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I recently bought a mini-pump from Amazon, it was very cheap and, so-far, I'm pretty impressed with the build quality. I never intended to mount it on the bike but then realised that it came with a thin metal "bracket" that attaches to the pump.

As you will see from the photo below, the pressure tube for the pump is actually housed in a separate plastic container connected to the pump itself:

Pump and bracket

If I attach the bracket as it is, the pump and the container will be protruding sideways outside the width of the frame. Do you think the manufacturer intended the bracket to bend once bolted to the frame so that the pump and tube are neatly stored within the frame profile? If yes, then what does the cut-out part of the bracket achieve in this scenario?

(Before you ask, the instructions don't mention the bracket and I have tried contacting the manufacturer but they appear to be another company who don't actually monitor the mailbox they advise customers to use.)

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    This is intended to be mounted alongside a water bottle holder. When the bottle is in the holder, the pump needs to sit next the bottle. The metal part looks a bit flimsy as it would vibrate when mounted this way. I would have no qualms bending it to fit my setup.
    – Christian Lindig
    Commented Aug 26, 2017 at 15:01
  • @ChristianLindig Thanks for that. I'm also acutely aware that this razor-thin piece of metal will have my legs flying past a few centimetres away and I really don't want to take the chance of gashing my leg open on it!
    – Lefty
    Commented Aug 26, 2017 at 15:08
  • You should be fine with the pump in the bracket, but if you make a habit of riding with the bracket empty it might be a good idea to protect the edge. A layer of duct tape or even strong clear tape would be enough
    – Chris H
    Commented Aug 26, 2017 at 16:26
  • I suspect the tab with the hole in it is to allow you to attach the bracket using some sort of clamp, such as a "spiral hose clamp".
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Aug 26, 2017 at 21:59
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    BTW, it looks to me like the pump is attached the wrong way on the bracket.
    – Daniel R Hicks
    Commented Aug 27, 2017 at 18:21

2 Answers 2

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The metal bracket is designed to fit the lugs of a water bottle cage. If you have a bottle cage, the bracket goes between it and the frame. If you don't, it can just be mounted directly: the lugs on your frame will already have bolts in them, to stop the rain getting in. In either case, you might need or want to bend the bracket a bit, either to give more clearance for your bottle or to move the pump more within the frame. That shouldn't damage the bracket, as long as you don't bend it right back on itself or repeatedly bend it back and forth.

Mine lives on my down-tube. Unless it sticks out a long way, your legs shouldn't come close to it and, in any case, the pump will be between your legs and the bracket. If you're still worried about slicing your leg open, use a metal file to round off the edges and remove any burrs. Actually, that would probably be a good idea anyway to avoid hurting your fingers when you need to use the pump.

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  • Great information, thank you. I don't have a water bottle so have fitted it to the existing lugs and bent the bracket to bring the pump and tube within the frame width. I had a quick test ride, and you're right, my legs are nowhere near it. My plan is to actually use hot-glue and create a "bead" that covers the blunt edges. There actually doesn't appear to be too much of a burr so I won't bother with an filing.
    – Lefty
    Commented Aug 28, 2017 at 9:49
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    Why not just fit a bottle cage? Even if you don't use it for a bottle there a bottle sized containers for spare tubes and other small items
    – Carel
    Commented Aug 29, 2017 at 11:10
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I find it easier just to strap the pump with some velcro straps. Don't pull it off often. Gives you ability to strap it anywhere.

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  • I was actually intending to just carry the pump in a bag when I cycle, but then realised that there was a bracket supplied and the pump will fit quite neatly if attached to the standard accessory bolts. It was just the nature of the strange bracket that gave me trouble, the way the pump clips to the bracket actually seems quite good.
    – Lefty
    Commented Aug 26, 2017 at 22:34
  • Mine's in a plastic clip thing similar to this, but I don't trust it to hold my not-cheap pump. So I have a velcro tie around it as well for belt-and-braces safety. Why not both?
    – Criggie ♦
    Commented Aug 27, 2017 at 8:08

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