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Lezyne Tech Drive HP pump

8
£24.99

VERDICT:

8
10
A beautifully-engineered and highly-efficient mini-pump, with some clever features and a fair price tag
Weight: 
103g
Contact: 
www.upgradebikes.co.uk

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Lezyne is a US company producing a wide range of tools, lights and other bike accessories, including this very nice Tech Drive HP pump. The HP stands for 'High Pressure' and the Tech Drive does exactly that: it gets your tyres up to high pressure, in an impressively short time for a mini-pump.

This pump is aimed at the road market (as opposed to the HV or high volume version for off-roaders) and, in looks, it's pretty much a conventional pump, with a shaft about 23mm in diameter and a handle about 30mm. Rather than a press-on fit, it has a separate hose to screw onto your valve and then onto the pump. When not in use, this hose is stored inside the shaft of the pump, where it's also screwed in for a 100% secure fit - a very neat touch. There are rubber caps at each end of the pump to protect the internal threads from road dirt and water.

The hose is double ended, and fits schrader or presta valves. It has a little button to press to let the pressure out of the pump when you've got your tyres up to the required psi. The Lezyne website calls this 'ABS' (Air Bleed System) and reckon using it means less chance of damage to your internal valve core when removing the hoses. To be honest, valve damage from retained pressure is not a problem I've encountered, but this feature can't harm and it adds nothing in terms of weight.

The pump's barrel, shaft and handle are made from aluminium, as are the ends of the hose, while the other bits are rubber or plastic (or 'composite matrix' as Leyzene likes to call it). Overall, the whole package feels sturdy and well-made.

To test the Tech Drive's efficiency, I counted 100 thrusts to get a 700x23 tyre up to 70psi. To get it to 100psi took a total of 150 thrusts, and I have to admit it was hard going at the end - although that's an issue with any mini-pump of this sort.

The Tech Drive HP comes in two varieties: small (with a given length of 170mm) and medium (216mm). We're testing the medium here, and it's actually 240mm long when you take into account the rubber caps at each end.

As with most mini pumps, the Tech Drive comes with a clip - also made from good old 'composite matrix' - that bolts on to your bike under a bottle cage. This grips the pump pretty firmly, and is designed to hold the handle of the pump in place, as well as the barrel. There's also an optional little strap, so you know this pump won't fall off when you cross a cattle-grid or just ride on bad roads.

The advertised weight of 103g is spot on, although you need to take account of the clip and strap which brings it up to 115g on the road.cc scales. Not the lightest pump out there, but still pretty good.

The recommended retail price is a penny shy of £25. Not cheap, when there are mini-pumps out there for about a fiver. But not expensive either when you see carbon models for 70 quid or more. So overall, it's a very fair price for the quality.

Verdict

A beautifully-engineered and highly-efficient mini-pump, with some clever features and a fair price tag.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Lezyne Tech Drive HP pump

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

This pump is aimed at road cyclists with high pressure tyres. The Lezyne website says the Tech Drive is a: "CNC-machined aluminum HP hand pump. The handle, barrel, and shaft are made of aluminum while the end caps are made from Composite Matrix. The HP design allows this pump to reach riding pressure with 30% fewer strokes compared to conventional pumps. The overlapping handle and barrel are integrated into a compact design. Equipped with ABS Flex Hose and a Composite Matrix frame pump mount."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

The Lezyne website goes on to highlight key features of the pump, including:

"ABS EQUIPPED - Air Bleed System (ABS). When using Presta valves, pressing the ABS button releases air back pressure in the pump hose making it easy to remove the Flex Hose or Flip-Thread Chuck from the valve. ABS eliminates the challenge of unthreading removable Presta valve cores after inflation. When using Schrader valves, press the ABS button to adjust tire pressure.

COMPOSITE MATRIX - Composite Matrix is a high-strength fiber reinforced material used in place of aluminum to make cost effective pump components."

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Using the rather basic 'hand-grip' test, the aluminium shaft feels sturdy, while the other parts, such as hose threads, are all well-made and smooth to fit.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

For a minipump, the performance is impressive: the action is smooth and it's quick to get tyres up to pressure.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

This is not a workshop tool that you can use every day; it's a pump to carry with you to use in case of road-side emergency. On that basis, if you look after this pump, it'll last for years.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

Not a featherweight, but 103g is fair for a pump that's this well-built and gets your tyres up to pressure in a quick time.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

At just under £25 this pump is not cheap, but it's a very fair price for the quality.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Well-made. Quick to inflate tyres (for a mini-pump). Little touches like the rubber caps and screw-in hose when not in use.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

A very nice piece of kit. Not quite getting a score of 9 (the weight and price are fair but not astounding) but it was close. If we were allowed to score 8.5 this pump would get it.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 50  Height: 5ft 10 / 178cm  Weight: 11 stone / 70kg

I usually ride: an old Marin Alp   My best bike is: an old Giant Cadex

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: touring, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,

 

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1 comments

Avatar
Dr_Lex | 12 years ago
0 likes

For anyone considering this, look also at the similar-priced & -sized Topeak Race Rocket. I find it awkward using pumps that connect directly to the valve, so always prefer "hosed" ones.

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