Black Friday may be behind us, but retailers are still ramping up their deals ahead of Cyber Monday tomorrow. Yes, it’s another day dedicated to deals. Are you entertained?!
Anyway, there are actually some useful bits on offer for us cyclists, including an array of electric bike pumps. And as winter has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere, they’re a far more appealing option compared to hand pumps when you’ve got cold hands and don’t want to be fiddling around with your gloves whilst your ride companions wait.
And in the UK, the popular Muc-Off AirMach Pro is 35% off on Merlin Cycles, bringing it down to £64.99. Or if you want to get in on the same deals as our Atlantic cousins, the Cycplus Tiny pump is down to £76.49.
Electric bike pumps are a relatively new product, but they’ve quickly become popular, with some becoming staples in club riders’ saddle bags or jersey pockets. The benefits are numerous; they take up less room than a traditional hand pump and require far less effort to use, which is great in cold weather when your hands aren’t really working.
They’re also much more accurate at achieving the correct pressure for your tyres, although admittedly, some last longer than others and obviously, once the battery is flat they are nothing but extra weight in your bag.
But, there are plenty of decent options around – we’ve included some in our best bike pumps guide if you want to see what else is in the market.
In the US, Cycplus is one of the bigger names, and the AS2 is the model that made it onto our best pumps list. Small but mighty, the AS2 Tiny pump charges in 20 minutes, and can pump tyres up to a maximum of 100PSI.
If you don’t mind spending a little bit more, however, the AS2 Pro can pump tyres up to 120PSI, and it only takes 120 seconds to reach that pressure on a 25c road tyre. Which means that inflating bigger tyres to lower pressures – more in line with what we all use now- it should be a breeze.
In the UK, Cycplus is still popular, and among the cheaper and more reputable options you can buy. Then there are the options from Muc-Off and Topeak, arguably more recognisable brand names, but the products all share the same concept. And, on Black Friday, all cost under £100.
US deals UK dealsWhy I’d buy an electric bike pump this Black Friday weekend
Electric bike pumps are here to stay, whether you’re a convert or not. But this Black Friday weekend, I’d suggest now is the time to try one out if you were on the fence. Sure, they’re a bit more expensive than a hand pump (unless you’re buying the finest Italian-crafted product, of course), but they also offer benefits over the old manual pumps.
Of course, if you’re not sold, there are plenty of old school pumps that don’t need charging in our guide to the best bike pumps.
For example, imagine you’re on a 100-mile ride. It’s mile 76, and you’re tired. You’ve misjudged the terrain and gone out way too hard. The café isn’t for another 5 miles, and you suddenly hear the dreaded hiss. Your tyre is flat. Now you could struggle with your tyre, swap or patch your tube if you’re running them, and then try your best to get enough air back in the tyre so it passes the finger squeeze test.
If you’re doing it by hand, you’re unlikely to know what pressure you’re pumping to, and it takes a lot of effort to get back riding. If you use an electric pump, sure you still need to change your tube and get your tyre back on. But then the hard part is over, and you can simply attach the pump to the valve and watch the tyre inflate without any extra effort. Magical.
Cycplus has a good range of pumps for different types of riding, and different battery sizes depending on how many punctures you plan on getting in a ride. Then there are brands like Muc-Off and Topeak, who are typically a little more expensive, but if brand name is important, it might be worth paying a premium for.
(Image credit: Future)
Our other Black Friday hubs
All deals
🚴 Black Friday bike deals: Our overarching hub, with deals on everything from bikes to clothing, tech and more
⚡️ Amazon Black Friday: Deals specifically for cyclists, with Amazon’s next-day delivery
Brand-specific Black Friday roundups
🚲 Black Friday Trek bikes: Deals on all of Trek’s bikes, clothing, helmets, shoes, accessories and more, found at Trek and beyond
🚲 Black Friday Canyon bikes: Our pick of the top deals on Canyon’s bikes, sold direct to consumer from Canyon’s website
🚲 Black Friday Specialized: Our pick of the best deals on Specialized’s bikes, including Tarmac and Aethos, plus shoes, helmets, kit, tyres and so on, from Specialized’s own website and beyond.
👕 Black Friday Castelli: A roundup of our favourite Castelli kit deals, found across the various Black Friday sales.
👕 Black Friday Rapha: With 25% off sitewide, we’ve rounded up our favourite items from the British brand.
💾 Black Friday Garmin: A live, ever-changing roundup of our favourite deals on Garmin’s bike computers, smartwatches, heart rate monitors and more, from Garmin’s own site and beyond.
💾 Black Friday Wahoo: A roundup of our favourite deals on Wahoo tech, such as smart trainers and bike computers, from Wahoo’s own website and beyond.
Category-specific Black Friday hubs
💻 Black Friday indoor bike trainers: A collection of deals related to cycling indoors, with bike trainers, software, fans, and perhaps even the odd laptop or TV.
👟 Black Friday cycling shoes: A roundup of cycling shoe deals from around the world, with everything from budget options to high-end carbon race shoes.
👕 Black Friday cycling clothing: A handpicked roundup of deals on cycling apparel, with everything from socks to speedsuits.
🚸 Black Friday kids’ bikes: Our pick of the best deals on kids bikes from the US and UK, with options for all ages.
