Digital SHock Pumps – Any Real Difference

Embarassingly a significant weight gain (4 stones) since the start of the pandemic requires me to reset the suspension set up on my bike. Lots of pedal strikes and a generally bobby ride experience mean the return to mtb as part of the weight loss plan has not gone as well as I had hoped.

Some folks have suggested a digital shock pump would be useful. However, the pumps I have looked at range in price from £50ish to £120ish. Is there any real difference between them?

No difference functionally wise. All you’re looking to do is be able to put the same number in each time. So if for instance you settle on 82psi (on your pump) as you’re happy spot it’s easily repeatable rather than sort of aiming for half way between 80 and 85 on an analog pump

Many thanks. No need to get spendy then.

As above just easier to read than a dial

Lifeline one from crc was great for <£50.

Not sure where you can get that now

Fox and Rock Shox sell the same digital shock pump as Lifeline but at 2 or 3 times the price. My Lifeline one is fine.

Thanks to all. I might go for the rock shox one as it’s discounted in a few places and the rear shock is rock shox also.

I bought a Giant branded one and I’m really impressed with it.  Paid about 45 quid on sale, think it’s usually about 60. Really good though, and goes up to 400psi I think. I need about 350 in my rear shock and it gets there pretty easily.

£43.99.

https://www.cyclestore.co.uk/giant_control_mini_shock_0_digital_pump-ID_85609

Only needed for the average rider IMO with some particular forks that have small chambers which make them very sensitive to pressure differences.

A 5psi scale gauge is enough to set things within 1-2psi. For any given mark, you can be on the mark (e.g. 70), needle touching above (72) / below (68), or needle between two marks (67).

@ads678 thanks for the tip. I have a Gian pump ordered.

Take your point @bikesandboots but the two pumps I have date back almost 20 years so thought I may as well get the difital when replacing them.

That giant one has a different handle but appears the rest is pretty much the same as my Lifeline one (which I think is about 6 years old, still using same battery and was the same as the RockShox and Fox ones that were 2 or 3 times the price – I got mine when Wiggle had a sale on so it cost me 20 quid).

I think it depends on what you want from the bike really. An analogue gauge will get you in the same sort of area each time. A digital one will get you the exact same number.

If you’re really picky about how the fork behaves then you’ll eventually get to the point where you’re experimenting whether 62 is better than 63. You’ll never get that accuracy from an analogue.

If all you want is ‘somewhere between 60 and 65 and it’ll mostly be fine’, then I wouldn’t worry about a digital one.

I have a lezene digital.

It reads the same pressures repeatedly, looks fancy, easy to get in a bag (good)

but

massively under reads the pressure and was expensive
. (Bad)

Well bad for setting up suspension with guides. My MRP has two air chambers balanced against each other. This was fine with my analog shock pump until it died. The digital one is waaaay under reading.

If you are going to set the sag at 25% and want the same psi every time you pump it up, then it would be mint.

It was much more expensive than an analog one and annoys me evey time I compare it’s reading to a recommendation.

Thanks to you all for taking the time to reply.

I suppose this is part of a process of elimination. I have to confess I have never been a fan of rock shox rear shocks as I find them much too active and have always found Fox more progressive. I had iniitally thought of just replacing the rear shock with a Fox unit but £50ish on a shock pump to get the air pressure bang on is a lot cheaper.

I may still decide I just can’t get on with the rock shox but at least it won’t be for want of trying everything to get it set up correctly.