Interbike 2013: Lezyne’s shocking floor pump

Plus digital gages, simple heads, and even lights.

Primarily of interest to mechanics who do a lot of shock service and demo truck drivers, for 2014 Lezyne is releasing what may be the world’s first floor shock pump (shock floor pump?).  Sure, the ultra-high pressure (to 300psi), low volume pump will inflate tyres, but that would take ages.  No, the Shock Digital Drive intended to be a huge improvement in speed and accuracy over the pumps shipped with most suspension forks.  A new digital gage shared with some road models is said to be accurate to within 3%, making consistent settings quick and easy.

To cope with the high pressures, the Shock Digital Drive’s hose is reinforced with fabric braiding.  After filling, the chuck is designed to disengage the valve’s pin first and from the pump second, preventing loss from small shock and fork air chambers.  For such a specialized item, the $110 price tag is surprisingly reasonable and should be justifiable for most shops.

While they stand by the durability and function of their trademark thread-on chuck, Lezyne acknowledges that it’s not ideal for everyone.  For multi-bike housholds (or those brought to tears by removing their valve cores after inflating tyres), the Dual Valve Head may be the solution.  Available as an option on Lezyne’s entry level pumps, the rebuildable head is also available aftermarket for $10.  The large flip-lock lever seemed easy to use and it slots tidily into all Lezyne pump bases.

Currently only specified on road pumps, Lezyne’s new Digital gage is a custom model that slots nicely into their existing line.  Ease of use is the catchphrase here, with 2-button operation and an easily accessible (and common) CR2032 coin cell battery.  The gage takes longer to settle than Lezyne would like on high-volume mountain pumps, but for anyone willing to pause for a moment before taking a reading, the digital model is a drop-in upgrade for analog gages.  Retail will be under $30.  As on the Shock Digital Drive, the gage reads to within 3%.

Finally, Lezyne’s new Deca Drive lights build on their self-contained architecture, slotting in between the 1,200 lumen Mega Drive and the 575 lumen Super Drive.  On high, the newest light will put out 800 lumens for two hours.  Additional batteries are available for 24-hour racers and can be easily exchanged at the back.  Addressing rider comments, mounting brackets have been beefed up across the line and higher-quality batteries are coming from a new supplier.

lezyne.com

upgradebikes.co.uk