At Interbike this year there were literally hundreds of electronic products on display, in virtually every category imaginable. Companies showed off electric bicycles, jerseys, and socks with integrated LEDs, electronic suspension controls, GPS units, and digital tire pressure gauges. Fumpa Pump found yet another category to add to the list of electric devices for bikes: an electric pump.
The company offers two electric pump models, the Fumpa and miniFumpa, though the larger Fumpa is really the only one that mountain bikers might consider using. The Fumpa features a lithium ion, rechargeable battery, and can pump up a road bike tire to 100psi in roughly 20-25 seconds. A single charge provides enough juice to inflate several road tires, though large-volume mountain bike tires are a different story. The folks I spoke with at Interbike didn’t provide a lot of guidance in terms of how many MTB tires the pump can inflate per charge, and they didn’t recommend the Fumpa at all for ultra-high volume tires, like those used on fat bikes.
That being said, the company says bikepackers are starting to experiment with the Fumpa for long distance rides on (relatively) skinny MTB tires. Compared to traditional inflation products, the Fumpa clearly offers both advantages and disadvantages.
CO2 Cartridges
- Like CO2 cartridges, the Fumpa pump offers a limited number of inflations.
- Fumpa weighs significantly more than a couple C02 cartridges and a cracker.
- CO2 cartridges produce waste after use; the Fumpa is rechargeable. CO2 cartridges cost $3-5 each, while charging the Fumpa costs pennies.
- Some users (myself included) fumble with CO2 cartridges on the trail, leading to malfunctions and wasted product. The Fumpa pump is simple to operate and isn’t easily “wasted.”
- CO2 cartridge systems are typically much more compact than the Fumpa.
Mini Pumps
- The Fumpa is faster and requires less effort to pump up a tire than a mini pump.
- A mini pump can be used to inflate an infinite number of tires. The Fumpa only offers a couple to a few inflations before it needs to be recharged.
- Traditional mini pumps weigh significantly less than the 380g Fumpa. For example, the Topeak Mini Morph weighs just 154g.
- The Fumpa is a fairly compact rectangular shape, while mini pumps are long and skinny. So some may find a Fumpa is easier to pack in, say, a fanny pack than a mini pump, while a mini pump might work better in a tall, flat hydration pack.
Compared to both CO2 and traditional hand pumps, the Fumpa is loud, which could turn some buyers off (see video below). The unit does come with a built-in digital pressure gauge, though these are becoming more common on mini pumps these days.
Finally, there is the matter of price: the Fumpa currently retails for $179, which is easily three times the cost of the most expensive mini pumps on the market, and enough to buy many years’ supply of CO2 cartridges.
The Fumpa pump is available for purchase directly online at fumpapumps.com.
