Floor pumps

Dunlop fietspomp met drukmeter

This Dunlop bike pump has a pressure gauge and is a simple model. The title gives few details, so treat it as a basic pump for home or the garage.

What you get

Dunlop bike pump
With pressure gauge

Why a floor pump?

The right tyre pressure is one of the simplest ways to ride better, and it changes because air leaks slowly through the rubber. A road bike loses noticeable pressure in a few days. So top up before every ride. With a floor pump that takes half a minute, where a mini pump costs you minutes.

The pressure range is the first question. Road tyres are usually ridden at about 5 to 8 bar, depending on width, weight and surface. A road floor pump typically goes to about 8 to 11 bar or higher. A tubeless mountain bike needs just 1 to 2 bar. There, volume matters more than pressure: a pump with a large barrel moves more air per stroke.

Then the valve. Presta is the slim valve with a little nut you unscrew, found on most road and gravel bikes. Schrader is the wider car-style valve, common on city bikes and older mountain bikes. Most floor pumps have a head that fits both, sometimes with a reversible piston or two holes. Make sure the pump suits the valves you use.

Electric pumps exist too. They inflate to a set pressure by themselves, which helps if you want a reliable pressure or pumping wears you out. They need mains power or a battery, are often loud and reach road pressures more slowly. A hand pump with a gauge is simpler and lasts for years.

How floor pumps compare

The pressure range and volume decide which bike the pump suits.

Type	Pressure range	For	Watch for
Road and gravel	Usually up to about 8 to 11 bar	Narrow tyres at high pressure	Slim barrel, many strokes for big tyres
High volume (MTB)	About 1 to 4 bar	Wide tyres, tubeless	Does not reach road pressures
With tank (tubeless booster)	Up to about 8 to 10 bar in the tank	Seating tubeless tyres	Heavier and bulkier
Electric	Usually up to about 6 to 10 bar	If pumping wears you out	Needs power or battery, slower at high pressure

Pressure ranges vary by model. Read the specifications.

Choose it if

You want an everyday pump with a gauge for your bikes at home
You mainly want to see the pressure without fuss
You pump your tyres at home, before every ride or every week.
You want to reach the right pressure quickly and accurately, with a gauge you can read.

Choose something else if

You want a pro pump with lots of options: look at the Pro version
You pump up on the road. A mini pump fits your pocket, a floor pump does not.
You have no space at home and ride little. A mini pump is enough then.

How to use a floor pump

Check the valve
On a Presta, unscrew the nut and press it briefly to free the valve. On a Schrader, this is not needed.
Fit the pump head
Push the head straight onto the valve and close the lever. A crooked head leaks air.
Pump with long, steady strokes
Hold the base down with your feet and use the full stroke. Read the gauge when the pump is at rest.
Stop at the pressure you want
Look at the maximum printed on your tyre or rim. Never go above it.
Remove the head and close the valve
Open the lever, pull the head off quickly and on a Presta screw the nut closed again. Put the cap back on.

Good to know

The title has little detail, so check the maximum pressure and the head
See whether it is a floor pump or a hand pump, as it is not stated
The gauge on a floor pump often reads off by a few tenths of a bar or more. Use it as a guide, not as a precision instrument.
The maximum pressure printed on your tyre and rim comes first. A tyre pumped above its limit can blow off the rim.
A Presta valve can bend if the head sits crooked. Always push straight on.
Now and then lubricate the piston and seal with a drop of silicone or pump oil, and keep the hose clean.

What you get

Why a floor pump?

How floor pumps compare

Choose it if

Choose something else if

How to use a floor pump

Check the valve

Fit the pump head

Pump with long, steady strokes

Stop at the pressure you want

Remove the head and close the valve

Good to know

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