A floor pump is a mandatory purchase. Ideally, that floor pump will work for not only standard road and mountain tires (predominantly with Presta valves), but also for kids bikes or bike trailers with smaller wheels. Lezyne’s entry into the affordable pump market is the Sport Floor Drive pump and it packs a solid value.
Lezyne Sport Floor Drive Pump Features:
- Steel barrel and piston with tough composite matrix base
- Large 2.5 inch gauge
- 48-inch, high-strength hose with composite matrix couplers
- Inflates to 220 psi max (not sure what for)
- Durable, painted finish with varnished wood handle.
- ABS1 PRO nozzle (tested) or Dual Valve equipped options
- MSRP: $49.99
Pump ‘em all
Upon arrival, the bright yellow cylinder of the Lezyne Sport Floor Drive pump made a statement, as did the round wooden handle. That wooden handle gives a nod to some of the classiest pumps on the market and isn’t so common on pumps at this price point. Good looks aside, it was time to put this one to good use.
There’s just no way to talk about this pump without mentioning the large, easy-to-read pressure gauge. With good increments and clear markings, setting up the proper pressure is easy to do. Upgraded models have an even larger pressure gauge. What’s not so easy (at least for sore muscles) is the quantity of pumps necessary to inflate a set of tires. It does require more strokes than my budget (and trusty) Performance Pro HP floor pump.
The hose on the Lezyne Sport measures 48 inches, thus allowing you to reach valves on bikes aboard hitch racks like the Kuat Transport 3. You’ll need to make sure your valves are between 3 and 9 o’clock, so keep that in mind, but it has more-than-enough length, in my opinion.
Screw-on nozzles are mostly good with only one small drawback. I really love how well they screw onto both Presta and Shraeder valves. It takes a simple flip of the reversible end valve to cover both valve types. Additionally, since the nozzle is set at a 90-degree angle, it can fit into tight spaces quite well. I’ve been able to pump up 12” bike trailer tires in a jiffy with the Sport pump — which isn’t possible with typical flip-lock designs.
I honestly prefer dedicated Presta/Schraeder nozzles like this pump uses. 90% of the time, I’m using Presta valves, so I like the dedicated chuck. When a pump has a magic nozzle that auto-adjusts, it never feels as secure as a dedicated one. As mentioned, changing it from one to the other is a breeze and I only have to do it for kids bikes.
The nozzle can take some getting used-to in order to consistently mount to the valve. Presta valve cores will vary slightly, so that could be the cause, but I can’t always get it to thread on as consistently as I’d like. I’d say every 3rd or 4th time requires a touch of finessing to get it screwed on. I’m not a NASCAR pit crew, so it’s really not an issue.
I was excited to have the pressure release valve on the ABS1 PRO nozzle as I’ve found that to be extremely helpful when dialing in pressures just right. As I started using it, I noticed that with Presta valves, it merely releases the air in the hose. Hmmm. With Schraeder valves, however, it works as intended by releasing a touch of air with each push. So, that was a bummer. I tried it with multiple Presta valves and the results were the same.
Something else that I’ll mention. Yes, this features a beautiful hardwood handle, but it’s not super-ergonomic and the cylinder does have a harsh bottom-out to it with every full stroke. Since the handle has no forgiveness, it can be jarring. As far as filling tires, each full stroke with 25 or 28mm tires results in a 2 psi. increase, which means a lot of strokes to fill a typical road tire. Again, this depends on tire volume/size, but that’s my experience compared to other budget pumps in the stable.
The Good
- Affordable
- Great design and looks
- Sturdy polycarbonate base
- Large pressure indicator
- Angled nozzle can reach even in tight spaces
- Easy to swap from Presta to Schraeder
- Built-in valve core remover
- Replaceable components
- Integrated valve wrench is a nice touch
The Bad
- Threading the nozzle on/off doesn’t play well with tubeless valves (it tends to unscrew them
- Valve core remover isn’t deep enough to remove some cores
- Harsh bottom-out with every stroke
- No tire pressure release for Presta valves
- Smaller volume cylinder means more strokes
The Bottom Line: Lezyne Sport Floor Drive
Floor pumps are mandatory for any serious cyclist and the Lezyne Sport Floor Drive is easy on the wallet and does the job just fine. Are there nicer pumps, for sure, but this one is $49 and performs as well as I’d expect at the price.
Buy Now: Available at JensonUSA
2 Comments
I appreciate you wrote this review a while ago, but thought you might like to know that the pressure relief button has a different function when on Presta valves.
The idea is that by releasing the pressure in the hose side of the valve it prevents the pump removing the valve core which was an issue for some people with the previous versions of these pumps.
Good point. That makes sense, but I don’t think I’ve ever unscrewed a removable tubeless valve before. That said, it does make sense and I see its purpose now.