alarsen77

Do you guys use a pump with a built in gauge or do you use a separate more accurate gauge and not rely on the gauge built into the pump?

I am asking because I got a Cannondale Airport Nitro and found out the gauge was off by at least 20 psi and I over inflated my tires and caused a separation in one tire which made me get new tires.

Cannondale is replacing the pump as I bought from a store that was going out of business so I couldn't return it to them. At this point I'm regretting the pump and wished I had gotten a better pump.

datlas 

Good pump with good built-in gauge. Expect to pay $35-60.

alarsen77

This was a $50 pump but got it discounted down to $35. Apparently after some reading the gauge on these pumps has been known to be an issue.

atwl77

Pump with built-in gauge.


But I also have a separate digital gauge for Topeak, though I seldom use it. It's mostly to compare readings when I buy a new pump/gauge so that I know the readings are consistent.

Jasper Storm

Lezyne floor pump with built-in analog gauge.

Paid $70'ish three or four years ago.

So far, haven't been maimed/killed due to any inaccuracies.

WhyFi

Built-in - too fussy to have to pump and check, pump and check.

chaadster

Wow, the guage was off by 20psi? That's very surprising indeed. I don't think I've ever heard of anything like that before, not since I started paying attention, anyway, sometime back in the mid-'80s.

I'm still running what is probably a 20 year old, $40 Nashbar Ultimate pump w/ guage.

alarsen77

Yeah I was surprised too and then this is the reply I got from Cannondale when I asked about warranting the new pump if it has an issue as well.

Jeff Today at 09:44
Hey Alex,

Yes, if the gauge is not working, please contact me and I will warranty the pump I sent to you.

Most floor pumps wont be 100% accurate. The gauge is at one end of the hose, and there's a valve between that and the tire, pressures may still be within 10psi low/high.

Thanks Alex.
All the best,
Jeff

So according to them being within 10 psi is acceptable. I am never going to buy another one of their pumps and regret purchasing this one.

Reynolds 

I use a floor pump with gauge at home, but carry one without. If I flat I go by feel - no problem.

rosefarts

Back in the day (10 years ago), I thought I needed 140-150 psi for time trials.

I never blew out a rim or separated a tire doing this. These days we know that wasn't effective but I'm sure the tire could handle it.

My guess is you had a previous flaw in the tire. 20lbs wouldn't have saved it.

I use a gauge on the pump but anymore, I am +- 10psi just by feel.

JohnDThompson 

I use a pump with a gauge at home. On the road, my only concern with a pump is that it inflate a tube enough for me to get home, so I don't sweat the lack of a gauge.

alarsen77

Then it must have been defective from the beginning as this was my first ride with the bike and I bought it brand new a few weeks ago.

vtje

I use Lezyne frame pump on the road, which I highly recommend, and they sell this great product "Lezyne ABS Pen Gauge" if you really worried about.

Psimet2001 

Funny to see responses about Lezyne. My Lezyne pump is the most inaccurate out of all of the pumps we work with. Just mine. Haven't compared others.

Sometimes the gauges work. Sometimes they don't. I usually assume a gauge works or is "close enough" until someone notices a difference. Then I will start comparing and checking. Most to all pumps will vary for sure. I would say it's easily 10% variance.

The reality of the issue for most riders though is that....it doesn't matter. If you know what pressure you ride at and you're always using the same pump them it's meaningless. Especially considering that most riders ride too high of a pressure, most tires and rims can handle over pressurization better than many think.

Racing Dan

In that case just get a separate pressure gauge. You wont need to use it every single time, because the pump gauge is likely to off by the same amount, to the same side, every time.

Fox Farm

Exactly

alarsen77

I will eventually learn to go by feel but being my first road bike I haven't gotten there yet.

indyfabz

I'll ask my mechanic later. He's still asleep in the servants' quarters right now.

Garfield Cat

One other thing: the gauge is not perfect and neither am I.

But before doing an inflation and after too, I always pinch the tires to get a "secondary" reading as to its level. Its a habit and there are times that I do not inflate before every ride because of the days are close together.

That's my secondary assurance. Even on a group ride, if I notice a rider's tires seem kind of flat, I will tell him about it

rumrunn6

gauge. done & out the door

Fox Farm

Sure I understand. I would recommend that you invest in a floor pump with a PSI/BAR gauge that is part of the pump unit. You don't have to invest in a Silca, which are super nice and super expensive. Something in the $50 and up range. Pump your tires to the desired psi. About 85 for a 700x25. You can put a few more psi in the rear tire since it carries more weight (you). If you are running 700x23, try more psi, perhaps 90 to 105. The tires are rated for much more than that. Read on line about the different psi for different tire sizes; there is now a dearth of information on that. Once you have the tires up to what ever you have settled on, do a thumb/forefinger squeeze test to get the feel for how much you can squeeze the tire. After a while, you will get a sense for that so that when you are out on the road and repairing a flat with a small frame mounted or mini pump, or even CO2 cartridges, you will try for about the same squeeze feeling. Since you are not doing a time trial, where seconds matter and exact tire inflation will optimize this, being off by 5 or 10 psi will not be a real problem. Ok?

dmanthree

Pump with a gauge that's usually within 2psi of the "real" gauge. But which one is right?

Falchoon

Topeak Road Morph https://www.topeak.com/global/de/pro...-road-morph--g is a good frame pump that has a gauge. A little bit bulky if you are a weight weenie and may not fit into your jersey rear pocket as well as other pumps, but if that doesn't worry you then thiss is good pump - one of the few that can pump a genuine 100psi only using weedy cyclist arms!



For home I use a Jet Black Big Fella JetBlack - Floor Pumps . Only downside to this is the gauge being down near the ground, I prefer to have it up near the handle where I can read it!

Doge

Floor pump with gauge. Or 16g CO2 and empty it.

For many - what PSI they use/should use is a guess. They pump a PSI, ride, decide they like it, or not and repeat. The number is use for repeat-ability. Certainly if you have a dialed in number and might also use another pump accuracy helps a lot.

But what really helps is learning to feel what your ideal PSI is like. Using the thumb squeeze, sound, and ride. No, it is not as accurate as a good gauge, but it is guaranteed to always be with you and tells you when something is off - or that 16g CO2 cartridge maybe should not be emptied into those tires.

canklecat

At home, Nashbar Earl Grey pump with reasonably usable gauge, and a separate Nashbar gauge. The two gauges never agree but I'm not that picky. If both gauges indicate the tires aren't over- or under-pressured, and the ride feels okay, that's good enough.

On the road, I don't worry about it. I carry either a Topeak RaceRocket HP or Blackburn Core Slim. Either will get my hybrid bike tires up to safe riding pressure without too much effort.

With the road bike's 700x23 or 700x25 tires, I pump until I can't anymore. That's when I know there's enough pressure to ride safely without pinch flats. I've tested at home and on the road and by the time my arms are worn out and I can't pump another stroke, it's about 90 psi. I'll lean on the top of the tire with my palm and mash down to check inflation. If there's very slight give, that's good enough to finish the ride and get me home. But I weigh 160 lbs. If I was bigger and heavier, I'd probably carry a stash of CO2 to be sure of avoiding pinch flats. I've seen big guys pinch flat on potholes and ruts with tire inflation that I'd float over.

If I needed higher pressure I'd need to switch to a full length frame pump like my old Zefal. Mini-pumps just ain't gonna get there without superbeast strength.