What is a bike floor pump? A floor pump is a type of pump specifically designed for inflating bicycle tires. A floor pump has a connection or adapter for use with one or both of the two most common types of valves used on bicycles.
What is the most embarrassing problem you have encountered as a biker? If you encounter a flat tire and you happen to have no floor pump at hand, it will be a nightmare for you. So, if you don’t have a bike floor pump, you’d better buy a new one. There are many kinds of floor pumps available, different from manufacturers, styles, and materials. Which bicycle floor pump is the best? Some tips must be known before choosing one among them.
The quality of the floor pumps
When you choose floor pumps, first, you should check the quality of the floor pumps. A high-quality bike floor pump is normally made from durable metal materials and has an air gauge, which is used to measure the accurate pressure in the bicycle’s tires. Some floor pumps don’t have an air gauge, or the gauge is not accurate. In this situation, you must be careful while you are pumping up your bike’s tires. With an accurate gauge, it’s an easy thing to do that. When the pressure is enough, you should stop pumping.
The weight of the floor pumps
Some people don’t like heavy bike pumps. You should choose a lighter and more portable one. You can choose a frame pump or a mini pump for temporary use. But make sure you keep a floor bike pump on hand in your house, because portable pumps don’t have the same efficiency as floor bike pumps. So, if you have a pump, it will be helpful when your tire loses pressure while on a ride.
How to use floor pumps
There are many bike pumps, like foot-operated pumps, hand pumps, frame pumps, bike floor pumps, double-action pumps, and track pumps. However, floor pumps are the most efficient and popular ones. It’s a good idea to leave one around your house. Or if you are a passionate biker, you need a portable one, as well as a bicycle floor pump. While you are pumping up your bike’s tires, you should check the gauge all the time and make sure the pressure in the tires is within a reasonable range.
How to buy a bike floor pump
There are many kinds of bike floor pumps available from which you can choose. We need a high-quality floor pump that stays at home for frequent use. I will show you how to buy a floor pump for your bike.
#1: Invest in a high-quality floor pump that includes a gauge
Metal is used to construct a high-quality bike floor pump.A gauge is necessary, which can help you check the pressure in your tire. You should check the pressure of your tires when you are pumping. Once the PSI is enough, you must stop pumping. Different tires have different PSI; you can find it on the inside of your tire.
There are two common valves: Presta and Schrader valves
Check your tire’s type of valve, and make sure the floor pump can work well with both of them. In general, most floor pumps can accommodate both Presta and Schrader valves.
#3: Select a bike floor pump with a high PSI
You can find your tire’s PSI on the inside of your tires. If the pump’s PSI can’t reach the PSI of your tires, you can not give your tires enough pressure through your bike floor pump, and then you will have a hard time riding or get a flat.
Pick the right place to buy and choose a great brand
You can buy a bike floor pump at your local bike store or at some online stores like Amazon. Just remember to choose a good and professional manufacturer. A good-quality bike floor pump is more durable. This will cost you much more than a cheaper one.
# 5: Additional bike pumps as a supplement
A floor pump is suitable for a bike store or at home. If you are a passionate cyclist, a portable bike pump is necessary. Portable bike pumps come in many kinds, such as frame pumps, mini pumps, and Co2 pumps. You can choose one of them according to your preferences for the weight of a bike pump or the efficiency of a bike pump.
How to choose the right bike floor pump
If you have a bike, no matter how often you have a ride, inevitably and basically, you need a bike floor pump around your house. If you are a passionate cyclist, you will even need a portable bike pump. But for most of us, we just ride to work, ride to go shopping, etc. A bike floor pump is enough for us. Before buying a bike floor pump, we must know how to choose the right bike floor pump because there are many floor pumps available.
Step 1: Think about your options
Some bike floor pumps have a PSI of 160, while others only have a PSI of 120.Which bike floor pump do you really need? This is according to your bike tires’ PSI, which you can find on the inside of your tires. Choose the suitable floor pumps according to your PSI, remember. If your floor pump’s PSI can’t reach the PSI listed on your tires, you will not be able to inflate your tires with enough pressure. You will get a flat.
Step #2: Which kinds of riding will you be doing?
For road riding, if the distance is not too long, a bike floor pump around your house is enough. If you have a mountain bike, you need a durable portable bike pump, except for a floor pump around your house. If you have a portable bike pump, you can inflate your tires quickly whenever you need to pump. But portable bike pumps don’t have the same power as floor pumps. Before or after any riding, you can use your bike floor pump to inflate your tires quickly.
Step 3: Evaluate Pump Performance
Ways to test a floor pump’s overall performance:
–The amount of work it takes to operate the pump: Stroke force: The amount of effort required to operate the pump.If a pump’s stroke force is higher, you will find it more difficult to fill up your tires.
The amount of air the pump pushes out: Stroke to inflation—Measure how much pumping you will have to do to fill a tire. The stroke-to-inflation number is not too low or too high. If the number is too low, it will take a lot of force for each pump stroke. If the number is too high, it will take a long time to pump.
Step #4: What type of valves are on your tires?
There are three common valves: Schrader, Presta, and Dunlop. Make sure that your bike floor pump can work well with them.
Step #5: A gauge is needed
Make sure your bike floor pump has an accurate gauge. With this, you can check the pressure of your tire when you are pumping.
As a cyclist or if you just have a bike, you really need the best bike floor pump at hand. You must check your tires’ pressure before doing any riding. If the PSI (pounds per inch) is low, you need to inflate your tires, or you will get a flat, which can cause damage to your tires. With a floor bike pump, you can do this easily. With the gauge built-in to the floor pump, you can easily check the pressure (PSI) accurately and decide whether to inflate. The PSI is usually listed on the sidewall of the tire.
Your tires will lose pressure periodically because rubber is microscopic porous. The leak is an ordinary phenomenon. So, before any riding, checking the PSI is a good habit to help you protect your tires or your wallet.
This is why you need the best bike floor pump. Keep it around your house. Before any riding, check the pressure, and if necessary, inflate your tires, and then go out for a ride. This can avoid a flat tire extremely well. If you get a flat tire, you may spend $15 to $20 getting a replacement tire in a shop. However, having the best bike floor pump does not cost you much. For a long time, you can save money if you give your tire more protection with a bike floor pump.
Recommended bike floor pumps
Here is a list of some of the best bike floor pumps available to you. We chose the best floor pumps for you. You can decide which is best for you. These floor pumps are all top-rated; the price is reasonable, the quality is great, and the use is easy. You can click on the links below to see the product descriptions and customer reviews before choosing one of them for your bike:
- Topeak Sport II Floor Pump is the best bike floor pump
The floor pump can work with both Presta and Schrader valves because it has a dual-sided nozzle at the end of the hose. It has a gauge on the bottom for you to check the PSI while pumping your tires. It goes to 120 PSI, so it works well for the everyday mountain or road bike. With attachments, you can pump up sports balls and other sports paraphernalia. The Topeak Sport II Floor Pump can do everything for you, and it will only cost you $39.82.
- Serfas TCPG Bicycle Floor Pump is the best bike floor pump
For this reason, the PSI this floor pump can reach is up to 160 PSI. It will be a little more expensive than the Topeak JoeBlow Max II Floor Bike Pump. For road bikes, especially those with tubular tires, you need that higher pressure, and this is your best choice. Other features, like working with both Presta and Schrader valves, and the built-in gauge, are similar to both Presta and Schrader valves. Serfas TCPG Bicycle Floor Pump can do everything for you, and it will only cost you $30.47.
- Schwinn Floor Pump is the best bike floor pump
It works with Presta and Schrader-valve tires and comes with a built-in needle for those sports balls. The pump doesn’t come with a gauge. You can buy tire gauges for $5 or $6. Sometimes we don’t need a gauge if you are a sophisticated man. Schwinn Air Driver 1000 Floor Pump can do everything for you for only $12.78.
Choosing the best bike floor pump can help you a lot!
Conclusion
Just imagine you are on a day-long camping trip with your beloved bike and, bam!, your tire is out of here. A bike floor pump will indeed feel like an unsung hero at that point. Bike floor pumps are not the flashiest piece of cycling equipment, but they are one of the most important pieces of equipment for a fantastic ride because of their many benefits. An appropriate bike floor pump will not only inflate your tires faster and with even better precision, but also be capable of either type of valve.