Pump heads for floor pumps: Five different types explained plus spare parts check

There are major differences in function and design between the pump heads of the various manufacturers. A basic distinction is made between a screw-in head and a plug-in head, with the latter dominating and the screw-in version being very rarely used. The pump heads of all common floor pumps fit both Sclaverand and Schrader valves. The former, also known as Presta, is fitted to almost all types of bikes these days, whether road bikes and gravel bikes or mountain bikes and pedelecs. Schrader (car valve) is practical for checking the tyre pressure on motorbikes or cars at home.

Design and function of a pump head

A lever is used to clamp the plug-in pump heads, which can be used to open and close the rubber seal. Depending on whether the pump head is equipped with one or two openings for the two valve types, it is either tilted or swivelled. Both variants have their specific characteristics: They are easy to operate, but with the tilting lever it is easy to get your fingers caught like in a mousetrap and with the swivelling version it can get a bit tight between the spokes of the wheel. The best and most secure seal is the screw head. Tip: Always check that the valve core is firmly seated before fitting, as it can come loose when unscrewing and the air escapes into the atmosphere with a hiss.

For our big floor pump test in TOUR 2-2023, we researched which and how many bicycle floor pump spare parts the manufacturers have in their spare parts warehouses for all test candidates. The good news is that almost all manufacturers offer the heavily used pump head as an individual part. Some manufacturers also offer individual parts such as hoses or rubber seals.

Bicycle floor pump: These manufacturers offer spare parts

• Crankbrothers Sapphire: Pump head with hose is available from specialist dealers
• NGSports Cassea: Pump head available from specialist dealers
• Lezyne Macro Floor Drive ABS: Spare parts can be ordered from online and specialised dealers
• Pedros Domestic: Spare parts can be ordered from online and specialist dealers
• Pro Competition: Spare parts can be ordered online via Paul Lange and specialist dealers
• Rose Druckmacher BL: No spare parts are available for this pump model
• SKS Airmotion 12.0: Spare parts are available from specialised dealers or large online retailers
• Specialised Air Tool Sport: Pump head and tube in the Specialised online shop
• Topeak Joe Blow Sport III: Spare parts on the Topeak website and from specialist dealers
• Zefal Profile Max FP 30: Spare parts at Paul Lange and at specialised dealers

Bicycle floor pump test: The pump heads of the ten participants at a glance