Unlike slightly more nuanced categories like clothing, it’s a little easier to hone in on what the best bike pumps are through some scientific testing. All of the options were tested to see what pressure they could achieve in a set number of strokes, along with a real-world maximum pressure, which was always far lower than the stated maximum; effectively the pressure at which I was likely to give up and decide that’s enough to ride on.
Punctures, even with the best tubeless tyres, are a fact of life for all cyclists, but there is more to a pump than just what pressure it can achieve, or we’d all be carrying track pumps around with us. The form factor is important, as is the way the pump head mates with the valve. I always prefer a hose between the pump and the valve to avoid any risk of damage, but it’s not standard.
Regardless of which one you choose, you’ll need to carry one on every ride. The best CO2 inflators are great and fast, but are single use so I tend to carry both anyway. Fortunately, in mini pump terms anyway, the best of the bunch is also the cheapest of the lot for both road and gravel focussed options.
The winners
Best overall & Best value
This was a real no-brainer. The Lifeline mini pumps, both the road version designed for lower volume and higher pressures, and the MTB (or gravel) version for larger but lower pressure tyres achieved a higher pressure than the rest for a given number of strokes, and a higher achievable pressure too, thanks to a triple segmented telescopic design. The head locks on very securely and is buffered by the hose connection to avoid any valve damage.
No, it’s not the lightest or smallest, but if those are your key metrics then perhaps you can just risk a single-shot CO2 inflator system. I’d take security and repeatability any day, and given both the options are also the cheapest in their respective categories it’s clear to me these are the standout products from the test.
Best floor pump
I have previously sworn by my Lezyne Steel Floor Drive track pump for years, but now that I primarily run tubeless, the screw-on valve connection is honestly a little tedious, and it has a habit of unscrewing the valve core after inflation, which undoes all your hard work.
Instead, enter the Joeblow Sport III from Topeak, which I found to have the smoothest action, most stable base, and (if you’re mad enough to try and…
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