Forum menu
Time for a new track pump.
Obviously a Black Friday bargain would be great, but my main request is a gauge that doesn’t go up to stupid PSI as I never need to put anymore than 80 PSI into a tyre and I would like it to be more accurate at lower pressures
Cheers
This might be the ticket:
About £30 at bike inn if you add their Black Friday code 15BF
Looks great for the MTB and gravel bikes up to 40psi, but I do find the coloured guides a bit Fisher-Price
Had an email today about the Silca Superpista which now they're positively giving away! 🤣
https://silcavelo.eu/products/superpista-digital
We had a joe blow, wasn’t the most reliable tbh. Got a specialised air tool and a SKS rennkompressor both of which are much better. The sks has the hirame pump head which is lovely
I assumed Joe Blow was the default answer but I’ve since read a few unfavourable reviews. I’ve had a Lezyne for the last 10 years which has been fine but has needed the o-rings replaced a couple times.
Silca here. The digital gauge isn’t instant and also falls back 1/2 to 1 psi before it finally settles on a reading. As you pump it goes way over the pressure in the tyre and then gives a reading a few seconds after you stop pumping. I imagine an analog one would show you the current pressure the instant you stopped pumping…. 🤷♂️
There are quite a few varieties of Joe Blow. I have a Joe Bow Booster which is not what you are looking for (in terms of dial range), but its pressures do agree pretty well with my digital gauge. It's also been reliable, but is quite cumbersome (ok in the garage, less good for chucking in the back of the car). If accuracy is important though, I'd either buy a separate gauge, or spend a bit more and buy a track pump with a digital gauge. The Silca one mentioned above is also on offer on CRC, as are some of the SKS pumps.
I have had a SKS renncompresor for years. You can by spares and repair it.
I have had a SKS renncompresor for years. You can by spares and repair it.
+1 for the Renkompressor. I have a Topeak Smarthead on mine and I swapped the gauge out for a 0-100psi one - for a while I had a 0-60psi one. Not the highest volume pump out there, which means it's not ideal for inflating tubeless tyres, but simple, reliable and rebuildable.
I've got one of these which has been really good.
I've got that Specialized one in neon yellow. Had it since 2011. Still works perfectly.
Silca is bonkers money. Is it one of those things that is an absolute joy to use every time you use it? Got one in my basket at the moment but can't really bring myself to press buy.
I’ve got a park which is pretty solid but the pressure gauge is terrible.
I've got a high volume pump with a 60psi gauge. The gauge goes up 60 but my road tubeless run at 65 and MTB low 20s so it's not quite there for either!
It takes a lot more effort to pump, so I grab the low volume more often. It takes more strokes but with reduced effort. The gauge is hard to read and goes to 160. I've never gone over 100 even 10 years ago on 25s.
I want a medium volume 80 psi pump with presta only or smart head!
That specialized looks good!
Silca is bonkers money. Is it one of those things that is an absolute joy to use every time you use it? Got one in my basket at the moment but can’t really bring myself to press buy.
Silca EU have BF deals on at the moment, just bought a Pista Plus for £117 inc shipping.
https://silcavelo.eu/
My Topeak Joe Blow has been perfect for years without issues or any maintenance. I use it for my bike and car tyres frequently.
Me too, I've had my Joe blow about 10 years now...I think it's sport version.
Before that I had park tool....it was good till it wasn't....didn't last 5 years
@Bucko Topeak Joe Blow Mountain X (Important bit). I had the same needs as you and somne research led me here.
Because
A) Volume per stroke is perfect for seating Tubeless tyres.
B) Gauge scale is actually useful for once! (The difference between 19psi and 20 psi is important. Even that Cannondale pump linked above doesnt really show that as well as this one does.
https://www.topeak.com/us/en/product/1203-JOEBLOW-MOUNTAIN-X
Topeak Joe Blow 2 here.
I had one for the last about 8 years, but left it out in the rain recently which has wrecked it (think the 1 way valve needs stripping out and cleaning/drying)
In the meantime i bought the same again - the newer one is much nicer.
I've had a Joe Blow Mountain for donkeys.
Just wanted the volume for tubeless tyres.
Gauge reads about 5 psi high now, I just use their digital gauge now.
The head eventually gummed up so i got a Lezyne one to replace it. Bad idea as screw on is a pain in the arse. Finally got an original one to replace it.
Don't know how much better the X is.
Joe Blow Sport, had one for nigh on 15 years and it finally died a couple of years ago (servicing kit did nothing), replaced with another Joe Blow Sport.
SKS rennkompressor both of which are much better. The sks has the hirame pump head which is lovely
+1 for the Renkompressor. I have a Topeak Smarthead on mine and I swapped the gauge out for a 0-100psi one – for a while I had a 0-60psi one. Not the highest volume pump out there, which means it’s not ideal for inflating tubeless tyres, but simple, reliable and rebuildable.
I've got a 20 y/o Silca that didn't cost stupid money, a Lezyne Alloy Floor drive (with a Hirame pump head) and a Rennkompressor with a 60psi gauge retrofitted.
The Lezyne is the prettiest, but the fancy head failed pretty quickly and isn't repairable. The gauge on it also failed and is specific to them.
The Silca feels the nicest to use with the leather washer, and could fit a low pressure gauge to it, but they're silly money now.
The Rennkompressor with the cheap eBay low pressure gauge is the only one that's usefully accurate for mtb pressures, but you then need a separate high pressure pump (and Airshot) for seating tyres. The Hirame pump head is the best by far, but expensive. I prefer the SKS multivalve head to the EVA one (thats much better for Schraeder than presta)
It it works and lasts that cannonade looks the easy answer.
Cheers for all the advice guys. I reckon I’ll probably end up with a Joe Blow after your positive reviews. <br /><br />
I bought a Topeak digital pressure gauge today and it turns out I have to relearn everything I’ve known about tyre pressures over the last 10+ years…my tired old Lezyne floor drive is 10-15psi out! 😂
For anyone interested my Pista Plus arrived yesterday and it came with a 120 psi gauge fitted, which is much more sensible than the 220psi gauge listed on a lot of sites.
Another +1 for the Joe Blow Mountain but it is useless for higher pressures- it's gauged to 60 but you're fighting it above about 30, and I'm physically too light to get it to 60- the pump doesn't go down, I go up! There's other low pressure high volume pumps but I think Topeak has the mix just about right.
Bottom line for me is that if a pump can do road tyres it's just not a good mountain bike pump, and vice versa. And every time a pump tries its best to change that, with an adaptable gauge or 2-stage operation or whatever, it always seems to make a pump that's just worse at everything.
Anything with a Hirame head, way better than those hateful Lezyne chucks
Rennkompressor.
I've destroyed a number of others, Blackburn, Joe Blow, Topeak, Specialized, just through use.
My old (original) silca lasted 20+ years (i bought it as a schoolboy) the Rennkompressor(s) i have now, just go and go.
Decent gauge on it with a suitable range and a hirame head and it's _the_ best on the market.
Does my kids fat bikes (under 10 psi) my XC and Enduro bikes (all between 20 and 30) and with a different gauge i use another one for road, track and TT bikes. Between about 60 and 150.