(Snap Ride) Getting Pumped! Hand Pump and Floor Model ** Tools of the Bad Boy**

There is one thing every serious biker is going to need, and likely two if you like to have air in your tires. The first and likely most useful will be a floor pump to keep your tires pumped. Like it or not some of those thousands of kilometres we ride each season will leave the casualties of dead tires. After the collateral damage has been dealt with and removed there will be the installation of the new rubber backs just begging for some air. Sure I have seen Arnold Schwarzenigger blow up a hot water bottle with his lungs, and recently Greg Lemond (former American Tour De France Champion) do a tire with his lung also I doubt many more of us will be doing this. Besides it might blow your ears out right?

So floor pumps are often going to be a an area where you will be doing most of your work. Even if you are blessed by the God of Air Compressors you will still likely need a floor model to hit higher pressures on a road bike. And here is the first problem when you do not have a compressor. Do you go high pressure floor pump with a low volume, or do you go big air volume and not be able to push the higher pressure for a road bike?

When you go with a higher pressure tire like on a 25mm or 23mm road bike you will likely be running a lower volume pump so that you will be able to actually push down on the handle with a reasonable leverage. On the flip side of this comes the problem that if you have some nice 2.0 (55mm) tires of huge volume that you will take a century to get them filled. Should you be trying to bead up a set of tubeless tires where you need a fast amount of large air volume then this will be futile. And yes these where all consideration often overlooked for a good pump.

The Top Peak Joe Blow Ace has a few tricks up its cylinders. Two cylinders to be exact and 3 ranges (modes) to choose from.

1. Dual Chamber mode which is good to about 60 PSI, but I find 40 you start to really feel it.

2. High Pressure mode 120 PSI.

3. Super high Pressure Mode 200 PSI

I think the higher pressures are more for air shocks as I have not seen a tire that has been able to handle such a pressure. Naturally it helps also to know what actual pressure you are using and the large display at the bottom of the base is clearly visible with a yellow pointer you can set for your target range. This I find very useful with my Tubeless setup as I could in a few second hit the target and not blow a tire off the rim. Don’t ask me how I know that last part 😉

With the handles fully pulled up you go from about 70 cm to 130cm to thrust from. I personally found I can inflate all but the most difficult mountain bike tubeless tires on my bikes. In the 60 PSI switch both air chambers are opened to achieve this. Top Peak claims its thirty percent more efficient than competitions pumps.  Oh and before I forget to mention it the construction of the whole pump is anodized Aluminium, and machined with the Analog display having what seems to be a glass face.

With our Dutch type bikes, road bikes, and Bad Boy all running different tires and some even with different valve types the Smart Head is also a great plus. The Smart Head allows you to simply place this on either the Presta type valve or Schrader with out changing any parts. Simply place it over, click the lock and pump away. Very useful feature that has worked well for 5 years now for me with out issue. In the package there is also a Presta adapter if that should fail, and a ball and bladder type connector for the football fans. Lastly on the head there is a pressure relief button so you can bleed off pressure with out disconnecting the head to get things precisely where you wish.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Of course the hose, the head are all replaceable and can easily unscrew for easy service as needed.

Still what about if your on the road, up some path in the forest, and then white milk starts spraying all over the loverly trails with the desperate need to repressure ? At 2.5Kg the Ace may not only be a bit heavy it is also a bit big to slip in your frame or bag. Again after a lot of trial and error I found this Lezyne Pressure Drive a real life saver to the out of house situation.

An alloy pump that is precise in fit and well designed amongst being decently light and rugged this was a welcome change over a few other much more pricier models I have tried from other brands. Although running tubeless is really a nice blessing there has been one or two occasions where I discovers the lovely rusty screw of some bicycle fan clanging against my frame a good 40KM from my house or public transit offering. This lesson was from the hard school of physics and the Suck!

Lesson 1: Do not twist your valve stem. Although the tubeless system did seal my tires I had lost enough tires pressure that I need to top up. Ideally this would be as simple as clipping on the pump and allowing the air to fill with a few hand strokes. Problem was my first pump had decided to twist the valve, and the added force used from the pumping sure did not help.

This pumps hose attachment that is hidden inside the pump is simply genius for this problem.

 

 

 

Lesson 2: Do not let the pump get dirty. Sure it is fine to have that flexy hose but if that is sitting on the outside of your bike, or lost inside your bag in freezing weather this may also add to some fun.

Pump has the hose hidden inside its own body with nice flaps to cover it.

Top View where hose is hidden (screws in so as not to slip):

 

 

 

 

 

Rubber Protection Cover, Valve attachments:

 

 

 

 

 

Fully Extended:

So in short the Lezyne can pump high pressure road tires to well into their needed ranges, get your big 2.x tires inflated, is light and easy to carry, well made in your choice of colours, and a very wise tool to have on rides along with maybe an extra tube and patch. As for myself I do not leave home with out him anymore.

Between the Top Peak, and Lezyne it is not so much a competition but rather a compliment to each other in a great little team. The Top Peak is hands-down one of the best floor pumps I have ever used, or owned. To date I can find no better option outside of a compressor. The Lezyne is also the best portable hand held pump I have owned that is easy and small enough to fit into my jersey or backpack with out noticing him.

In short I highly recommend them and suggest looking seriously at these two pumps if you are in the need for such tools.

Ride On!

Canadian Snap