I’ve never been a cyclist who was obsessed with tire pressure. I’ve always just pumped up my tires with a good ol’ floor pump before I left for a ride. Sure, I’ve always had pumps that had gauges on them, but I didn’t really obsess on the amount of air that was in the tires. I’d put air in the tire, squeeze the side walls, glance at the gauge, and take off on my ride.
But things have changed.
I’ve come to realize over the last few years that proper tire pressure can be a game-changer. Up until about a month ago, I exclusively used a nice Park Tool floor pump to handle inflation duties.
Times, as they say, are a-changin’. Electric mini-inflators have changed the way we view manual tire pumps, and while they’re marketed as a quick way to get back on the road after a flat, they’re also an idiot-proof way to perfectly dial in tire pressures pre-ride.
The State Bicycles Electric Bike Inflator has made it easier than ever to dial in the exact tire pressure I want on any given bike for any given trail. I’ve been using the Wolf Tooth Bike Tire Pressure App, as seen above, to really geek out on recommended tire pressures.
Yup, that’s where I am now with the whole obsessing on the tire pressure thing.
The pendulum of tire pressure obsessiveness has swung way over to the other side.
Lil’ Inflator for a Good Price
Now, it’s still not dirt cheap to own a small electronic tire inflator. I think the cheapo Amazon specials are still about $40. And some bigger brand names can come in well over $100. So, at only $70, the feature-packed State Electric Bike Inflator is a great value.
It’s still about $15 more than my Park Tools Floor Pump. But the trade-off for paying a lil’ bit more is ease of use, portability, and accuracy. I mean, those are pretty good trade-offs.
The small size and portability have been nice. I don’t really use it in my shop, cause I keep it in the bag I use for traveling down the mountain to ride. It’s light and compact, so it fits perfectly in the side pocket.
Its compact size would obviously be perfect to slip into a hip pack, backpack, or jersey pocket. It does away with the need for a mini pump, Co2 cartridge, and inflation gizmo (as long as you keep it charged).
It’s rechargeable and is said to be able to handle 6-7 full tire inflations on a single charge. That pretty much tracks with my usage… maybe a little closer to 6 than 7. It even has a little emergency light built in. That’s handy.
Electric Bike Inflator Retail & Detail
$69.99
- Max Pressure: 150 PSI
- Airflow: 10 L/min
- Motor: Brushless 13-cylinder (drone-style)
- Display: Double-row digital screen with preset pressure & auto-stop
- Battery: 1100 mAh (550 mAh x 2, 4.07 Wh)
- Charging: USB-C, DC 5V/2A, ~1 hour charging time
- Performance:
- ~1:10 from 0–40 PSI (26 x 1.75″ tire)
- Can inflate 6–7 similar tires from 0–40 PSI on a full charge
- Operating Temp: 0–45 °C
- Dimensions: 83.2 x 57.8 x 37.6 mm
- Weight: 151 g
- Materials: Flame-retardant ABS + PC
- Certifications: CE, FCC, RoHS, MSDS UN38.3
The Electric Bike Inflator weighs in at 249g for the whole kit, with the bag. That’s how I bring it along in my bag, with all of the parts. I’d bring just the pump with me in my hip pack, and just the inflator with a Presta chuck weighs in at only 157g.
Above, you can see the three different chucks that are included: Red = Presta Valve, and White = Schrader Valve. Both of these mount straight to the pump. The third option comes fixed to a length of hose and is a smart head combo chuck for both Presta and Schrader valves.
The buttons on the pump are simple and easy to use, and the display is easy to read. I would like it if the pump would hold my last preset, instead of defaulting back to 45psi. But it’s not a deal breaker.
What’s the display read?
In the above photo, the top number is where the current tire pressure would read if it were in use. The green bars on the left are the battery level indicators. To the right of that is where you see your preset pressure. This is restricted to whole numbers, so you can’t do a fractional PSI setting. The button on the left top row is for the emergency light. Below that is the power button. The “up & down” arrows on the right are used to adjust your desired preset pressure. And underneath, you can see the “C” charging port.
But, is it Essential?
The State Electric Bike Inflator is a convenient piece of gear, for sure. And it could be essential for those who would bring it with them on rides. But for me, so far, I’ve only used it at the trailhead. I check my Wolf Tooth app and adjust tire pressure for each trail while at the trail head. That’s where I find it the most useful.
Which leads me to answer the above question with a “no”. It’s not really an essential piece of gear for me. It’s convenient and super easy, sure, but not essential. Modern tubeless tires have largely eliminated flats for me, so it’s rare that I need an inflation device on the trail. With that said, I still bring one just in case, so it just becomes a question of whether you want something like this that’s easier to use than a trusty hand pump, and takes zero physical effort to use, but needs to be charged occasionally.
What’s it Come With?
- 1x State Bicycle Co. – Electric Bike Inflator
- 1x 2-in-1 Smart Valve Hose (Schrader / Presta)
- 2x Direct Quick-Connect Piercers
- Red – Presta
- Grey – Schrader
- 1x USB-C Charging Cable
- 1x Dust / Storage Bag
- 1x Inflation Needle for Balls
In the End
I’m sold on the importance and subtlety of keeping your bike tires to the “right” pressure for the application at hand. I get it. The need to keep my floor pump in operation will always be there, but having a lil gizmo like the State Electronic Bike Inflator around does make it easier (and a no-brainer) to stay on top of the right tire pressure.
Would I suggest buying one? Before I used mine, my thoughts were that it’s something you could get by without. I still think that, but in a different way. To me, the State Electric Bike Inflator is like a microwave oven. Do you really need it? No, you don’t. But life is just a little bit harder without it. Same with this lil inflator, you don’t need it, but it’s nice to have around, and once you use it, you’ll never look back.
I think that at the price of $70, if this lil’ inflator broke, I’d buy another one. I went from, “Nah, I don’t really need that.” To, “Jeez, what’d I do without it?”
So, if you don’t use an electronic inflation device, I would suggest getting the State Electronic Bike Inflator. It’s not quite a game-changer, but it sure is nice to have around. And for $70… It’s a good value.
