BY MATT PHILLIPS
IS IT
TIME TO
RETHINK
THE FLOOR
PUMP
PRESSURE
GAUGE?
Not long ago, I was heading out
for a ride on a road bike set up
with 32mm tires. I knew that for
this tire, on this rim, I wanted
to run 48 psi in the back and 42
in the front. I grabbed one of
the f loor pumps we have in our office for
testing, when something caught my eye:
the pressure gauge’s maximum psi of 220.
A 220psi gauge on a f loor pump is
pretty common. And if it doesn’t top out
at 220psi, it likely does at 160.
Do you know what type of tires one
might inf late to 160 or 220 psi? High-end
track-racing tubulars. Do you know how
many people use high-end track-racing
tubulars? Not many. According to USA
Cycling’s 2015 report—the most recent
available—it issued 1,291 track-racing
licenses.
Worldwide, there are a few more track-
kies, but my point is: Track riders and
high-end track tubulars are a rounding
error in comparison to the overall cycling
market. So why do most f loor pumps have
gauges that cater to such a tiny segment
of the market, especially since the last few
years have seen a total pressure rethink
across all categories?
3 / LEZYNE ALLOY
OVER DRIVE / $80
A clear, black-on-white,
60psi gauge with 1psi
hashes offers excellent
resolution and readability,
and the aluminum-and-
steel pump stands on a
stable tripod base.
1 / TOPEAK JOEBLOW
MOUNTAIN / $50
The big ol’ steel
barrel is tough and
helps this pump
inflate huge tires in
a hurry. The clear
60psi gauge has 1psi
hashes.LOW-
PRESSURE
PUMPS
2 / SPECIALIZED AIR TOOL
MTB FLOOR PUMP / $85
Not only does this
pump feature a 40psi
gauge with 1psi hashes,
it also has a bleed
valve and a high-
volume barrel for
quicker inflation.26 BICYCLING.COM • ISSUE 5 Photography byTREVOR RAAB