Lidl (( 2 topics merged - by G ) now 3 merged - S)

[fausto copy]

I managed to get the last red top in size medium, so hopefully it'll fit alright.

I also splashed out on the track pump.
I've already got an expensive SKS version but the replaced head (which is brass) is very difficult to detach from Presta valves and won't fit Schraeders.

However, I really bought the Lidl one to inflate the motorhome tyres with.
Hopefully it'll be man enough to cope.

P.S. Only really went in for the top, but ended up buying that, the pump, a battery charger, 2 ground sheets, a bag of carrots and a tin of corned beef.
Still only spent 25 quid, which is around half the price of a branded top.

[Russell160]

As promised, review of the foot pump at £4.99

Positives
-metal barrel (leaflet says steel precision piston and barrel)
-nice positive action:wide handle with minimal flex and stable base.
-inflated hybrids easily up to 50. 60 psi.
-inflated road tyres easily up to 100 psi.
-nice 'long enough' pressure hose (64cm)
-dial appears accurate: clear gradual progression with each stroke
-good grip on the valve (Uses usual thumb lever arrangement)
-additional inserts for footballs, mattresses etc. and a nice touch: plastic container to keep these 'losable' bits with the pump. (Though this can get in the way when carrying etc.


Negatives
-slightly small dial, hard to read (but has red outer arrow dial which can be adjusted pre pump, as it were)
-main measure is bars, not psi.
-leaflet says 'nominal excess pressure' of 116 psi, I'm guesssing that's the max. The gauge is marked red from 116 psi. Dial goes up to 176.
States nominal pressure: 87 psi. NOt sure what this means. Middle of range?

Overall Verdict.
Absurdly good value at £4.95. Steel barrel gives positive action, confidently recommend for pressures up to c. 100 psi. MIght not be up to the job for more than 110 on a regular basis. I'm getting a second one to keep at work. Far superior to the Beto one I have at the moment which was £20. You've got to feel sorry for LBSs when its Lidl week.

Also mini review: Ergon style grips.
Not fitted, just fondled. Seems like very good quality basically copy of Ergon 4 grips but £30 or so less. Nice ergonomic grip, appears good finish, nice and light which is why I bought them to replace the gas pipe bar ends I've got at the moment. You can opt out of the bar ends and has a bar end plug option. Not suitable for carbon bars.

[niggle]

As promised, review of the foot pump at £4.99

Positives
-metal barrel (leaflet says steel precision piston and barrel)
-nice positive action:wide handle with minimal flex and stable base.
-inflated hybrids easily up to 50. 60 psi.
-inflated road tyres easily up to 100 psi.
-nice 'long enough' pressure hose (64cm)
-dial appears accurate: clear gradual progression with each stroke
-good grip on the valve (Uses usual thumb lever arrangement)
-additional inserts for footballs, mattresses etc. and a nice touch: plastic container to keep these 'losable' bits with the pump. (Though this can get in the way when carrying etc.


Negatives
-slightly small dial, hard to read (but has red outer arrow dial which can be adjusted pre pump, as it were)
-main measure is bars, not psi.
-leaflet says 'nominal excess pressure' of 116 psi, I'm guesssing that's the max. The gauge is marked red from 116 psi. Dial goes up to 176.
States nominal pressure: 87 psi. NOt sure what this means. Middle of range?

Overall Verdict.
Absurdly good value at £4.95. Steel barrel gives positive action, confidently recommend for pressures up to c. 100 psi. MIght not be up to the job for more than 110 on a regular basis. I'm getting a second one to keep at work. Far superior to the Beto one I have at the moment which was £20. You've got to feel sorry for LBSs when its Lidl week.

Also mini review: Ergon style grips.
Not fitted, just fondled. Seems like very good quality basically copy of Ergon 4 grips but £30 or so less. Nice ergonomic grip, appears good finish, nice and light which is why I bought them to replace the gas pipe bar ends I've got at the moment. You can opt out of the bar ends and has a bar end plug option. Not suitable for carbon bars.

Hi that is really useful, re the 'good grip on the valve', is it easy to remove or do you have to pull it off with a bit of force like the Beto one I have? With mine this leads to eventually tearing the valve out of tubes, though using tubes with non threaded valves like Michelin reduces this problem from occurring monthly, to annually. The connector on my Topeak Minimorph is way better, gets a good grip and seal but just pops off again with ease when you flip the lever.

Re the grips: if I needed some I would buy them, they do look good.

[Brucey]

isn't the 'foot pump' actually a 'track pump' worked by hand? Or have I been looking at the wrong thing?

cheers

[NATURAL ANKLING]

isn't the 'foot pump' actually a 'track pump' worked by hand? Or have I been looking at the wrong thing?

cheers

Yes track pump, there are also some small hand pumps, but I have found the quality lacking on hand pumps that are cheap.
The track pumps a steal at the price if I didnt already have half a dozen.
Spare valve double heads can be found on ebay 99 p up. but I also found that if you dissmantle the pump heads, the rubbers can be turned over as they use a double ended rubber on each valve hole

Bought some socks, very good. didnt have the dosh for more.

[oldmanonabike]

Just found that if I take the cleaning cloth out of the toolbag I can squeeze an unboxed inner tube inside along with the tyre levers, that with the multitool and patches in the pouch will do me nicely

[brizgazelle]

Their floor-pumps (the hand-operated jobs) I've seen there of late seem,from observation, to have suffered from entropy - as is the fate many/most consumer hardware items do over time, namely a drop in the quality of construction (cf. hi-fi, M&S clothing, er...bicycles, etc & etc). A floor-pump I bought about 10 years ago from LIDL (or was it ALDI?) has an alloy barrel with a substantial steel base.

Slightly O/T, but I wonder at the wisdom behind LIDL selling cycle locks one week then another, selling bleedin' bolt-croppers! These tend to sell out pretty quickly in Bristol and I doubt that each and every one of these -relatively- specialist tools is purchased for appropriate use by ranks of travelling locksmiths. Not here in the 2nd city of bike theft!

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Hi,
The track pump fails the way most of the pumps do with leaking valve ends.
Just use these as a replacment, buy now for later, will fit any tube with an OD of less than 8.6 MM. Has internal spigot of 5.5 MM, to fit tube ID.
Can dissmantle, rubbers are reversable but not double ended. Cheap enough tho.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/250874780675; ... 26_rdc%3D1

Cheers.

[PRL]

Anyone have experience with that floor pump?
After all, a bargain isn't a bargain if it's no good

I got a similar one a few years ago and it is fine apart from a pivot pin that is inclined to slip out of position. (just needs pushing back). Stirling job on Skyrides with lots of novices with soggy tyres.

[NUKe]

I bought from Lidl,a set of the grips. I did want the bull horns on the end so was pleased to see the kit also included an adapter so I could leave them off. this was a ring of plastic and bar end plug. Both the bar end plugs disintegrated when I tried to fit them Fortunately I had A couple of bar end plgus from the old grips and was able to fit.

[Russell160]

Re pump confusion Brucey, yes its a floor pump/track pump,not a foot pump my mistake.

RE pulling the valve off, yes it is a bit 'too' tight so care probably needed to avoid tearing valve.

[cycleruk]

Re pump confusion Brucey, yes its a floor pump/track pump,not a foot pump my mistake.

RE pulling the valve off, yes it is a bit 'too' tight so care probably needed to avoid tearing valve.

I don't know if I have been fortunate but I never had a valve tear out. But I do always fit the little nut which clamps the valve in place so that it can't move sideways.
I also find though that the Lidl valve is tight when fitting and removing. I also find it harder to get a pressure much above 100 psi compared with my other trackpump. I presume this is down to the diameter of the barrel as the Lidl is larger than my other one.

[Sooper8]

Anyone have experience with that floor pump?
After all, a bargain isn't a bargain if it's no good

I got a similar one a few years ago and it is fine apart from a pivot pin that is inclined to slip out of position. (just needs pushing back). Stirling job on Skyrides with lots of novices with soggy tyres.

Thanks for that...

Anyone have any experience of their bike work stand at £29.99?

[NATURAL ANKLING]

Anyone have any experience of their bike work stand at £29.99?

Hi,
The work stands are pretty faultless for the money, Last look £52 delivered in th UK from ebay's was best price.

[Sooper8]

Anyone have any experience of their bike work stand at £29.99?

Hi,
The work stands are pretty faultless for the money, Last look £52 delivered in th UK from ebay's was best price.

Many thanks for that reply