps which provide a quick and handy solution for flats on the road or trail. These bicycle mini pumps are the type that you can fit even in your bike bag or in your jersey pocket. To decide on a frame pump or mini pump, for road riding, look for the lightest, smallest pump that can handle reasonable tire pressures, like 90 psi to 120 psi. Realistically, though, no matter what the packaging says, few mini pumps can get your bike tires up to 120 psi without a Herculean effort. For mountain biking, choose a durable pump that can take the impact from flying branches, rocks and other hazards you'll encounter riding on trails. Stroke force is the measure of how hard you have to work to operate a bike pump. Strokes to inflation is a measure of how much pumping you'll have to do to adequately fill a tire to a given target PSI. Maximum PSI output is a measure of the maximum amount of air pressure a bicycle pump can push into a tire. One popular pump is the Blackburn Mountain Air Bicycle Mountain Pump, which has a high-volume barrel allowing it to fill mountain bike tires quickly. It is constructed with an aluminum barrel that is proven lightweight and durable. This bicycle pump has an ergonomic head and pump handle that increases leverage, making it easier to hit higher PSI. Jim Blackburn started Blackburn pumps in 1975, setting out to design stronger, lighter, more innovative and reliable cycling gear. For example, Blackburn made the first dual stroke minipump, the first oversized mountain minipump and the first dual stage/dual stroke floor pump. You'll find Blackburn pumps as well as other great pumps by Topeak, Joe Blow and other brands here on QBike.