pump it up

In recent years I have ended with a collection of Lezyne pumps. I did not set out with this as an aim, each has been chosen on its own merits generally due to the great design and functionality over other options. Generally my experience has been good but I have had a few issues so if you are interested in my experiences then read on. . . .

For the Road

Out on rides I have a Lezyne Road Drive hand pump. This has served me well for 2 full seasons now and is still going strong.

Contrary to standard etiquette I carry this on the supplied bracket attached to the bottle bosses of the down tube. Mounted like this on a frame the pump is exposed to all the muck a British winter can throw at it. I had to protect my old pump with duct tape but Lezyne has thoughtfully included all the necessary seals. There are plugs for the open ends of the pump barrel and hose and also a rubber seal where the handle fits over the barrel, avoiding muck causing corrosion of the shaft. You can even get a replacement Seal Kit though mine are still in good condition.

The other thing I like about this pump is that it has a hose to attach to the valve. In my opinion this makes it so much easier to inflate a tyre than the fiddly direct mount pumps. It also puts less stress on the valve meaning you are less likely to damage it.

The end of the hose has a screw on valve connector which whilst marginally slower to use than a quick release type is more secure and reliable in my experience. It easily inflates tyres to 100psi and doesn’t take as long as you might expect from its diminutive size. My only gripe is that the end plugs can come off in use so just be careful not to loose them by the side of the road.

Installed on my frame beside a bottle you hardly notice it. I did have a problem with it rattling over bigger bumps but that was solved easily with a small square of 3M Butyl Tape. As I write this I am thinking I will move the bracket to the seat tube bottle boss, that should keep it further away from road muck. However after 2 winter seasons it shows no sign of corrosion and is still working smoothly. I have not needed to service it other than the occasional wipe with a rag.

My “Travel” Pump

I often take my bike on trips away in the back of the car and a track pump with its T bar handle and stirrups is another ungainly and bulky thing to pack. So I was on the lookout for something a bit smaller but that would be easier to use than a mini pump. Some research lead me to this Lezyne Micro Floor Drive pump.

Its a great balance of size a features being essentially a scaled down version of a full size track pump that will fit in you kit bag,

It has a fold out styrup so you can hold it down with your foot and a nice smooth T bar handle for comfortable one handed pumping. The screw on valve connector is secure and reliable and preferable in my view to the lever types.

Overall it’s a very well made and robust item that comes with me everywhere and has consigned my track pump to the grarage.

There are a few versions of this pump, I bought one with an integrated pressure gauge, you can also buy it without a gauge or with a digital gauge.

I am a bit 50:50 about the analogue gauge that mine has. The gauge consists of a plastic plunger moving up a graduated scale against the resistance of a spring. As you can imagine it is not overly accurate. It’s a reasonable guide but I always use my Topek digital gauge to check pressures accurately. I cannot comment on the digital gauge version but I am sure it will be more accurate. If you already have a tyre pressure gauge I would go for the plain vanilla version sans gauge and save yourself a few pounds.

Track pump(s)

So this is where the Lezyne experience has not been so good, but we got there in the end.

The first Lezyne pump I actually bought was a track pump, a Lezyne Alloy Floor Drive. I bought the “High Volume” version as I was riding mountain bikes a lot at the time. I wanted to switch to a tubeless set up so wanted a pump with a large volume to be able to seat the tyre.

After some research I decided on a Birzman floor pump, partially due to the build quality and partially because they have an innovative quick release connector. Unfortunately at the time they were almost impossible to get hold of in the UK so next best was the Lezyne.

The Lezyne pump looked similarly well made with a turned wooded handle and polished alloy barrel. It also came with their own proprietary CNC ABS quick valve connector or “Chuck” as Lezyne like to call it and more importantly was available from stock. Happy days.

So all went well initially and I was off with a set of continental tubeless boots.

But then one day whilst disconnecting the chuck it just fell apart in my hand with springs and small fiddly components shooting all over the garage floor. Miraculously I managed to gather them all up and reassemble the chuck but from then on it would not stay together.

I pondered sending it back to the online vendor (which would have been a bit of a stress) so instead called Lezyne in the UK. After I explained the problem they confirmed that there was a problem with the chucks and they sent me a new one by return.

At this point a review of the Lezyne ABS Chuck is due is think. So I have to say it was not an overly successful design. It can work well but it can also be a bit temperamental and fiddly to use if not lined up perfect with the valve. I have persevered with it but note now that Lezyne have stopped selling it. New pumps come with a simple screw on connector. It’s well made and for a screw on connector quick to use.

So anyway all was going well for a few months until the gauge failed. So this is a major annoyance on a mountain bike as I am always adjusting tyre pressure to suit the terrain.

The pump was still within warranty so it could have gone back to CR but the gauge is easy to swap so I tried calling Lezyne again to see if they would send a replacement but this time they were less forthcoming and said I should return it to the retailer.

I seriously considered just buying a new gauge and changing it myself. They are only 10 quid. But for some reason decided to return it. In hindsight this was a bit of a mistake and I should have just changed the gauge myself. I would have been much less hassle.

First there was an hour of fun with cardboard and packing tape to prepare the pump for its return. A floor pump is a particularly awkward thing to wrap if you don’t have the original packaging. Then there was an abortive trip to the post office who refused to acccept it as it was over their size limit. Grr. So finally it was to a collection point at ASDA where I had to explain to the untrained assistant what this was all about as it wasn’t an ASDA product!

So a week or so later and the retailer sends me a clearly USED replacement. Which also gets returned. Agh.

At this point I am seriously regretting not fixing the gauge myself.

Finally the retailer informs me that they only have one pump left and it is the more expensive version with the digital gauge but they will let me have that for no extra cost (!) due to the inconvenience.

So that it’s what I have now but having used it for a while I have to say I would rather have the analogue gauge. It is just as clear to read and you don’t have to turn it on and off and worry about replacing batteries.

The other issue that I did it realise was that the high volume mountain bike version does not do “high pressure”. So as I got more into road cycling I had to buy a separate high pressure track pump. Doh.

However as a foot note to this story I have to say that the Lezyne high volume floor pump is so good to use that I often use it to top up the air in my car tyres. I am sure you are not supposed to but it is much easier to use than a crappy foot pump!