UKC

I have a crap pump from Halfords, probably based on an Edwardian standard.  It dosen't work at all well on a good day and I think rarely achieves the pressures my toobs need.

Any suggestions for a reliable and efficient pump to go (no enormous stirrup pump types) at reasonable cost?  For a road bike.

To carry on the bike or to set pressures at home? 

Tubs or tubed or tubeless?

 I like my Zefal Air Profil FC03 Mini pump, around £25. Not the smallest, but well reviewed and easy to use.

sorry, I said pump to go which perhaps wasn't clear - to carry with me,  as the roads round here mean I usually carry at least 2 spare tubes now!

I personally can't fault Topeaks HybridRocket RX, doesn't take up a ton of space in the jersey or weigh too much. I like that I can use a CO2 cannister for a quick job but still have a hand pump to fall back on if I need it.

I generally carry a Genuine Innovations CO2 pump with a Lezyne pocket size pump - Sport Drive HP, I think.

My first really good pump was the Top Peak mini-morph.  Essentially a tiny track pump, far better than the ones that fit directly onto the valve (and damage it).  As you arm force is reacted by the ground, you can be as vigorous as you like in pumping the tyre up.

The mini-morph was a bit plasticky but worked really well.  It lasted about three or four years before it broke. broke. broke.

I bought another one but when that gave up, i bought the same styled  pump in Evans, with the Flynt brand name.  I've used that for four or five years and it too is excellent.  It's all metal and is still going strong.  Quality design.

Thanks everyone for your suggestions.  I'm sure there are a lot of good solutions out there and lots of crap as well so it's good to have a list to research from satisfied users rather than dubious internet selling site reviews.

I've accepted that post puncture achieving anything beyond 60psi isn't happening until you find facilities with a proper pump at a cafe/petrol station*/bike shop. 

As such I just carry a tiny mini pump (wiggle I think) to minimise the weight penalty.

*Carrying a schraeder to presta adapter is a good plan so you can use air at a petrol station.

This are great, flex connection for schraeder or presta, compact, well made, and get up to a decent pressure.

I've had a Topeak Pocket Rocket for years. Does the job if you don't want silly high pressures (>70psi). Never had a problem with breaking valves.

Another vote for the 'Lezyne Sport Drive HP Mini Pump'.  About £20 on Amazon; works a treat; has a flexy hose.

I use this for the X-bike and it comes with a mount that nicely fits under the bottle cage

I have a Dacathlon one which has a lever to hold the pump onto the valve with, and a switchable rubber thing inside for either presta of schrader, have had it for years, and I don't register anything bad about it when I use it. Using 'the thumb test' it seems to get my road tyres up to pressure, as well as being alright with filling my mtb tyres. 

Worth looking at before pricier options maybe? 

https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/hand-pump-100-black/_/R-p-758

Edit: This is the one, to my surprise it's £3.99, it preforms like it should be £15 and the plastic is robust. You could buy one and try it, and forget about it for that price. Seems to get good reviews on the whole on the Dacathlon site.

Shop around and you can get it for less than that. I was very lucky - mine cost me £3 for the set with mini multi-tool, bracket and puncture kit, out of Halfords bargain bin!

I've had 2 topeak ones which are still going strong and are good. One Blackburn one that is indestructible and now over 20 years old and a Canon Dale one. Which was free.

My fave is the hybrid pump on the race bike : has a presta only co2/pump pump.

The winter bike has a flip flip presta schraedar valve topeak. V old now. But still working fine. 

My wife has the Blackburn one. The handle rotates to allow an easier pump action. 

The kids can have the canondalee if they ever cycle enough to need one.. 

I use a track pump at home and carry 3 or 4 co2 cartridges and inflator when cycling. Lot quicker than pump and easier to carry

I've got a Genuine Innovations SecondWind carbon hybrid pump, but it's quite long - it won't fit in a jersey pocket and there's a bit much flex in the frame bracket, so it rattles against the frame. It therefore lives in my commuter rucksack.

They do/did a short version, but doesn't seem to be available in this country - I'll buy one if I ever see it for sale, though.

Ive been warned against using co2 with latex tubes, so haven't tried it. Does it really freeze and crack them?

If it's stored at 3psi above ambient, the pressure difference is sufficient to accelerate the gas to about Mach 0.5.  The translational energy comes from its thermal energy (simplistically speaking), so the temperature of the gas will fall by around 15 degs C, so just enough to reach freezing.  The higher the pressure, the greater the temperature drop.

If the CO2 is stored at 100psi, the gas will accelerate to a bit beyond Mach 1 and the temperature will drop by 50 degs C.  Of course, as the gas very rapidly slows down outside the canister, its temperature rapidly climbs back towards ambient.

My mate demonstrated this on a bike tour when a gas cannister fell of his bike (don't ask!).  The cannister was dented, sprang a big leak and rapidly vented its butane.  It left a big patch of frost on the road.  Quite impressive.

I have been using the Topeak Mini Morph (as mentioned somewhere above) it has a gauge. I used it to pump to 100psi recently. I checked it on my 'proper' track pump at home, expecting to have to top it up, and it was up to full pressure. A bit more effort than a full size track pump but splendid as a bike pump unless you want super light weight

Rubber materials have a property called the 'glass transition temperature' (Tg) below which they become much less elastic, brittle in fact.  If the Tg for butyl rubber is -10 degs C (i can't find the true figure), then it will be much more prone to cracking below that temperature.

Clearly, if you're pumping up a tyre with CO2 in the depths of winter, this is going to be an issue!

The fact that people use CO2 without issues means that in practice, the inner tube doesn't get cooled down as far as Tg, especially on a nice summers day.

Thanks Dave. What I don't know is how latex tubes respond to the chill and whether the risk is an internet fiction or real world factor. I'm gathering that  butyl rubber tubes cope fine as the caution never gets mentioned .

EDIT Cross posted with your 10:57... So I guess I'm looking for Tg for latex?

Never happened to me! The tubes deflate quicker than with air in them so I deflate when I get home and inflate with “proper” pump

It would be immediately on using the CO2, due to the chill Dave Cundy describes. Once in, you've just got a smaller molecule than diatomic Nitrogen (80% of air) so faster permeation.

I think the way round it is to take a butyl spare if you use latex tubes, so you’re inflating butyl with CO2. 

Good thinking

When I hired a bike on holiday a couple of years ago, I went off with a CO2 pump and a request from the owner that if I used it, I was to tell him when I returned the bike. He was a bit vague as to why, muttering something about the innertubes and having to deflate and re-inflate them, which ties in with what you've said, but then he also partly alluded to the Tg part, as mentioned by Dave Cundy above (although shouldn't have been an issue in 30+C on Cyprus) - I can't remember him saying he'd actually replace the tubes.

On your deflation point, I can't say I've really noticed that myself - that said, I've only used CO2 a couple of times and the bikes tend to get left a while before being ridden again, so probably just not noticed.

Interesting - never seen it explained like that before. I usually work on PV = nRT for gases.

I once saw someone cock up replacing the piercable 206 cannister on a Camping Gaz stove on a campsite in the New Forest - by the time it had finished venting, there was quite a lot of frost on the nearby bushes and grass!

I carry 2 * CO2 cylinders (so good for 4 road tyres) and one of the little L shaped inflators that just screws on top of the cartridge and push inflates on the valve.

I also have a small pump that sits under a water bottle holder just in case. I assume it still works but can't remember using it. Five punctures in one ride would be a lot.