This is a review of a portable bicycle air pump which was gifted to me by a friend.

After I decided to commute using a bicycle, I bought an ordinary Indian bicycle and an air hand pump. While I was able to fill air in my bicycle tires using this pump, I had to fiddle every time with the pump valve because the air was escaping through the sides, a consequence of which, I had to exert more force to pump in air. It didn’t help that the pump was rather bulky and heavy which made it impractical to carry around with you while on the move.

So I was always on the look out for a portable bicycle air pump which was easy to use. Recently, one of my friends living abroad gifted me  a very cute portable air pump which is to be operated using the foot.  The foot bicycle air pump is made of a combination of ABS resin, Nylon resin, Copper and Iron. And the pump is so small that it literally fits into the palm of your hand. It costs 20 UAE Dirhams. This compact foot pump comes with a connector for bicycles, connector for ball and a connector for air cushion. This is a Taiwan product and the quality shows through. I am not sure about the manufacturer though.

This bicycle air pump can be fitted with different adapters (as mentioned above),  which allows you to fill air in bicycle tires, motor bike tires, balls, and many other inflatables. Unfortunately, the Indian roadster bicycle I own do not have the Schrader or Presta valve so common in most foreign bicycles. Rather, my bicycle tube is fitted with a Woods/Dunlop valve common to cycles in India. And this pump did not come with a Woods/Dunlop adapter. So I had to hunt for a suitable adapter to fit the pump valve so that I can use it to fill air in my bicycle.

Ironically, none of the bicycle shops I visited had a Woods/Dunlop valve adapter. Then a person directed me to a shop which was exclusively selling bicycle parts. There, I was able to get the suitable adapter for INR 4.

Lesson learnt : For bicycle spares, do not approach shops selling bicycles. In all probability, they will not have the required component in stock. Rather, you should visit shops which are exclusively into selling bicycle spares.

The following are a few pictures of the bicycle pump and the Woods/Dunlop adapter I bought.

Portable bicycle pump

Woods/Dunlop valve adapter as seen attached to the bicycle pump tube.

The bicycle pump is so small as to fit in the palm of your hand.

Woods/Dunlop valve adapter

The bicycle air pump is a joy to use. It has an analog meter attached to it which is rated upto 100PSI. My bicycle tire is to be inflated to only 50PSI so this pump will get the job done. What is amazing is the pumping of air is very efficient and takes very little effort. The air pump is so compact and light weight that you can literally carry it around while on the move.

I found the spring attached to the pumping mechanism a bit flimsy. Also you have to pump more number of times than you would owing to its small size. And on hindsight, I feel the manufacturers should have provided a lengthier tube. But that apart, this portable air pump could save you some grief if and when you are on the road and your tyre has a puncture with no repair shops in sight.

This is a nice product though not the best one in the market. The cute design and tiny size of this portable bicycle air pump has potential to be a winner among bicycle riders.