Bike floor pumps are one of the easiest and quickest ways to inflate your bike tires. Compared to a hand pump, a floor pump has a much larger air chamber which means a higher volume of air is added to the tube/tire every stroke of the pump. The only way to inflate a tire faster than with a floor pump is with an air compressor. Air compressors are quite expensive though, so most people don’t own them. If you are looking for an easy and practical way to inflate your bike tire, then a standard floor pump is perfect for you because they are simplistic and have a sturdy base which allows you to brace the pump against the ground while you use it.

Most modern bike pumps are designed to work with presta or Schrader valves with some pump heads automatically working with both, while others feature an internal flip chip that must be reversed to go from one standard to the other. A Schrader valve is the “traditional” type of valve which is commonly found of inexpensive modern bikes, older bikes, and car tires too. A presta valve is a new type of valve which is typically found on modern road bikes and mountain bikes. Most tubeless setups also use a presta style valve.

It’s common for a floor pump to have a pressure gauge on the main body of the pump that displays PSI (pounds per square inch) and barometric pressure. A pressure gauge notifies you how much tire pressure is in your tire. Mountain bikes and hybrid bikes typically run lower air pressure, while road bikes tend to run very high air pressure. Lower pressures give your tires better traction when riding off-road and higher pressures typically give you better rolling speed when riding on the road.

With a bike floor pump, it is incredibly easy to inflate a bicycle tire. Most bicycle floor pumps go up to at least 120 PSI, while some higher quality tire pumps will go upwards of 160 PSI. The easy to read gauge means you’ll be able to dial in the pressure more accurately than using a hand pump or a CO2 inflator.

If you have any questions about bike floor pumps, hop on a call or chat with one of our expert Gear Advisors today at 888-880-3811. They are always happy to help you with any questions you may have. Keep Pedaling!