Handy tire-pump extension for cramped spaces on 20" wheels

[JimInPT]

It just occurred to me to pass along a tip about a great little accessory that truly enhanced my routine 20"-rim MiniST2 maintenance.  And Ryan, I suggest you consider adding it to your list of linked accessories if you try and like it as well.

I have a Specialized Mountain Bike floor pump, a low-pressure, high-quality tire inflator that reads from 0-50 psi and was EXTREMELY hard to find with only 120-psi or so pumps out there.  The lower pressure model moves a much higher volume of air per stroke (great for giant ballooney fat-bike tires) is more accurate and easier to read for my 30 psi Rad bike.  But, it has an extremely-long flip-up locking handle to attach itself to the valve and on the rear tire it's a true pain in the butt to align and snap into place because the motor is so close to the 20" rim it's a knuckle-buster trying to flip the handle up and down to attach/detach from the valve.  So frustrating that I often just skipped adding a couple pounds of pressure when I wanted to - a bad idea.

Enter this thing:  https://amzn.to/46kQcah
  a short extension hose I just keep attached to the pump at all times.  It's very low-profile and just snaps onto the valve easily, with a 90-degree connection.  To remove, just push a little button and it pops right off, losing no pressure.

This made a vast improvement to the process and I now routinely add pressure when needed, not just when I felt like wrestling with it.  Built to last a hundred years and so it's a little pricey, but take it from me, you'll find it worth having too, if you have 20" e-bike rims.

NOTE: Jaco makes another very similar model (the S2X) that's slightly cheaper but that's because it doesn't have a 90-degree fitting, which is essential to provide more clearance.  So, double-check your order before pushing the Buy button.

[handlebar]

More than 20 years ago I bought a Bell Air Attack floor pump that I happened to see at a little local store. It has an "L" chuck which fits anywhere and seals well. It is often handier than plugging in an electric pump, even for car tires. At 400 ml, the volume is higher than a typical bicycle pump. It is easy to take apart for cleaning and maintenance. After years of use, it's as good as new.

The lack of a gauge was a problem. I could estimate by the number of strokes, but each check required getting down on my knees. Doing several tires in a row, that could be a hassle.

I bought one that plugged into a car lighter. It had a digital gauge and could be set to shut off at a certain pressure. I added an adaptor to clip it to battery terminals so that I needed only something with a 12-volt battery. The computer estimated tire pressure by the pressure in the line, which was higher while the pump was running. I'd have to adjust the shutoff point depending on the size of the tire. It was nice, but getting it unpacked and repacked took time, and a battery had to be near.

I bought a compressor and a chuck with a digital gauge and a lever-activated valve. Clamp the chuck to the tire valve, read the exact pressure, give it a squirt of air if it's low, and reread. The chuck was like the one Jim complained about. The air hose was in line with the tire valve, which meant it wouldn't fit in the space on the rear wheel of a Radrunner, besides mower wheels. I replaced it with a ball chuck, invented in the 1920s.

Pressurized, a tank rusts ten times faster, so I have to let the air hiss out when I'm through, then pressurize it before use. The compressor is at the back of the shop, so I have to move things around to get a vehicle within reach of the 25' hose and have room to check the tires. Sometimes I've unplugged the compressor and carried the charged tank where needed. I could get a longer hose, but then it would be more in the way, and subject to damage, when not in use. It just dawned on my that maybe I can find a place for the compressor closer to the door.

This sort of pump may offer more convenience.
https://amzn.to/444CEOM

It would be easy to carry on a ride, so a puncture would have to be pretty big to terminate a trip.

Amazon shows several Bell Air Attack pumps with gauges.
https://amzn.to/3NNArBo

These displace about 600ml, pumping 50% more volume than mine. They're rated at 100 psi. Get real! In view of their displacement, that would probably require something like 250 pounds on the handle. If the dial gauges turn out to be imprecise, they should bring you to a point where it's easy to bleed off the excess pressure with a precise gauge.

[JimInPT]

This sort of pump may offer more convenience.
https://amzn.to/444CEOM

It would be easy to carry on a ride, so a puncture would have to be pretty big to terminate a trip.

I carry something similar that's handy for us old people ( https://amzn.to/44fxwXA ), which upon inspection after the winter storage was amazingly still holding about 50% charge, close to where I'd left it.  I also have a small hand pump in my toolkit, just in case, but so far I've only had to use these on other people's tires.

[handlebar]

This sort of pump may offer more convenience.
https://amzn.to/444CEOM

It would be easy to carry on a ride, so a puncture would have to be pretty big to terminate a trip.

I carry something similar that's handy for us old people ( https://amzn.to/44fxwXA ), which upon inspection after the winter storage was amazingly still holding about 50% charge, close to where I'd left it.  I also have a small hand pump in my toolkit, just in case, but so far I've only had to use these on other people's tires.

I wondered why you didn't use the rechargeable for routine checks. It would be more convenient than a floor pump, and you would know your emergency pump was charged and ready. Now I see. It has a screw-on chuck with the hose in line with the tire valve. Would it even fit your rear wheel? The one I chose as an example has an L-shape chuck that clamps with a lever.

I found a review of the Bell Air Attack 650.
https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/biking/bike-pump/bell-air-attack-high-volume

Three years ago, the list price was $20. Now nobody seems to have it for less than $46. It'll come down.

Outdoor Gear Lab said that for low pressures, it's faster than other hand pumps, but they hated it:

1. It has more plastic than other pumps. My Air Attack has a lot of plastic and has held up fine.

2. It's not very stable. The only time I need my Air Attack to stay up is when I'm standing on the base.

3. They couldn't press the handle hard enough to go above 80 PSI. They recommend using it for 40 PSI or less. I agree. Bell shouldn't claim 100 PSI. A 50 PSI gauge would be easier to read.

4. They call the gauge inaccurate because if you pump a tire to 70 or 80 PSI, the gauge will get stuck on a higher reading. You can get an accurate reading by disconnecting and reconnecting the chuck. At 30 PSI it was accurate.

I guess this is a fairly new model. If I'd come across it 25 years ago, I'd have bought it and saved a lot of trouble. I may buy one anyway. I'll watch the price.

[JimInPT]

I wondered why you didn't use the rechargeable for routine checks. It would be more convenient than a floor pump, and you would know your emergency pump was charged and ready. Now I see. It has a screw-on chuck with the hose in line with the tire valve. Would it even fit your rear wheel? The one I chose as an example has an L-shape chuck that clamps with a lever.

You make a good point, but I keep the rechargeable tucked away and waterproofed in a zippered waterproof bag (along with spare bungies and Ziploc bags for mail and shower caps for the seat, controller and display if it looks like it might rain while I'm away from the bike) so access isn't quick and easy.  I pulled it out every 2-3 months to check the charge, but after it survived the winter very well I don't do it as frequently anymore and always have a little manual pump if worse comes to worst.   It does fit my rear wheel, but it's a bit of a hassle, as was the floor pump.  Fortunately, it's an occasional-need thing and out in the wild I've never needed a pump other than to help others with flats.

[handlebar]

I wondered why you didn't use the rechargeable for routine checks. It would be more convenient than a floor pump, and you would know your emergency pump was charged and ready. Now I see. It has a screw-on chuck with the hose in line with the tire valve. Would it even fit your rear wheel? The one I chose as an example has an L-shape chuck that clamps with a lever.

You make a good point, but I keep the rechargeable tucked away and waterproofed in a zippered waterproof bag (along with spare bungies and Ziploc bags for mail) so access isn't quick and easy.  I pulled it out every 2-3 months to check the charge, but after it survived the winter very well I don't do it as frequently anymore and always have a little manual pump if worse comes to worst.   It does fit my rear wheel, but it's a bit of a hassle, as was the floor pump.  Fortunately, it's an occasional-need thing and out in the wild I've never needed a pump other than to help others with flats.

My digital 12-volt DC pump is a hassle to unpack and repack because the electric cord is maybe 18 feet and the hose maybe 2 feet. It came with a screw-on chuck. Even on rims where it would fit, it was a problem because air escaped as I unscrewed it. I'd finish pumping and with the pump motor off get an accurate reading. There would be hissing as I unscrewed it. I didn't know how much air I was losing. I'd check with an accurate gauge and get a different reading every time.

I bought these:
https://amzn.to/3pXMVgN

They fit anywhere with no screwing around and come off so fast that instead of a hiss I hear a little pop.

They came with worm clamps, which are no doubt fine for attaching night crawlers humanely to fish hooks, but there was no way to clamp a chuck without having the screw in the way. I used blind cord with a double constrictor knot and a little cement to be sure it didn't work loose. The second chuck in the pack fixed an old 120 VAC pump. I clamped it with a zip tie, pried tight with pliers and a flat-blade screwdriver.