Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Lezyne Micro Floor Drive Review

Most people bring along a portable pump while riding, along with a spare tube or patch, in case they meet with a flat. But many times, the pump is unable to do a satisfactory job of pumping up the tires, especially for high pressure road bike tires. I have tried some road pumps that claim to be able to reach 160 PSI. However, the max pressure that is realistically possible is probably 80-90 PSI. To go beyond that you would probably need the arms of a bodybuilder.

Not too long ago, I tried out many Lezyne portable pumps at MyBikeShop, and one of them stood out for its excellent performance. The Lezyne Micro Floor Drive, High Pressure version was the best that I have tried thus far.


First of all, this pump looks and works like a mini floor pump. It comes equipped with a long rubber hose, which makes attaching the pump head to the valve much safer. Unlike pump heads that attach directly to the valve, this hose will prevent any stress due to pumping from breaking off the valve on the tube.

The pump also comes with a nifty little metal clip to step on while pumping, to help stabilise the pump while pumping. Although it may look flimsy, it does its job of keeping the pump upright.

Nice polished surface gives a quality feel to the pump. Pump handle may feel small in the palm, but the floor-pump-like action of the pump more than makes up for this little inconvenience.

The pump head comes as a flip-flop kind, where one side is for Schrader valves and the other end is for Presta valves. To switch valve types, just unscrew the metal head as seen above, and screw it in from the other end. Also, the pump head screws on to the valve, instead of using a locking lever to lock it on. I personally prefer this screw on type, as it reduces stress on the valve due to the strong clamping action of a pump head locking lever, and also prevents any air leakage due to poor fitting of pump head to the valve.

This particular pump comes in two versions, one with a pressure gauge and one without. I had previously bought the one without the gauge, but upgraded to this one when I came across it. The red line on the gauge will indicate the pressure, and although it may not be very accurate, it does give a good idea of the pressure. Usually, tires that are pumped up to 60 or 80 PSI can feel very similar when it is squeezed by fingers. This gauge will give a more accurate pressure reading.

The pump extends out to a pretty impressive size when fully extended, and it can be seen that it really looks like a mini Lezyne floor pump. Pumping my Kojak tire to 60 PSI is a piece of cake. Going up to 80 PSI just requires a few more strokes. Going on to 90 PSI is still achievable, albeit with more effort required. I can safely say that this pump is one of the few that can go up to 100 PSI with no problems at all, unlike small hand pumps that struggle to even reach 80 PSI. With the floor to push against, it is much easier to reach high pressures.

Weighing in at a relatively low 187g, this Lezyne pump is a pump that really does what it says, and is perfect for road tires that require high pressures. Mounting on the bike is easily and unobtrusive. As seen below, the pump comes with a little bracket that mounts under your bottle cage bolts. It also has a little velcro band to help hold the pump securely in place.

I highly recommend this pump for anyone who wants a pump that can reach high pressures easily. It comes with a pressure gauge that is rare for a portable pump, and has a screw-on pump head and hose that will prevent any broken valves from pumping. For more info, you can check out the pump at ChainReactionCycles here. There are also some local bike shops that carry the Lezyne brand, such as MBS or Gee Hin Chan.

2 comments:

  1. Very useful to know about this pump, thanks for the post, Steve

    ReplyDelete
  2. thanks for the post Steve! you just made me buy the pump..

    ReplyDelete

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