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Pumping by hand is faster. In the practical test by “Kassenjagd” and Velojournal, floor pumps are superior to battery pumps.
Before the first bike ride of the season, it’s time to pump up the tires again. The good old floor pumps, which are pumped by hand, have proven successful in home use. In addition to six floor pumps, a foot pump and three new battery-powered pumps, “Kassenrutsch” and Velojournal have entered the race. The latter were unable to convince either the bike-savvy team in the practical test or the two experts from the bike journal.
The most important difference between the various pump systems quickly becomes apparent in the test: the pumping time up to a racing bike’s maximum pressure of 7 bar is 40 to 50 seconds with a floor pump and two to four minutes with a battery pump. The floor pump from California pumped the fastest in the test.
Classic becomes test winner
Best rated: a classic, the racing compressor from SKS, at 51.90 francs in the middle of the price range: “Robust, efficient even on racing bikes and ergonomic,” is the test team’s verdict. In addition, wearing parts such as the rubber seal are easy to replace.
The only foot pump in the test, a model from Fischer, is still sufficient in the overall result, but falls short. Co-test leader from Velojournal, Aline Künzler: “Even though you might expect that it would be easier to pump while standing, it was surprisingly difficult.” In addition, the foot pump in the test did not achieve the maximum pressure for a racing bike tire.
Loud and slow battery pumps
Most of the testers pumped their bike with a battery pump for the first time in the practical test. The operation is “simple” and “practical” because with all battery pumps you can simply enter the required bar for the object to be pumped, such as a racing bike tire or ball, and then start it. The effort is eliminated. Yes, all three battery pumps are very loud and take three to five times longer on a racing bike than a floor pump.
In addition, the battery only lasts for three to four tires and then has to be recharged via USB cable for an average of two hours. At 79.95 francs, the Bosch cordless compressed air pump is the most expensive model in the test. It takes four minutes to fully inflate a racing bike tire, the longest reference pumping time measured in the test.
Not every pump for every bike
At 8.50 francs, the cheapest product in the test is the floor pump from Landi. She achieved an acceptable overall grade. The product pumps quickly, but the pressure gauge does not read accurately.
Many pumps are difficult to install, especially on children’s bikes with their closely spaced spokes. The floor pump from California was rated good in this criterion.
Not all pumps are suitable for every bicycle tire valve. The models from Lezyne, Bosch and Xiaomi need to be converted depending on the valve. The pump heads of the Btwin and Topeak floor pumps do not hold particularly well on the Dunlop valve and tend to come off at higher pressure.