…I really like electronic gadgets. Especially simple specialized ones – and here in the 21st century they show up in the damndest places, like…
…bicycle tire pumps. Seriously? Is this necessary? I’m reminded of a line from an Asimov story, paraphrased: “Robots everywhere! If somebody needs a doorstop, they get a robot with a big foot.” And yet this one solved a knotty problem for me. With the ebike’s big wheels and fat tires, a little portable handpump just didn’t get it. Seriously, until this year the only way I could inflate a new tube was with the electric pump I keep in the back of the Jeep. Which is no help for bike-only emergency inflation at the side of a remote dirt road. But here’s a fairly powerful handheld electric pump with serious battery power that fits neatly in the bike’s cargo bag. I began to worry that it was quietly discharging back there in the dark and wouldn’t be ready for actual use, so I dragged it out after this morning’s ride. Works great! The designers maybe surrendered a bit more than I’d have liked to the temptation of adding features/complications unneeded for such a simple function, but it will nicely air up a tire without a lot of fuss.
Yeah, I went to town this morning before it got too hot and/or windy…
…to pick up a package Big Brother sent me. Stopped at the convenience store on my way out to have a drink and a snack, and saw the swallows cavorting around the parking lot with every sign of merriment…
They nest under the front eave of the store every year, and right now the chicks are big enough to keep their parents very busy indeed. Not that they really seem to mind.
how about some data on it
–brand/model/etc
–Amazon link
–??
thanks
https://www.amazon.com/Electric-Shut-Off-Presta-Schrader-Rechargeable/dp/B088KK8GD4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=2B0PK1XHDDRVM&keywords=woowind%2Brechargeable%2Bbike%2Bpump&qid=1687986834&sprefix=woowind%2Caps%2C309&sr=8-1-spons&sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9hdGY&th=1
thanks !!!
I like mine, but what I did to finally give me a little peace of mind on my fat tire was to fill it full of Slime*. I no longer get continual random flat tires from the thorny plants around here. The stuff claims to be good for two years.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ENSRS0/
The inflator is only good for a couple full inflations of the 4×26 tire. On the other hand, if a person has the time, it can be recharged from the bike’s battery if you also carry a double ended USB cable.
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* They really should have called it “Slurm” (Futurama reference), it’s the same color.
Valid point. I haven’t had to repair a tire since I filled them with Slime last year. Might be coincidence.
I had a slow leak on the rear tire, and evidence of thorns (pulled two out from the outside), filled with Slime, tire started holding air and I haven’t messed with it since. I was too lazy to take apart all the crap to get the wheel off. I figure if it lasts two years I’ll just put in a new tube then and throw away the sticky mess.
Joel, the company that makes slime, recommends replacing it every 2 years. This means the residual slime inside the tire will need to be cleaned out, and that’s a nasty job. After 2 years, the longer you leave slime in a tire the more it will degrade, separate, and become less effective, this is a chore you really shouldn’t postpone.
https://slime.com/pages/what-happens-to-slime-tire-sealants-after-2-years
I didn’t know that, thanks.
Smart money says throw the tube and replace the tire and fill with NEW Slime after two years.
The Slurm stays in the tube and doesn’t touch the tire! New tube, new Slurm…but I’d wait after the two years until something started leaking again.
Unless of course you are running tubeless. Not common in bicycles. All those holes for spokes, you know.
I live in the big city, and have skinny lil tires – 700x23mm. But they NEED 100 PSI. I use a Ryobi cordless pump at home, takes about a minute to bring a new tube to pressure. Sucker looks and weighs like a drill motor, but I just don’t want to have a compressor again. I got a couple (Ryobi) cordless nail guns, and I’m not planning to repaint any classic cars, so why bother?