Sport Drive HP Review

After riding with the Lezyne Sport Drive HP for about a year, we’ll discuss what I’ve experienced, potential pros and cons, and whom this highly rated mini bike pump might work best for.

About the Sport Drive HP Bicycle Pump

Manufactured since at least 2010, Lezyne’s Sport Drive HP is a compact, aluminum frame-mounted mini pump explicitly designed for high-pressure bike tires.

Despite the length of time it’s been around, the model ranked as Wirecutter’s best handheld bike pump as recently as November 2017. It also comes with a $20 price tag from popular online retailers like Amazon, Jenson USA, Competitive Cyclist, REI, and Chain Reaction Cycles, as well as a one-year limited warranty from Lezyne against materials and manufacturing defects.

Considering its affordability, durability, and lofty customer and manufacturer reputation, the Lezyne Sport Drive HP might be a no-brainer for the right cyclist. But, is that necessarily you?

In this article, we’ll walk you through combined details from our first-hand experience, online rider feedback, and the company, all aimed at helping you answer this central question.

Taking a Closer Look at the Sport Drive HP’s Specifications

Although it’s compact, lightweight, and can be stored just about anywhere, Lezyne explains that the Sport Drive HP features durable CNC machined aluminum construction (barrel and piston/shaft) and reliable, precise parts.

The ergonomic overlapping handle is made from a composite matrix plastic, as is the included frame bracket with Velcro security strap, which mounts to your bike’s water bottle bosses. Here’s how Lezyne describes the material:

“Components are made of a thin Composite Matrix core reinforced by carbon fiber resulting in products optimized for weight and durability.”

Opposite the handle, the HP’s non-ABS (Air Bleed System) Flex Hose threads directly onto the pump body, while the other end threads onto the valve (Presta and Schrader compatible), thereby creating a secure, airtight connection. When not in use, the hose unthreads and stows inside the body for compact storage.

Rubber caps at each end cover the flex hose and opposite side to help prevent road dirt, grime, and debris from entering.

Together, Lezyne tells us that the Sport Drive HP is designed to “easily inflate tires to riding pressure with fewer strokes.”

Lezyne Sport Drive HP Operating Instructions

Because of its minimalist, compact design, using the Sport Drive HP is fairly a straightforward process:

1. Pop off the rubber end caps.
2. Unthread the hose and pull it all of the way out of the handle.
3. Choose your valve type (Presta or Schrader), match it with the corresponding label on the Flex Hose, and thread the opposite end onto the pump.
4. Pull the handle to extend the piston and begin pumping.
5. Once you’ve inflated to your desired pressure, remove the Flex Hose from the valve, unthread it from the pump body, reinsert it into the handle and thread into place, replace the rubber end caps, and stow wherever you prefer.

Watch the short video below to see exactly how it works:

For the most part, I’ve found that the Sport Drive HP really does work this easy. Like any product, though, it’s not perfect, which I’ll explain more about in the next section.

My Experience Using Lezyne’s Sport Drive HP Hand Pump

Sport Drive HP Upsides

I’ve used my Black Sport Drive HP for about a year now, with mostly positive experiences.

Mounting Ease

I’m not a fan of widening my bike’s profile by mounting pumps next to water bottle cages. So instead, I installed it underneath the top tube of my Canyon Inflite AL using Zefal’s Doodad Plus straps.

The pump’s handle has a larger diameter than the body, potentially causing it to sit at a bit of an odd angle in this location. However, these padded, Velcro-equipped straps minimize this difference, while maintaining a clean look and keeping everything relatively unobtrusive while riding.

However, at less than 7” long when packed, the Sport Drive HP is small enough to fit in a jersey pocket. I’ve also successfully carried it in my Topeak Aero Wedge Pack (size medium) with the middle extension unzipped, as well as in different hydration packs.

Bottom line? Based on its compact design, you can carry the Sport Drive HP mini pump just about anywhere you prefer.

Inflating Performance

When it comes time to inflate, I think the HP’s 5.75” Flex Hose makes it easier wiggling between spokes and reaching the valve—certainly much easier than a rigid head. Also, its length allows for a substantial amount of distance between the body and the valve at different angles when pumping. The thread-on head always forms a tight seal and remains in place.

Despite the mini pump’s small size and short piston travel, it does an outstanding job inflating and should get you back on the saddle in a reasonable amount of time, whether you’re riding a road or mountain bike.

Potential Sport Drive HP Downsides

This Shouldn’t Be Your Only Pump

Like any mini pump, though, the Sport Drive HP shouldn’t be considered a primary inflation option; it’s only designed as an emergency tool to get you where you need to go should you encounter sudden air pressure loss far from home.

Missing Features

It’s also not common for mini pumps to feature gauges since small size is the name of the game. The HP also doesn’t have a handle lock, so if it comes loose from wherever it’s mounted while you’re riding, it will almost certainly fully extend.

Some mini pumps feature an air bleed button (dubbed as ‘ABS’ by Lezyne) on their heads, although the Sport Drive HP does not. I haven’t had an issue yet, but if fine-tuning your PSI while out on a ride is a top priority, it could cause frustration.

Along these same lines, since the HP’s collar doesn’t spin, you’re required to turn the entire pump and Flex Tube when threading it onto a valve (see the video above for a quick example). While this could be considered a minor issue in all but the most cramped circumstances, it also tends to unthread removable valve cores if you’re not careful.

Pro tip: You can reduce the likelihood of this occurring by applying a small amount of LOCTITE thread locker to your valve core before reinstalling.

Storing the Flex Hose

I love that Lezyne stores the rubber Flex Hose inside the Sport Drive HP’s body for compact carrying. However, the hose on my model isn’t completely straight, so it exerts extra force on one side of the plastic threading when storing, leading to frequent misalignment.

As a result, the rubber gasket behind the threads doesn’t always seal properly, potentially allowing dirt and debris inside.

With this said, even though I’ve carried the Sport Drive HP underneath my top tube for more than a year, I haven’t experienced any issues yet. In fact, it’s worked dutifully and flawlessly whenever needed.

Aside from my almost wholly positive experience, are there any other mini bike pumps out there that should be on your radar?

How Does the Lezyne Sport Drive HP Compare to Other High-Pressure Mini Bike Pumps?

As we outline in our Bike Pump Buying Guide, mini and micro pumps feature the greatest number of design differences between them, compared to any other bike pump category. This includes features like length, weight, valve attachments, and so forth, and choosing one is mostly going to come down to which features most important to you.

From a high-level perspective, though, you’ll want to focus on models with competitive pricing, dust caps to maximize lifespan, a max PSI rating that’s appropriate for your needs, as well as a size and weight that will allow it to fit where you want.

Sport Drive HP Quick Reference Chart

As an example, here were some of the top search results at the time of this writing, most of which also featured Presta and Schrader compatibility, mounting brackets, ergonomic handles, and telescoping pistons for inflating:

Using all of the information discussed so far, where are you left when it comes to the Lezyne Sport Drive HP? Let’s wrap everything up in the next section.

Our Bottom Line About the Lezyne Sport Drive HP Mini Pump

Not only does the Sport Drive HP come with a competitive $20 price tag, but Lezyne also offers replacement mounts, Flex Hoses, and seal kits for between $6 and $13, making much of it rebuildable when the time comes.

And considering how well it’s held up to regular use over the course of a year, as well as its mostly positive feedback from customers on sites like Amazon, Competitive Cyclist, and REI (to name just a few), it certainly seems like it could last a long time. Or, at least long enough to more than compensate for its original cost.

Together with its lengthy hose, tight seal, and ingenious stow-away design, I think the Sport Drive HP offers a ton of value for the money—enough so that it might be difficult to beat among many of its popular competitors.

Even Wirecutter noted that it’s easy to use, “well-designed, well-made, well-priced, and, most important, outperforms the rest of the field” when awarding it their best handheld bike pump back in 2017.

Who Might the Lezyne Sport Drive HP Work Best For?

It’s not perfect, though, and might not be your first choice if you prefer models with pressure gauges, twisting valve head collars, or greater volume per stroke (and subsequently larger sizes).

Did you experience the same with Lezyne’s Sport Drive HP, or otherwise? Tell us about it by leaving a comment below, or giving it a star rating at the top!

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