Presta, Schrader and Dunlop Bike pump

Bicycle air pumps for home or on the go

The great difference is in the use: It must be differentiated whether the air pump is to be used mainly at home or on rides. For inflating your tyres in your home or garage, floor pumps are better, as with these you are able to inflate the tyres significantly faster and with less effort than with small mini pumps for travel.

The functional mini pump usually is used for emergencies. When you are faced with a flat tyre on your cycling tour, the corresponding repair kit including mini pump can save the entire day. This way the tour can be successfully ended and you will get home safe and sound.

Is there a bicycle pump for all valves?

When purchasing a bicycle pump it is important to know what valves are mounted to your bicycle. Without this information you will be left to fishing in troubled waters on your search. The overview below shows the three common valve types:

• Presta valve (also: Sclaverand valve, French valve): these usually are found in road bikes or mountain bike tyres
• Schrader valve (also car valve): mostly found in everyday bikes and more rarely in MTBs, and is the only valve which can be filled at a gas station
• Dunlop valve (also bicycle valve, express valve): mostly seen in the ever more common city bikes or trekking bikes

The good news: There are bicycle floor pumps featuring pump heads which are compatible with all three types mentioned above. This is not common, though, and usually not necessary for most cyclists. Often bicycle pumps are chosen, which are compatible with Presta and Schrader valves.

Which pump for your e-bike?

E-bikes do not feature valve types of their own and hence do not require different air pumps from the ones conventional bikes would demand. As many e-bikes are used as city-bikes, very often the tyres feature Dunlop valves. Whoever wants to make sure they can inflate their e-bike, should choose a good floor pump, which usually covers all three types.

CO2-Pumps: the latest technology

Ambitious cyclists, who might also ride in a race, are well advised to opt for a CO2-air pump. Whoever has had to deal with a flat tyre during a positioning combat knows: every second counts. What helps here is a mini air pump with CO2 cartridge. Within a few seconds the tyre is fully inflated with air. Another advantage is the small size, allowing you to simply stow the pump in your rear pocket. Due to the intensity in costs and the poor sustainability CO2 bicycle pumps should actually only be used in the context of a race.