Electric Pumps: Worth the upgrade?
- Raghu Vishal
- May 24
- 4 min read
With the advent of electric pumps for bicycles, it has become difficult to ignore the plethora of brands offering varying models with different features at tiered price points. Although a particular model of the Mi electric pump has been in use by many Randonneurs in India for a few years now, I always found it far too heavy and bulky to be carried on a brevet. I preferred my trusty CO2 valve with 2-3 cannisters to get me through any dicey situation without the physical effort required of a mini-pump. Of course I also carry a spare mini-pump in the extreme case I run out of CO2 cans. But with more established cycling brands adopting and launching e-pumps, I finally decided to try one out for myself. I bought the Anoutway AT1 Pro Mini which retails for ₹5,900.00 on most popular online bike stores in India and can be sourced from your local bike shop too. It's always good to support your local bike shop!
The pump includes a few accessories - hose attachment, Presta chuck (standard threading is for a Schrader valve), USB-C cable, manual (seriously, who among us can read that tiny font?) and a few other bits and bobs. Since my current wheels are set-up with TPU tubes having Presta valves, I need to use this pump with the hose and Presta chuck. The hose keeps the heat of the compressor from damaging the plastic valve stem on my TPU tube.
In my brief research online and from what was available in India, I decided to check out this specific make & model because it has a digital display and is programmable to my desired pressure set-point and was comparitively cheaper than other models with similar features like those offered by CycPlus. There are many models available that come with bigger batteries but I wanted one that was small, light and comfortable to use with one hand.
The manufacturer lists the pump to be able to pump up a 700 X 25c tyre 4 times at 80 psi which I found to be an accurate estimate. I was easily able to pump up my 25c tyres 3 times at 100 psi (the pump can go up to a max setting of 120 psi). Each time I pumped up my tyre with the electric pump, I cross-checked with my SKS digital pressure gauge to verify the pressure was 100 psi and found it to be accurate.
There's a battery life indicator (3 bars) on the tiny display which I appreciated. Recharging the pump after fully exhausting its battery barely took about 25 minutes. Thank goodness for USB-C fast charging! The pump has an auto-shutdown set to 30 seconds idle time which also helps conserve battery life. My one grievance for this specific model was that they provided a very crappy zip lock bag to keep the pump safe from rain or sweat as none of these electric pumps are waterproof. Other manufacturers provide a nice silicone cover to water-proof the pump. The other downside is that this pump is very loud and noisy but all electric pumps will be equally loud. Considering that it barely takes a few seconds to pump up the tyre, its a small discomfort to bear.
Why the sudden popularity?
With drone technology advancing very quickly in the last 5 years, we now have DC motors that are very compact, energy efficient and powerful enough to drive a small air compressor. Lithium battery tech has also improved for the similar needs of efficiency and compact size. These factors have now advanced this product line to something truly worthy of being a "must-have" in your saddle bag. This is now good enough to even replace your floor pump making it an awesome tool particularly for cyclists who travel to other cities for a race or BRM.
Is it worth the upgrade?
A budget floor pump can cost about ₹2,000 to ₹3,000 while a mini/hand-pump can cost up to the same or even more. A CO2 valve typically costs ₹1,000 but the CO2 cans cost ₹200-a-pop. Considering that an electric pump costing between ₹5,000 to ₹7,000 can now replace all other pumps I own, this is certainly a worthy upgrade. If you ride with a tubeless set-up and are sick of CO2 cans ruining your sealant, then the electric pump is your best solution for mid-ride top-up as this pump won't damage the sealant in your tubeless tyre.
What should you look for when buying your first electric pump?
Make sure you pick a model that is programmable with a display. A lot of the "mini" or "micro" models won't have a display and you cannot set the specific pressure you desire. Your tyre pressure will govern whether you have a fast yet comfortable ride or be suseptible to punctures. The bigger models may offer a bigger battery and more tyre-refills as a result but unless you have a history of suffering more than 3-4 punctures in a single ride, I suggest you opt for a compact model with a digital display gauge. Even if you run out of power on the pump, it barely takes a few minutes to recharge it with a wall plug or a battery bank to the extent needed to pump up one more tyre.
Use an online tyre pressure calculator like the ones offered by Silca and Vittoria to find your optimum number. You may still need to experiment a bit with higher or lower pressure to improve your ride comfort without compromising significantly on performance.
Silca's calculator: https://silca.cc/en-in/pages/pro-tire-pressure-calculator
Vittoria's calculator: https://int.vittoria.com/pages/tire-pressure
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