• This topic has 30 replies, 26 voices, and was last updated 7 years ago by benp1.
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  • Airshot or Flash Charger?
  • ebennett
    Full Member

    After wrestling with a recalcitrant tubeless tyre yesterday and trying to bodge a ghetto tubeless inflator* I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I need some tech to help me out. I can see either get an Airshot or replace my decently but cheap track pump (Airwave) with the Bontrager flash charger which seems to do what the Airshot does plus provide a better track pump. WWSTWD? The price difference is about 50 quid.

    *Empty milk cartons don’t have the structural integrity, even when taped, to be effective. Which is especially pleasant when they’ve been in the recycling bin for a few weeks. Boak.

    weeksy
    Full Member

    Not seen flash charger, but airshot is brilliant.

    Track pump £13 from decathlon.

    munkster
    Free Member

    Long time Airshot user here, and while I do like it, all I would say is that (IME) its form (cylinder) is a slight pain when trying to balance it and screw into, and more importantly off, the valve. Maybe I’m being a tart but I don’t want to scratch its shiny surfce as it rolls and dinks around on the floor/against the wheel/cassette if I’ve not planned ahead. I seem to end up clamping the thing between my thighs as I release the pressure, so to speak.

    A minor point but it is what it is, a cylinder of air, and it seems that not that much thought has been put into how it might actually “behave” in use…

    YMMV, and I still wouldn’t replace it, the above is a very minor thing in the grand scheme of things.

    paulx
    Free Member

    Don’t know about the airshot but I’ve got the Bontrager flash charger. I bought it when it was on sale for £70 irc – seemed a lot but, …. it just works.

    Also its way better track pump than I had before so it feels like a massive upgrade to me. I think its £80 at Triton Cycles atm.

    I actually look forward to mounting a tubeless nowadays.

    johnw1984
    Free Member

    I also have a Flash Charger. I needed a new pump and something to seat tubeless, so it has been great for me.

    Used it about 5 times yesterday (crap rims wouldn’t go tubeless). It’s never had a problem seating tyres though.

    Fat-boy-fat
    Full Member

    Another flash charger here. Just does what is says on the tin. Not that great a track pump (compared to a Topeak Joe Blow Turbo) as the pressure dial scale (as it has to be) goes waaaaayyy up, which makes finangling your final tyre pressure a bit meh.

    Still worth it to avoid the pump like a barsteward method of seating tyres.

    pnik
    Full Member

    Ive got the flash charger, its good, BUT i dont think its a great track pump as the additional chamber is always inline, so when pumping a tyre normally you have to get the chamber up to pressure before you start inflating the actual tyre, as i have another track pump knocking around i tend to use that for topping up duties. Possibly a minor niggle, if i was getting one now i’d probably get the topeak one as i beleive it has a bypass. The charger is very good though and less faff than an external chamber, i used a pop bottle before, which worked but was always a bit of a 3 hand job if you get me.

    ebennett
    Full Member

    Thanks all, that’s good to know about the flash charger, top the commuters up weekly so would be a bit annoying to have to keep the old one around for that.

    Saw the Triton deal but they estimate shipping as end of April which isn’t much use to me. Leisure Lakes have both the charger and the Airshot in stock apparently so might toddle over this avo and have a play with them.

    johnnystorm
    Full Member

    Dunno if it’ll kill it in the long term bit if you flip the handle down on the flash charger you can store the air until next time.

    1timmy1
    Free Member

    I’ve just got an airshot, I was happy with my track pump so didn’t want to spend extra on a pump and tubeless inflator combo. It took me longer to get the tyres on the rim than to seat it with the airshot, it just worked. That’s with 2 tyres right out of the box, no leaving them overnight with tubes in to help shape them.

    Got mine from Tredz, use their £5 off voucher and it was the cheapest delivered I could find.

    n0b0dy0ftheg0at
    Free Member

    AIRSHOT was recently £40 at PX, was semi-tempted, to have ready for when i finally get around to trying tubeless.

    iainc
    Full Member

    I have the Schwalbe version of the airshot and it works a treat.

    pnik
    Full Member

    Johnnystorm, your tip kind of works for a short time, but you come back and the plunger is fully extended which is odd and i assume not ideal for the seals generally. Not a dealbreaker possibly but i think newer versions like the topeak have improved on the design. On the plus its mainly metal and seems really well made, no problem getting tyres to pop.

    Getting fulcrum rims and conti tyres to stay up is however another thing, that i gave up on.

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    I think Airwave now do a ‘charger’ style pump that’s a bit cheaper than the Bontrager and gets decent reviews…

    Andy-R
    Full Member

    I’m still using a Coke bottle – cheap and just works.

    ebennett
    Full Member

    Didn’t have the charger in stock (website lied) so got the Airshot – tyre went up a treat!

    cp
    Full Member

    Anyone using the spesh air tool blast? How does it compare to the airshot?

    cloudnine
    Free Member

    Airwave airblast

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/airwave-airblast-tubeless-tyre-track-pump/rp-prod142714

    Just bought this as my track pump (joe blow) broke.. ive now sold my airshot.
    Only potential problem would be getting an accurate reading from the dial to put say 25 psi in accurately.. Otherwise a cracking bit of kit for the money.
    Spend another £15 on stans fluid and theres £10 off a £75 spend

    Nobeerinthefridge
    Free Member

    Aluminium drinks bottle from cheapo camping shop, mountain warehouse – Fiver.

    gaberin
    Free Member

    I’ve got the flash charger, but if I was buying again I’d go for the airshot.. flash charger is useless for setting the pressure or topping up tyres so you’ll still need other track pump anyway, also it’s huge so not very portable for taking in the car.

    stumpy01
    Full Member

    Nobeerinthefridge – Member
    Aluminium drinks bottle from cheapo camping shop, mountain warehouse –

    Are you sure they are rated to withstand high pressures…?
    I’d probably trust a coke bottle more than a £5 water bottle that probably hasn’t been designed to withstand high pressures.

    Alex
    Full Member

    Airshot here. Agree it tends to roll about a bit. But in terms of function, it’s been flawless
    on a whole bunch of different rims and tyres. And we chuck it in the van when we’re away. Portable, simple, effective – what’s not to like?

    dirtyrider
    Free Member

    had both,

    airshot will kill your track pump

    also as said above the flash charger is crap as a regular pump,

    flash could seat my hunt wheels, airshot couldn’t

    Alex
    Full Member

    airshot will kill your track pump

    How come? Pumping up road tyres are a similar pressure surely? I tend to go with about 110PSI and that sears any MTB tyre/rim combo I’ve tried. Appreciate thats not a comprehensive test!

    prawny
    Full Member

    I want the lezeyne one with the digital gauge. One day, bit spendy at the mo.

    I dug out the coke bottle one this avo to set my new bike up tubeless, piece of cake to seat, just need to finally seal the buggers now, it came with non TCS tyres with rigid beads.

    xcstu
    Free Member

    Airshot here… faultless so far! 😉

    barrykellett
    Free Member

    Using 7up bottle for years but just ordered the new Giant one:
    https://www.giant-bicycles.com/gb/giant-control-tank-black

    rOcKeTdOg
    Full Member

    Airshots were £40 from PX last week, i bought one. The flash charger at work works very well though even on fat bike tyres

    rossburton
    Free Member

    I got a £40 airshot too and now discovered that my “normal” track pump (that rarely gets used as the new one is MTB-specific so can only manage ~50psi) leaks air when it goes above 80psi, and struggles to pump past 100psi.

    Can anyone recommend a good quality but cheap trackpump for charging an Airshot?

    benp1
    Full Member

    I was in this predicament. My cheap track pump doesn’t work on schraeders now, but pumps prestas fine. Wanted to get an airshot or similar but heard it sometimes kills track pumps

    So figured I’d go all in and buy the proper tool for the job. I bought the joe blow booster. Sorted my tubeless tyres fine, and is also a better track pump that what I used to use.

    Felt expensive, but only really about £20 more than buying two separate items, and looks better as one (and can’t lose one of the bits somewhere in the garage)

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