Bicycle pumps come in many shapes and sizes. Manufacturers design some of them to inflate tires quickly and efficiently, and others to be portable and convenient. Some pumps fit Shrader tire valves, some fit Presta valves, and others come with adapters to fit either. Your riding style and your budget will determine the best pump for you, and you may want more than one type.
Floor Pumps
Floor pumps allow you to inflate your tires quickly because they have large capacity tubes and plungers. They can inflate your tires to higher pressures than smaller, more portable pumps. Designed to be left at home or in the garage, a floor pump consists of an upright tube that stands on a horizontal base. You depress a plunger fitted into the tube to force air through a hose connected to your tire. While pumping, you can stabilize the pump by placing your feet on its base. High-end floor pumps may have pressure valves built into them, and hoses that can connect to either Shrader or Presta valves. Basic floor pumps start at less than $10, but these will likely not work well or last long. Most high-end floor pumps cost just less than $80 as of June 2010.
Frame Pumps
For a portable pump that can handle decent tire pressure, you can consider a frame pump. A frame pump attaches directly to the frame of your bike without you having to purchase and install extra mounting hardware. Larger than mini-pumps, frame pumps usually will not fit comfortably into standard-sized backpacks. Frame pumps have the advantage of being able to inflate tires to greater pressures than mini-pumps. This may not matter much if you have to change a flat close to home, but if you get a flat several miles away, you'll save a lot of energy on the ride back with the correct pressure in your new tire. Frame pumps range from $10 all the way to $100, though most of the high-end ones are priced around $50.
Mini-Pumps
Mini-pumps provide a compromise solution to tire problems on the road. As their name suggests, mini-pumps fit easily into most backpacks and you can even fit them directly to your bike frame using inexpensive, light-weight mounting materials. While a mini-pump serves the purpose of inflating a new tire after changing a flat on the road, you cannot use it to fill your tire completely; because of their smaller, light-weight design, mini-pumps cannot handle as much pressure as floor pumps or even the slightly larger frame pumps. Mini-pumps range from $10 to $100. The Lezyne brand makes most of the heavier duty, high-end mini-pumps.
CO2 Inflators
A CO2 inflator, another possibility for inflating tires when out riding, consists of a small canister of pressurized carbon dioxide gas attached to a head that you connect to your tire's valve. To inflate a tire, you pull the trigger and the carbon dioxide rushes into the tire. Each canister will inflate only one tire and will need to be switched out after use. CO2 inflators range from $10 to $50. The more expensive ones have manual pump mechanisms as well. The CO2 canisters are made of recyclable aluminum and cost about $1.50 to $2.50 to replace.
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