A wholesome guide on best quality mountain bikes air pumps here’s what I will be covering in this article
- Best air pump brands
- Best air pumps(on trail, long-distance travels, daily use, mini air pumps, floor pumps, air pumps for 1-time purchase, ease of use, Schrader and Presta valve compatibility)
- tire pressure adjustment(for different situations)
- What is psi
- Personal recommendation.
So let’s get started, I have handpicked all of these pumps combining many pieces of research from personal usage, friends and family, bike shops, and I have combined all of them into the list so you can have versatility based on your riding styles.
Best air pumps :
- Lezyne gauge drive hp (mini hand pump)
- Lezyne micro floor drive (floor & mini pump)
- Joe Blow Sport III(floor pump)
- Joe Blow proX(Floor pump)
- Silca Floor pumps( floor Pump)
- Bontrager pump(floor pump)
- Mini pump by crank brothers (mini pump)
- Topeak Mountain Morph(mini pump)
- Bontrager Air Support MTB (mini pump)
- Topeak Mini Master Blaster (mini pump)
- Lezyne Pressure Drive pump (mini pump)
- Lezyne Micro Floor Drive Hv (mini floor pump)
All of the above-mentioned floor pumps have Presta and Schrader valve compatibility.
With that out of the way if you are looking for something for a 1-time purchase here’s this list to choose from.
- Silca Floor pumps
- Lezyne micro floor drive
- Joe Blow proX
- Bontrager Air Support MTB
if you are looking for a 1-time purchase be done with it and grow old with them Lezyne, To peaks(joe blow), silica are the way to go again all the recommendations come from my personal experience and some from friends and family circles which have been using them for years on end.
Air pumps for Long-distance travel :
If you are a long-distance person and you are often on long-distance Flat wheels are common for you something reliable and easy to carry and easy to use would be best
Here’s what could go best with you
- Lezyne Micro Floor Drive Hv (mini floor pump)
- Topeak Mini Master Blaster
- Lezyne Pressure Drive pump (mini pump)
Lenzynes is a pretty trusted brand in the market I have used it myself as well, Topeak is good as well
Lenzyne is again good for long-term pumps and they can be used as floor and hand pumps something that could come in very handy during long-distance travel the pumps that I listed here are handy reliable and they are lightweight I think they would suit you perfectly.
To peaks are good as well and are well known for their ease of use both of these brands are good.
Air Pumps For trails :
if you are a frequent rider you need something for the go mini pumps could be great you could choose any of the mini pumps lezyne, Toopeak mini pumps could be a great match you can also see this list and choose any from them.
Tire pressure-what to run what not to run :
There is nothing like idle tire pressure if you see a fixed number or hear it from someone it is either not for you or it is incorrect.
Here’s why.
- Tire pressure is largely dependent on your weight
- trail you ride
- your way of riding
Idle tire pressure is achieved through trial and error there is no fixed number Usually people run lower tire pressure on the front wheels and a little bit higher on the rear wheel.
If you are a beginner you will find many gurus on trails or the internet some are good some are bad, but either good or bad here’s how to find your ideal tire pressure by no means it would be ideal for someone else but you can advise them this method instead of telling them what to run.
How to Find idle tire Pressure yourself :
So normally what I do and most people do, starting off we run 35 psi on both tires and gradually decrease to find what suits us best if you are in a hurry a quick fix would be running 30 psi on front and 35 on the back tire and gradually decreasing it so you can find you ideal spot.
What not to do while finding tire pressure:
- jumping 5 or 6 psi at a time, go with the flow jump between 2 or 3 psi
- going below 20 psi, unless you are super light going below 20 will either damage your tire or your rims so 20 is a no-go zone, again unless you are very light.
- not considering your weight, Your weight is a big factor in adjusting your tire pressure, if you are a heavy rider always consider your weight so your tires are not hitting your rims.
Tire pressure Vs trails :
tire pressures are versatile meaning you will be switching between them from trail to trail, You don’t always need to run the same tire pressure thinking it is ideal or you need to just stick with them.
Here’s a breakdown for you.
- For rocky trails run a lower tire pressure, not too low but a lower tire pressure will give you much more traction.
- For light commuting trails you can run as high of a pressure as you can it provides lower rolling resistance and increases speed.
The point is that tire pressure is not a fixed value sometimes you may see something like 30-40 psi on trails don’t turn to it that’s a hox run something that you feel comfortable with not what the boards say or people say.
Here are some other questions you might have on your mind.
How much tire pressure can mountain bike tires handle :
Mountain bike tires mostly run at around 30-50 psi, manufacturers make tires based on the double to triple number of the withstanding point that they write on tires, you can do the rest of the maths, they make it so that if in case people sometimes use electric pumps or forget to switch off the pump in time it should give them enough room to switch it off to save yourself from disaster.
It is highly recommended that you do not over inflate your tires especially tubeless tires they can hold in much more air pressure and in case they explode they will do a lot more than a little damage so never ever try experimenting on your tires by over-inflating them or trying some other methods like seating it using fire it can be dangerous to you and people around you so never do it.
why your tires are not holding air :
If your tires are not holding air overnight then you may have a punctured tire that might be invisible or your valve may have some issue that would be causing the air leakage it’s best that you use an inner tube sealant that should solve your problem.
If you are pumping your tire and it’s still not inflating then you might not have locked the pump hose valve make sure you lock it before you inflate your tires.
If your tire is constantly losing air despite having sealant in it and everything seems to work just fine then your tire might be a bigger size than your rim it may be a little bit bigger but it could be the cause
if that’s the case again if it’s a small gap inner tube sealant would be your best choice it should seal the tire for you but for a long-term solution you might need to change your tire.
If you had like more information on sealants you can check our article on best inner tube sealants
What would best tire pressure for commuting on mountain bikes :
You can run a tire pressure of 40-50 for commuting on mountain bikes, it will increase the rolling speed of tires and less traction so you can move faster and cover distance quickly.
Personal Recommendation on air pumps :
I am not too much of a frequent rider so I am using a topeak but if you are a long distance person and you would like something handy, reliable, and long-lasting you could choose any from
- Lezyne or Silca
Both of these companies make exceptionally good tire pumps, Silca are on a little bit of the expensive side but both of these companies are great you can go with any you had liked more or heard more.
As a side note, I am not doing any paid promotion on anyone’s behalf I am speaking from my own personal or friends and family experience.
Conclusion :
Make sure you do not fall into the wrong gurus hand to tell you what tire pressure to run, it is not the pumps that make any difference in your riding but the tire pressure you run.
if you are stuck between two companies or models try both to see which one works better for you and return the other one if they accept the returns.
don’t over-inflate or experiment with your tires you can put yourself or someone else in danger.
Happy riding!
If I missed something or you have any questions about anything let me know in the comment section below.