The Lezyne Tech Drive HP pump works very efficiently both for high pressure and higher volume use and is comfortable to use. Assembly and the screw on valve connector make it a bit slower to set up for use than other pumps though.
Lezyne Tech Drive HP mini pump: design and features
The Lezyne Tech Drive HP pump is a longer design at 24cm, but that gives it a long 17cm stroke. Like all Lezyne’s pumps, there’s a bit of assembly required before you can use it.
First, the 15cm long hose needs to be unscrewed from under its rubber cap at the top of the handle. It’s easiest to screw it onto the valve head next, then onto the base of the pump barrel. Again like other Lezyne pumps, the hose is reversible with a Schrader connector at one end and a Presta connector at the other, which also has a bleed valve.
Once all that’s done you’re ready to start inflating your tyre.
We tested the medium length pump, but there’s also a short version that’s 170mm long and weighs a claimed 87g.
Lezyne Tech Drive HP mini pump: use
The assembly process for Lezyne’s pumps feels a bit fiddly relative to many mini pumps, although it’s quick enough to perform.
Once set up, the long stroke and smooth action make the Lezyne Tech Drive HP pump easy to use. There’s plenty of surface to grab both on the head and the barrel, although neither is machined for grip. The base of the barrel can get quite hot in use, although not uncomfortably so.
The pump is one of the most efficient we’ve tested, getting both a higher-pressure 28mm tyre and a higher-volume 45mm gravel tyre up to operable pressure without too much effort. It’s sufficiently narrow that, at higher pressures, it isn’t too hard to force further air into a tyre.
It’s important to be careful when unscrewing the pump from the valve after use, as it’s quite easy to displace the core of a Presta valve and lose air. Also be careful not to lose the rubber end plugs; Lezyne seems to have made these push further into the pump, but they’re quite loosely attached to the pump body when open.
The Tech Drive HP is quite a long pump, so it protrudes from a jersey pocket. It’s not too heavy though at 102g, so it doesn’t flop around too much and it’s adequately weatherproofed if you do decide to frame mount it, except for the space between the handle and the barrel, which is open to muck ingress.
Inflating a 28mm road tyre: The Lezyne Tech Drive HP did a good job inflating a 28mm road tyre, reaching a perfectly serviceable 75psi after 150 strokes. That’s the same pressure as I’d normally inflate a tyre to with a track pump before a ride, so a mid-ride puncture needn’t spoil your plans.
Inflating a 45mm gravel tyre: 250 strokes inflated a 45mm gravel tyre to 42psi – again a pressure that’s very usable and in fact is probably more than needed by most gravel riders.
Lezyne Tech Drive HP mini pump: verdict
The Lezyne Tech Drive HP is an efficient pump that gets the job done as well as any mini pump and significantly better than most. Once you’ve got through the fiddly setup process, it’s reasonably quick and easy to inflate both road and gravel tyres to usable operating pressures.
Lezyne Tech Drive HP mini pump: spec
- Length: 24cm
- Stroke: 17cm
- Weight: 102g
- Valve types: Presta, Schrader
- Claimed max pressure: 120psi
- Mount included?: Bottle cage
Price: £35.00
