Review: Topeak Mini Morph G Pump

The popular Topeak Morph pump incorporates features of a workshop track pump – namely a handle and foot piece – into a trailside pump to make inflation quicker and less effortful than using a typical mini-pump. The Mini Morph G is the smallest of the Morph range with the G denoting the barrel pressure gauge on the hose.

The foot plate and handle flip and screw out respectively and the pump, despite its size, is surprisingly stable in use and certainly leads to faster pumping and less bicep burn than a standard mini-pump. If you were that way inclined you could comment that the handle and foot piece were little and on occasion, like in wet gloves, awkward to use. But then if you wanted something that had optimum ergonomics you’d be carrying a track pump and given I don’t want to do that, I’m quite happy with it as it is. In terms of volume it took 125 pumps to get a tubeless 27.5 x 2.4 Spesh Butcher pumped up to 20 psi from flat. That’s about the same as my other mini-pumps but it is much easier and quicker using the Morph than using a standard design pump.

As the hose is fairly short and the pump needs to be on the ground you do need to make sure your wheel’s valve is positioned right at the bottom and even then it can be a bit tight.   If you are particularly averse to crouching on the ground you can just stabilise the base in one hand and pump with the other but that rather negates the point of having a mini-track pump. The valve is set up for Presta and fits by pushing it on then locking with a lever, a safe and reassuring method although you do need to make sure it’s well on else it can come adrift. You can swap to a Schrader fitting but will need to unscrew and flip the rubber seal round to do it so it’s probably not the best design if you run both types of valves.

Whilst reasonably useful on a road bike (this model is actually optimised for road use, i.e. it is low volume, high pressure) the pressure gauge isn’t much use for MTB. The first line of the gauge is at 30 psi and the graduations are broad making it pretty much impossible to measure any pressure below this (I run my tyres around 18-21 psi) so I just used the tried and tested thumb press to measure my pressures. The gauge goes up to 160 psi so it is a bit more useful for road tyres, if you can be bothered to keep pumping that long.   If you’re not going to use it on a road then you might want to save a bit of weight and go for the gauge-less version (the Mini Morph).

The Mini G measures 26.5 x 5 x 2.8 cms and because of its larger handle and the gauge it comes up bigger than other mini-pumps I have. This makes it a bit too big (and its weight unbalanced) to put securely in a jersey pocket. If you were thinking of buying and will only carry this in your bag (or even using with the frame clip that comes with it), you might consider to upsize 7cm in length to the Morph for greater volume. I weighed the Mini G two grams less than the listed 178g (whereas the Morph is listed as 250g).

Overall: A well-built and functioning mini-pump which minimises the effort of trailside inflation although the gauge isn’t really designed for mountain bike pressures

Review Info