I have reviewed quite a few mini pumps and every time I could hear my old bike teacher in Oregon saying "nobody makes a good mini pump".  His comment was in regards to the smaller lighter weight pumps which had just started being developed as an alternative to frame pumps particularly for trail riding and mountain bikers.  

Now, these oh so many years later I still take a frame pump with me whether I'm on or off the pavement.  Why? Because nobody seems to make a decent enough mini pump for me to want to feverishly short stroke for an hour and a half.  I mean getting a flat tire is aggravating enough but to add insult to injury by having a pump I feel like tossing in the trash is just wasteful.  That having been said I was oh so pleasantly surprised when the folks at Road Air contacted me about sending me one of their pumps to try out.  My first thought was "oh great gonna send me another crappy little plastic waste of engineering".   This week when the pump arrived I was pleasantly surprised to find the following qualities of this pump which has me highly recommending this affordable quality bike touring and commuting accessory for your kit.

1. Steel Threads.  This is such a wonderful added touch of durability as the typical mini pumps I have declared futile efforts in efficiency have plastic and rubber attachments which wear out or break much more easily after the pump head has been compressed around and over a valve one too many times.  That was also the case with a fairly good frame pump which now only works on presta as the little plastic piece which has to be removed and flipped around depending on the valve type broke.  So yes, I like the steel threads very much.
2. Extendable Rubber Hose.  Mini pumps which attach directly to the valve can make it very difficult to air up a tire while it's on the bike.  Mini Pumps are not simply for flat repairs but for bike touring are used to maintain proper tire pressure and the majority of mini pumps available make that a much harder chore than need be.  Another reason I kept using frame pumps is that I simply found it exceedingly difficult to hold the little bitty pump head on to the valve to be sure no air got out while attaching the pump and then trying to find the proper angle to physically work air into the tube I found myself routinely hitting the spokes with my knuckles.  With the Road Air Pump the hose puts the pumping action a nice distance from the wheel for ease of use.
3. Handle.  Yep, that's correct they thought to put a decent handle on this pump which has a nice rounded end which for my hand anyway was such a nice contoured fit I was in no concerned about getting a blister.  Also and this is nifty the end of the handle sides out for stashing a presta valve adapter for threading the hose end on.  In all of my bike commuting travels that has been the most common item to have stolen.  I used to leave a presta valve adapter on the stem of one wheel and that's how a few of those were stolen.  Very clever idea and a nice feature of the Road Air Pump.
4. Lifetime Warranty.  They seem to feel that all the qualities of this pump are what will make it last and they're probably correct on that notion.  Aluminum alloy construction of the pump itself makes this just feel good to use.  It's smooth and much easier to add air for higher tire pressures than other mini pumps which quite frankly would not even work.  

Ironically this pump has shown up for me after getting several flats while running errands around town.  Each time I used my trusty old frame pump from Park Tool Co.  The PMP-5 Dial Adjust Frame Pump is versatile and an excellent choice for folks who own several different bikes with varying frame sizes.  This is one of the main reason I like this little pump from Road Air in that I can fit it into a handlebar bag with it's compact size and lightweight design.  Which reminds me that the Road Air Mini Pump includes a mounting bracket for bottle cage mounts that I added to my touring bike and I'm happy to report that it does not rattle against the frame like some other models I have tried.  None of these pumps have pressure gauges, but I still have my little old gem pump from Crank Brothers that I like to keep around as a back up pump while traveling and can also serve as a gauge for checking tire pressures as it is the smallest most compact mini pump available.  Newer model doesn't have pressure gauge but is still small enough to fit in a jersey pocket.  Just thought I would mention a couple of other quality pumps I own and keep around for their different features.  This pump from Road Air is definitely a keeper and I will certainly use it whenever it's needed and adding it to my bike touring pack kit.  
Yes, there are some good mini pumps available, one of which is from Road Air.   : )  Click on any of the photos or underlined linked text for information or to purchase.
I have a Topeak pump and for travel the integrated so called smart head of two in one design quit working on schraeder valves.  Fortunately I ride with presta valves so it wasn't an issue, however as previously mentioned I have a few different bikes for touring and commuting and the old Austrian made Puch has schraeder valves.  Lezyne makes some nice pumps with similar threaded hose design but some recent design changes have wondering if they're worth the extra cost.  I will update this post if the pump fails in some way but considering all that's been discussed here I feel good about choosing the Road Air Mini Pump for bicycle touring, commuting or bike packing. 

Links related to this topic
Tough, Versatile Frame Pump
​Multi Day Packing Kit List
​Topeak Joe Blow Pro Review

I have no idea how many bike folks would be interested in knowing whether or not an eight speed cassette is compatible with some vintage seven speed Shimano Deore LX thumbshifters and rear derailleur from the late eighties.  FYI, it is compatible.  After noticing that the right thumb shifter had an extra click in the indexed ratcheting mode I knew I could add an extra gear with the shifter set to friction with no problem.  

This has been such a fun bike to tinker with from time to time and has really turned out to be such a comfortable, versatile bike for touring and commuting built from scratch and pretty much building it on the cheap investing in new parts as appropriate, particularly with the Avid BB7 disc brakes.  Rather than chat up what a nice ride this bike is, particularly now with eight new gears I thought I would share some of the cool gear I received as gifts this year.  Only after sharing a tid bit of helpful information of course, irregardless of how obscure that may seem to some.  

For bike commuting at night or bike touring and camping I received a very versatile little front or rear light with the USB rechargeable Blackburn 2 fer Front or Rear Light.  This could be the coolest little bike light gadget I have ever owned.  I have become quite fond of the USB rechargeable gizmos for bike touring as it provides ease of charging devices via power stick, C Crane Solar Observer Radio or...  

It has a waterproof design, versatile mounting bracket with rubber strap that can be use on handlebars or remove the sliding clip from the rubber strap and clip it onto a backpack or seat bag.  As a front light the Blackburn 2 fer provides sixty lumens of white light or twenty lumens of red light as a rear light.  
What I don't like is the run time of the lithium polymer battery.  Ninety minutes while running continuous light or five hours in flashing mode.  Fortunately the light has a fuel gauge and charge indicator. No, the sixty lumens in front on while light mode is not enough to light up the road in front of you at night but that's not what this light is designed for.  For that I continue to use the tried and true Cygolite 360 which provides many front light options including a couple of strobing or flashing modes.  However as a rear light or as a small light to have around the campsite, the little Blackburn 2 fer is a very small, packable lightweight option.  Just make sure you keep the batteries charged as the charging time is approximately three hours when battery has been completely run down.  For this reason, if my loved ones would have asked me rather than purchasing me a new light I would have suggested the USB rechargeable Cygolite Hotshot which has a two hundred hour run time!  Yep, you read that right, but I am still very appreciative of this gift and will find a way to make use of it as it is quite a versatile little light. 
Links related to this topic
Cygolite and Helmet Mount Kit
Four Lights for Around Forty Bucks

Gotten tired of fiddling and fumbling about with bungee cords and elastic rack straps that wear out quickly?  Well, there's a very inexpensive alternative in the rubber coated, steel wire option with the Nite Ize Gear Tie.  Rubber coating is a nice touch if you're concerned about scratching the paint of your bike or rack particularly if their of steel construction, something metal bungee cord hooks have a tendency to do.  Available in a variety of lengths and colors, I received a two pack of black gear ties in the thirty two inch length.  

I have been using a couple of Delta Cargo Nets forbike touring and bike packing when I prefer to secure gear to the top deck of my front or rear racks.  They're pretty nice in that the hooks can be moved around and placed where needed for tightening and securing gear so it doesn't bounce around on trails and such.  However, although I am careful not to stretch the elastic cords too much over time the cord netting begins to lose some of its' elasticity.  Not a big deal considering how affordable the Cargo Net is but with the Nite Ize Gear Tie it is not an issue.  Depending on what type of gear you're securing simply order a length to suit your needs.  I have found that the thirty two inch length is perfect for securing gear items such as a tent or a sleeping bag by using two ties around each item and then securing the gear ties to each other as shown in photo.  This is a very affordable, durable option for securing any gear to your rack while bike touring or bike packing.  For the most bumpy, off road terrain when bike packing a combination of the Nite Ize Gear Tie and Delta Cargo Net can effectively secure most any gear to your bike over the roughest terrain. 

So, wanted to give a shout to our readers and fellow bike folks, Happy New Year, looking forward to sharing more information regarding new gear and bike touring fun via this blog.  As we go into our third year of sharing bike enthusiasm, knowledge and experience we are looking forward to 2016 being our best year thus far.  Third year's the charm : )  Happy Bike Touring to you and your loved ones with warm regards and gratitude for all the support of our small business efforts, generosity and readership over the past couple years it is very much appreciated.  Thank You!
Links related to this topic with links to the most excellent photography gear I have ever owned, so nice.
Multi Day Bike Touring Kit 
Camera Favorite for Bike Touring
Tripod Favorite for Bike Touring