What is a great pressure gauge that is not stupid money? It needs to be able to work with a disc.
https://www.amazon.com/...tGauge/dp/B0051LQ0X4
You don’t have to worry about the fact that it’s cheap. Digital pressure gauges… even the cheap ones… are usually pretty accurate.
I’ve been happy with the SKS. https://www.amazon.com/Airchecker-Digital-Presta-Schrader-Pressure/dp/B001OMQK6Q/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1514854064&sr=1-2&keywords=sks+gauge
At least at low, cyclocross (20-30psi) pressures, I’ve found the SKS gauges to vary by a few psi between units.
I’ve also noticed that they function differently. e.g. some will retain the pressure reading after removing from the valve stem while others will not.
The SKS will fit better in the small space/cutout of a disc wheel than the Topeak. I have both and prefer the Topeak for high pressure (leaks less and works better with a variety of valves) than the SKS, but like the 0.5 psi increments of the SKS for cyclocross and mt biking. And now I have a 3rd gauge (Meiser) because the SKS doesn’t like the freezing temps or the valves on my fat bike. The SKS works well with high pressures and most valves. The gasket can wear over time (easy to replace and SKS will mail you new gaskets) but sometimes it doesn’t play well with skinny valves like American Class tubeless valves and the occasional inner tube.
I’ve found the digital gauges to be inconsistent. If you want a digital gauge, the Topeak is significantly better as I’ve found the SKS has a terrible seal design.
To be honest, I’ve had much better luck with these:
https://www.amazon.com/Accu-Gage-Bicycle-Gauge-Presta-Valve/dp/B0011W6M4Y/ref=sr_1_1?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1514932036&sr=1-1&keywords=accugage+presta
Super cheap, foolproof usage, easy to read, accurate and very consistent.
Thanks for all of the input. This seems to be the summary…
Topeak good all around digital and accurate, but tight for a disc wheel: https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-60100005-D2-SmartGauge/dp/B0051LQ0X4SKS good for disc spaces, but maybe dodgy seal and less accurage: https://www.amazon.com/Airchecker-Digital-Presta-Schrader-Pressure/dp/B001OMQK6Q/Accu-Gage analog good all around: https://www.amazon.com/Accu-Gage-Bicycle-Gauge-Presta-Valve/dp/B0011W6M4Y
Now on to decide. I have always loved Accu-Gage gauges for my cars, but I have never used one for a bike.
I have the Topeka and am not terribly impressed, at least for cross. There is just too much air leakage as you take the gauge off. I lose a good bit of pressure each time. I don’t typically have a problem with most gauges doing that. On a road bike, I don’t care so much about 1-1.5 pounds, but’s it a world of difference at cross pressures.
I have the Topeka and am not terribly impressed, at least for cross.What do you use?
These are what I’ve used for years, I’ve had the same issue with Topeak and other digital gauges. But I really only use a standalone gauge when I’m traveling light. If I’m at a 'cross race or a TT I just bring a pump with an accurate gauge (Lezyne digital for me). As long as I’m already bringing multiple bikes/wheels, a pump isn’t that inconvenient for me.
Still using the Topeak but I really want to tear it apart and put a better presta fitting on it. There is just not a good way to get it off without losing a pound or so of pressure.
I am probably going to convert by floor pump to digital (I have been using someone else’s digital Giant in the tent and really like it).
Want I really want is the Kappius
https://www.kappiuscomponents.com/products/digital-pressure-gauge?variant=1011787505
at a better price.
or
Even better, for cross, MTB, and morning Tri race bag, a Fumpa pump
https://www.fumpapumps.com/
The Fumpa would bring me great joy—if only my wife would read this page and take a hint for next Christmas
I have the Topeka and am not terribly impressed, at least for cross. There is just too much air leakage as you take the gauge off. I lose a good bit of pressure each time. I don’t typically have a problem with most gauges doing that. On a road bike, I don’t care so much about 1-1.5 pounds, but’s it a world of difference at cross pressures.
Yowzers. The one that inspired me to buy my own and the one I have owned a couple years have been perfect with no leakage on every presta valve I have tried. Maybe it’s worth calling Topeak? That’s a bummer. That Topeak would be a no-brainer for cross if it could display 0.5 psi increments.
Those Fumpas look pretty dang cool, but I could never justify one when I already have a Ryobi inflator and several gauges. Has anybody here tried the Fumpa and compared the accuracy to a handheld gauge?
Decently positive impressions here:
https://cyclingtips.com/news/fumpa-hand-held-compressor-pump/
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Thanks
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That looks awesome.
The Kappius also looks great.
Still waiting for Silca to enter this space… likely at $399 for the base model :-p
Has anybody here tried the Fumpa and compared the accuracy to a handheld gauge?
No fractional values displayed, and when I talked to them at Ibike, the accuracy claims they were making were… unlikely. Was enough to walk me from their booth at Interbike, and I was pretty much ready to buy 6 of them when I started talking to them.
Thanks for the feedback. Accurate at 50 psi (per the Cyclingtips link) isn’t very hard to achieve either. My floor pump that isn’t even within 10psi (of my handheld gauges) at pressures below low 30’s is still fairly close at 50 and really close at 100. No half psi on the display also bites.
Yeah, it’s not terribly difficult to produce a product that is accurate and precise within a given range of inflation values, if accuracy and precision is a goal. What is immensely difficult (going on impossible) is to be accurate and precise across a huge range of inflation values. I have separate digital gauges I assembled myself for road and cross inflation ranges for that reason.
Those guys were telling me that the product had sub 1 psi accuracy at any pressure, period. When I asked some specific technical questions about how they were doing that they weren’t very interested in answering them.
If they can actually do what they claim, and they were to put a fractional readout on there, I’d buy one in a second.