freckles

went down a rabbit hole searching for a "good" floor pump, damn google.

so. many. bicycle. pumps. ack. can't. decide. please. help

budget $50
needs- pump tires for 3 speed robin hood and compact car tires too with an accurate psi gauge.

i'm 5'2" and a lightweight.

most pumps seem to be high pressure going to 160+ psi and a some high volume/low 60 psi.

i think my bike's psi is somewhere in the middle, no?

$- bell air attack, air power america, zefal high volume

$$- sks aircon, lezyne dirt, giant tower hp/hv,

opinions? suggestions?

Velognome 

Planet Bike Comp floor pump, it works, it's repairable (if it ever wears out) and 25% of the proceeds go to some form of bicycle advocacy. Plus it's dirt cheap. I have 4 riders and some 20 odd bikes in the house, we've killed several pumps over the years, this one has outlasted them all.

Slash5

I like my Lezyne Sport but it is low volume, high pressure. I also have a Lezyne Dirt Drive but the pressure on it is a bit too low, good for MTB and car tires. I bent the needle on it with a sticky presta valve, over pressured the gauge.

non-fixie 

I bought a Lezyne Steel Drive when I started pumping seriously, back in '09 for $50. Very solid and the gauge is detailed and easy to read. Worth every penny.

willydstyle

Topeak Joe Blow Sport II is IMO the best value floor pump out there. It's one of those that is moderately priced, but you see a bunch of shops using them as their shop pumps too.

https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Blow-S...+blow+sport+ii

juvela

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One model you might consider looking into is the Zefal 99 Plus. It drives the air in both directions of the pumping stroke for faster fills. Comes with manometer, thumblock air chuck, folding foot plate and a handle which removes without tools. A feature I like is the quiet. Construction is all plastic, save for the shaft, so there is no clanking and it is light for its size. Also, rebuild kits are available.

Maxacceleration

Another vote for Joe Blow floor pump. Dual head for schraeder & presta.
It just plain works, and pretty darned quick.

alfonsejr

I have and like the relatively cheapie Nashbar pump when 20+% off is happening: Nashbar Earl Grey Floor Pump

Works well, has dual pump head, and less than $25 on sale.

Vintage_Cyclist

I've got a Zefal Husky that must be at least 30 years old. The only repair has been a new presta head about 10 years ago.

Those Joe Blow Sport pumps are going for $30 on sale at Performance today.

canklecat

The Nashbar Earl Grey at $20-25 is a bargain. Solidly made and reliable. Only quibble I have is the clamp-on nozzle. I usually need to fiddle with it a time or two to get it clamped on and opening the Schrader valve spring piston doodad. The rubber seal is really tight and hasn't loosened up in a year of use. I could replace it with a threaded attachment for a few bucks.

If I'd had the budget at the time I'd have gone for the Lezyne Steel Drive. Threaded attachment. Built in pressure relief valve. Everything you'd need in a basic floor pump.

Salamandrine 

IIRC the Zefal Husky pumps were actually re-branded SKS.

I love my SKS RennKompressor, so I vote for the SKS Aircon for lower pressure / higher volume. Have not used it though. It does look a bit like the old Husky.

jcb3

Another vote for Lezyne steel drive, long in my case. Love the push/twist qr

FullGas

have a Nashbar Big Red Pump that's 20+ years old...paid $19 for it, still works fine.

oddjob2

Pretty happy with this one from PB.

Spin Doctor Essential Floor Pump

thumpism 

Moves a lot of air, for sure, but because it pumps on the upstroke as well you really have to pull up on the handle. Easy to stand for a few strokes on a bike, but it'll kill your back on a car tire.

I've used a Zefal Husky for years.

The Golden Boy 

I've got a Lezyne pump and an SKS Rennkompressor.

I use the Rennkompressor. Maybe because it's fun to say "rennkompressor"... maybe because their customer support kicks azz- The thing feels solid and burly while you're using it.

The gauge leaves a bit to be desired.

The reason I had to contact SKS, the original pump head sucked. They provided me a new one free of charge.

The Lezyne (I think it's a Sport Floor Drive) is nice- but the twisty head thing... is clunky. I've got nerve damage in my left hand and the little twisting action to connect the head makes it a whole lot more trouble than it's worth. I also had a Presta valve that the top portion came unscrewed into the head. That was a bear to get out. However, I do like the gauge better than the SKS Rennkompressor.

They're both high quality floor pumps, but for the flip clamp head and the general burly feel of it- and the fun to say name- I prefer the Rennkompressor.

freckles

how about the sks rennkompressor? goes way over the pressure i need but for about $55 its seems like it should last forever- repairable, has a long warranty, customer service, made in germany, etc?

lezyne is purty no doubt but only has a 2 year warranty and poor customer service per reviews.

sorry, but the joe blow is ugly... performance is selling it for a good price but well, maybe it looks better in person?

ThermionicScott 

Neither your Robin Hood nor your compact car should need more than 60 psi.

I use my $30 Planet Bike floor pump for literally all tires in our household.

GTizzy

Check out Fabric's new range of pumps. They're on the slightly pricier side (cheaper than the Silca) but they line up pretty neatly with the vintage bike aesthetic: Fabric | pumps

GTizzy

Fabric | TP01

freckles

hi golden boy,

what timing- i was just asking about the sks rennkompressor. its should be able to pump my 26 x 1 3/8 tires to 65 psi accurately?

right now i'm just using a small hand pump until my hands hurt and squeeze testing. but have no idea what psi i'm at.

Salamandrine 

The SKS Rennkompressor is a great pump, but it is optimized for high pressure bicycle tires, say 80-120+. I agree it is very solid feeling and high quality. The head works well enough for me, though it does tend to smack you in the fingers when unlatching it. I only use presta, so I'm going to swap it for a Hirame.

As I said previously, the higher volume, lower pressure SKS Aircon seems to be more aligned to the OP's needs. The 3 speed bikes only likely need 50 psi max. The pump is max 87 so it could pump "10 speeds" in a pinch.

OTOH, a the lower volume high pressure Rennkompressor will be easier to pump per stroke.

The only semi negative thing about SKS pumps is the PSI indications are hard to read. I've gotten used to thinking in atmospheres/bar.

gomango

Lezyne Alloy floor drive with Chuck HP- eliminates most of the screw on irritation.
Three Silcas
Lezyne travel pump

The Silcas are from CL or garage sales. All new seals!

Pumps galore.

Prowler 

I've been using a Topeak Joe Blow Sprint for the past 4 or 5 years now and I like it (I'm an engineer too OMG). Unlike some floor pumps the pressure gauge is mounted at the top of the pump cylinder - easier to read. Dual head works well on both valve types. Unlike many pumps, it has a relief valve that dumps the air pressure from the hose if you want. On presta valves this is a nice feature as its much easier to remove the head from the valve when the line is not locked to the valve by the pressure. Works fine on schrader valves too. Granted the air volume/stroke is lower than on a fat pump. That's a choice I made. Takes longer to pump a tractor tire or a mtn bike tire but it also climbs to 100 lbs easily. You can't have everything.

The Golden Boy 

Again, I like the Rennkompressor. As Salamadrine noted, it might be a bit overkill for the bike tire, and IMO- any hand pump is undergunned for car tires. I'd rather spend 50 cents than pump for 20 minutes. However, in the past few weeks, I've been using it to pump up my new Compass tires to 45- whether you're going for 35 or 105, the pump is just as good.

I had a problem with the stock pump head, and SKS replaced it free and quickly. The other issue is reading the gauge with accuracy. I guess Salamandrine has the right idea of converting into BAR, I just ballpark it with PSI.