The bicycle pump is one of the cyclist’s allies, whether to check the tire pressure before hiking, inflate a soft tire on the road or when repairing a puncture.
A tire with air chamber loses between 5% and 10% pressure per week, even if it does not drive, explains Jacob Lavoie, deputy manager of the Primeau Béport de Beauport store. This weekly loss is even greater when it comes to so -called tires tubeless, either without an air chamber.
It is therefore important to check the tire pressure before each hike, since “it will have a great influence on our appreciation of this bicycle outing”, specifies Mr. Lavoie. Especially because pedaling with soft tires requires more energy and because the capacity of tires to cushion the vibrations and road impacts is reduced when these are too hard.
What is the required pressure?
The recommended pressure appears on the flank of the tire, in PSI (books per square inch). The minimum and maximum values, or sometimes only the maximum value, are noted there so that the cyclist can optimize his experience on two wheels and reduce the risk of puncture.
It is also possible to calculate the ideal pressure of the tires of your road bike, according to precise data (type of terrain, tire width, wheel diameter, tire type, average speed, weight distribution), by going to the Silca.cc/Pages/Pro-Tire-pressure-calculator site.
On foot or portable pump?
The standing pump (from $ 60) is always ready for use at home or in the workshop. It has a solid base and a larger body than a portable model, which allows you to generate more power during pumping. Its integrated analog or digital pressure gauge clearly indicates tire pressure.
As for portable hand models (from $ 30), easy to slip into a bicycle bag, they come to the rescue of cyclists who must modify the tire pressure in the middle of an outlet or inflate these after having repaired a puncture.
Photo taken from the Primeauvelo.com site
High volume or high pressure?
In both cases, to make a good choice, it is important to check if the coveted pump is compatible with the tires valves it will swell, in particular Presta or Schrader.
Then, the recommended tire pressure will dictate if a high volume pump (high volume, HV) or high pressure (HP) is required. Some standing pumps even include the two air chambers, which can be practical when you have different bikes.
Photo taken from the Primeauvelo.com site
For tires that require a pressure of less than 60 psi, the high volume pump is very suitable. Since it will deploy a high volume of air at reduced pressure, so it will be faster and easy to reach the desired pressure, without providing a lot of effort.
In the case of the models requiring a pressure between 60 and 110 psi, a high pressure pump is then preferable, since it will provide a small volume of air with high pressure, leaving a little rest in the arms of the cyclist.
Photo taken from the Primeauvelo.com site
Co cartridge2
Cyclists in a hurry or who take part in races appreciate the CO cartridges2 Used with a regulator (from $ 34.99 per set). These are light and compact, then imitate a compressor by inflating a tire very quickly and effortlessly.
These single -use cartridges must be replaced (from $ 4.95) after each use and chosen depending on the volume of air required and the type of bicycle that we drive.
Photo taken from the Primeauvelo.com site
