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At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
Cannondale's Precise Floor Pump has a long stroke and wide bore that makes fast work of filling tyres but its standout feature is a really big gauge that makes reading the pressure easy. It's one of the best track pumps you can buy.
The Precise Pump's main selling point is its very large gauge. It's very easy to read, especially compared with many pumps with floor-level gauges whose manufacturers need to include a baby telescope in the box. Cannondale is cheating a bit to claim it's 5in (12.5cm) across, though. That's the size of the whole gauge; the window that shows the pointer is 7.5cm across, which is still a whole lot bigger than the 4.5cm gauges on my other two track pumps.
Track pump makers have two options for where to position the gauge. If it's at or near the top of the shaft, it's easy to read but vulnerable to damage if the pump gets knocked over. It's safer at the bottom of the shaft, but harder to read. By placing a large gauge at the bottom of the shaft Cannondale solves the visibility problem while keeping the less-vulnerable placement. Chapeau!
This is a hefty piece of kit. At almost 2kg, it's one of the heavier track pumps we've reviewed in the last few years. For most cycling gear, low weight is prized, but in a track pump, heft is a good thing as it implies sturdy construction and especially plenty of robust steel in the build. The surround and handle of the chuck are also metal, so that should help with durability. And, blimey that gauge is a big 'un, missus!
The gauge is marked with ranges for different riding types: 5-30psi for mountain biking; 30-60 psi for gravel; 45-70psi for urban riding, and 75-125psi for road riding. The gauge tops out at 145psi so if you need insane pressures for, say, track racing, it's back to the SKS Rennkompressor for you, I'm afraid.
To inflate my 25mm test tyre to 90psi took just 21 strokes with the Precise pump. My Specialized Air Tool Sport SwitchHitter II took 29 strokes, while an SKS Rennkompressor needed 31.
> How to choose the best bike tyre pressure – balancing speed, comfort and grip
There are two reasons for that. The Precise pump has the largest bore of the three with a main shaft that's 34mm across against 31mm for the Specialized and 30mm for the SKS. It also has the longest stroke at 54.5cm versus 47cm for Specialized and 45cm for SKS. It simply pushes more air per stroke than the other two.
The downside of that is that smaller and especially lighter riders might struggle to get to high pressures. Pressure is force times area and the practical limit to how much force you can exert on a pump is your body weight. My household's teenage waif struggled to get to 90psi.
A clever feature of the gauge is that it has two levels of precision built in. You can see in the photo that its markings are wider between zero and 40psi, and closer together above that. For the low pressures of mountain bike tyres and fatter gravel tyres that's great, as it's easier to really fine-tune your tyre pressure.
The chuck is self-adapting, which means there's no need to faff about changing it from Schrader to Presta, and it worked brilliantly on every Presta or Schrader valve I tried it with.
There's a bleed button on the chuck so you can inflate your tyres past your desired pressure and then drop it down to exactly the pressure you want. If you're a tyre pressure obsessive (which probably means you're riding mountain bikes or gravel) that's a handy feature, but the button is very sensitive. It needs a delicate touch or you just blow all the pressure and have to repeat the process. It's also easy to press it accidentally when you're pulling the chuck off a valve. Cannondale might want to take another look at how this works and make that button less sensitive.
There are vast numbers of track pumps to compare it with, but let's home in on three that we've scored highly over the years.
It's pricier than the Topeak Joe Blow Sport III, which has gone up to £46.99 since we reviewed it in 2019 and is generally excellent, but lacks the Precise Pump's big gauge.
> Buyer’s Guide: 10 of the best track pumps
The £70 Lezyne Sport Gravel Drive (reviewed on off.road.cc last month) and Lezyne Alloy Floor Drive (up to £80 since we reviewed it in 2015) are both a bit posher, and have large gauges, bt you're paying more for them.
That makes the Cannondale a serious contender if you've about £50 to spend on a track pump, and almost a no-brainer if you can find it for under £40.
Who shouldn't? With its pressure recommendations for various types of riding, Cannondale presents this as one pump to rule them all, so if your household bike fleet covers road, urban and off-road cycling, it's an excellent choice. Only trackies and possibly time triallists are excluded by the 150psi maximum pressure.
Excellent track pump that gets tyres up to pressure quickly, aided by the large, easy-to-read gauge
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Make and model: Cannondale Precise Floor Pump
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
It's for pumping up tyres at home, in your workshop or at events you reach by car.
Perfect for multi-bike households, a massive dual-stage gauge, bleed valve, and suggested pressure ranges assures the correct pressure.
Grippy footholds, ergonomic handle / auto dual-stage, extra-large 5" (130mm) gauge for unbeatable readability and accuracy
Recommended pressure ranges help select ultra-accurate tire pressure / bleed valve for quick-and-easy pressure adjustments
AutoSelect head adjusts to Schrader and Presta valves
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Base, body and internal shaft are all steel.
Handle is shaped plastic with elastomer inserts.
Chuck is sturdy-feeling plastic with metal lever and surround.
Well made overall with plenty of steel in the main body.
Excellent as long as you have the body mass to make full use of it.
It's put up with a few weeks of being kicked around my workshop with no sign of damage.
It's heavy, which is a GOOD thing in a track pump as it helps with stability and durability. If you have to lug it around to events and the like you might feel differently.
Elastomer inserts in the handle make it comfy in pretty much the only area where comfort matters in a track pump.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It inflates tyres quickly and easily, and the big gauge makes reading the pressure easy.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Steel construction; big gauge; rapid inflation.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
It's a boring colour – can I have it in something brighter please?
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Looking at some of our favourites, it's pricier than some, such as the Topeak Joe Blow Sport III, but cheaper than many others including the Lezyne Sport Gravel Drive and Lezyne Alloy Floor Drive.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
An excellent track pump that's easy to use; it's almost faultless unless you need sky-high track/time trial pressures.
Age: 55 Height: 5ft 11in Weight: 100kg
I usually ride: Scapin Style My best bike is:
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, mtb,
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John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.
He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.
Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.
John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.
He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.
I'll add this one here...
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A well-made and comprehensive puncture kit with CO2 canisters and highly effective patches
Neat all-in-one hand pump and CO2 inflator, at a decent price, but the hand pump lacks power
Simple and easy to use tubeless tyre repair and inflation kit, but a pricey solution
Good for hitting accurate pressures on your gravel or mountain bikes, but hard work for roadie pressures
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