Will Portable Electronic Pumps Change How We Repair Tires?

Are pumps like these outdated now?

Times change. The way we used to do things changes with the times. This is something I have come to know over the course of my lifetime. Sometimes this is good, sometimes not so much.

I was reminded of this when I was considering my presentation I will be making to some hopeful RAGBRAI riders coming up soon. I am to give a talk on flat repair, which in my opinion is the 'Number One' topic that most average cyclists need to know about and is the most helpful to understand for any cyclist. 

You know, as I was thinking about a "flat repair kit", it dawned on me that, as with many things, devices have crept in and started taking over what was once a manual labor job. I am speaking of the new onset of digital read-out, mini-sized electronic air compressors/pumps. 

No longer do you have to risk breaking off your Presta valve stem as you furiously pump away with a mini-pump until your sweaty face makes it appear as though you might be doing something illicit on the side of the roadway. No longer do you have to risk not getting it right with a fussy CO2 cart. (or deal with empty CO2 canisters) Nope! Now you can whip out your electronic pump, set it to your desired pressure, hit "go", and sit back and relax for maybe 90 seconds as the device does all the dirty work for you.

Are these any good? I'll be finding out soon enough.(Image courtesy of Amazon)

If you've not seen these new mini-inflators that have multiple functions, hit Amazon and be amazed. We did a review on one such device on Riding Gravel once. So, I've been aware of such devices for a while, but to see how far these have come in terms of miniaturization and features is pretty amazing. And you can score one for under $100.00. Well under. 

When a decent mini-pump goes for about the same price as these new-fangled devices, it's time to reconsider the landscape of flat repair equipment choices. Especially so when the device can not only read current air pressure, but be set to a desired pressure and stop at that setting. Add in the ability to act as a recharging brick, a light, and a car tire inflator, well, it's hard to say that a standard mini-pump is a smart choice anymore. That is "if the device works as advertised", and of course, it has to be reasonably lightweight and compact enough to consider carrying it around. 

Stay tuned because next week I'm going to start to investigate one such device.