I have not given one of these too much thought, and have a selection of regular mini pumps that live in seat bags, backpacks etc.
a riding buddy has been using one for a while on both road and gravel and swears by them, which got me thinking. There are a few on sale so could make a good Santa gift for me 🤪.
The Topeak E Booster and the CycPlus AS2 Pro both get good reviews and are both decently discounted.
so what do folks think of these, in general and these specific models, or similar ones?
I have the CycPlus one and it works well - sits in the downtube storage.
I also have the Muc Off one which allows for a quick check of tyre pressures before I start a ride so more often am I riding the correct pressures. It just removes faff.
Same question from me but for mountain bikes only.
I hate having a pump strapped to my frame and when I needed it I realised that the pump I'd been carrying around for months and months doesn't even work. So it's ugly and pointless.
I have frame storage but it's not deep enough for a pump. It's big enough for a small cuboid, about the size of a small block of cheese. I could fit an electric pump in there.
I bought the Silca one because I'm a posh f*cker, have only used it once in anger and it worked as expected really.
Paranoid about it losing charge over time though so I'm regularly whipping it out of my saddle bag and giving it a top up, also carry a spare CO2 cart and chuck for if I ever need something with a little more oomph.
I've just bought the Topeak from Bike parts UK , I had £5 in loyalty points which took it down to £167 which I didn't think was bad . The choice on Amazon is .ind boggling but I decided to stick with a name I'm familiar with .
Got the CycPlus one as a Xmas gift last year. It just works fine. Seems to hold charge well too.
I've just bought the Topeak from Bike parts UK , I had £5 in loyalty points which took it down to £167 which I didn't think was bad
I hope that’s a typo….. it’s £63 on AmazonPrime..
For me, an electric pump is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, despite long covid I can muster up the energy to pump tyres/tubes manually.
I take a mini Zefal out on road rides, came from Merlin for less than £10 a few years back iirc, on Amazon it's www.amazon.co.uk/Zefal-Air-Profil-Micro-Aluminium/dp/B0037K3GF6
I bought the Silca Elettrico Ultimate for commuting and gravel rides. It’s brilliant. Fortunately I haven’t had to use it in anger yet.
I dont bother checking it for charge very often as it can run off my phone in an emergency. It’s in my locker so I’ll check it later to see how much charge it’s lost in 3 months
I’ll probably buy the smaller one for road ridrs
I can confirm is still nearly full and down 1 bar on the charge indicator
I've got the Topeak one and used it several times in anger on MTB and road tyres. Works well, gets five or six inflations out of one charge. Is noisy. Better than a pump for making tyres pop onto a rim. Less wasteful than a CO2 cylinder. Lot lazier than a pump.
Thanks, have ordered the CycPlus AS2 Pro one on the Amazon deal
get one with a gauge - can use it for a pre ride top up too
For me, an electric pump is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, despite long covid I can muster up the energy to pump tyres/tubes manually.
What if the problem is having a pump strapped to your frame?
i am not sure I would rely on an electric pump alone… so would always take a normal pump too. I don’t think having a pump strapped to my frame is a problem for me though… especially compared to a long push after my pump has run out of juice.
I do get the argument that electric pumps are a waste of resources and solution to a problem that doesn’t exist. Saying that, I was given a Fumpa pump years ago when it was the only one around. It was great for punctures when commuting, late for a meeting and in horrid weather.
The battery has stopped holding charge for long now but I do still use it in the house sometimes.
I don’t agree with the ‘solution to a problem that doesnt exist’ comment. Now, having said that, I would never have an electric pump as my only pump in a ride. But I was recently let down horribly by a (Blackburn) pump which simply wouldn’t work on the top of a French mountain. Only 50m into my descent. So I decided that I will never again be out on a big ride with only one inflation solution. Up until now, it’s been CO2 as my backup. But I think the electric pump woudl be a excellent backup.
They are absolutely brilliant, I didn’t know I needed one until I tried it; you get the exact pressure you want every ride, without fuss and without losing pressure when you take it on and off as long as you have a decent screw on nozzle. I’ve also put up a board in the bike shed with the pressures to use in different conditions for my daughter, works a treat. 🙂
I got the Top Pump TB2 Pro which was £28.
For me, an electric pump is a solution to a problem that doesn't exist, despite long covid I can muster up the energy to pump tyres/tubes manually.
What if the problem is having a pump strapped to your frame?
Not a problem I can relate to, all my bike jerseys and jackets have pockets and the Zefal is only 16cm long, my old ToysRUs pump from 25+ years ago it replaced recently was a bit longer but still very secure in a pocket.
I use the X1 from Coospo, they sent me one to review and I was really impressed with it, only one negative it can get quite hot after use so not as easy to just chuck in your back pocket.
https://www.coospo.com/collections/bike-pump
I can give anybody a site wide 10% discount code, just message me, it will work on top of the current discounts.
They're excellent little gadgets but give it a year or two and you'll hear and see nonstop people who've bought them and been let down at the trailside once the battery gets a little tired or some internal connector gives up the ghost after being rattled around in your bag or pocket (frame storage is brave!). Little tiny inexpensive lipo gadgets pretty much only go one way unless they're cared for like your firstborn child.
Ive used the rock bros, cycloplus road and MTB and the Flextail e-pumps. All have worked faultlessly and combined with tubeless reliability ive no issues with only taking the e-pumps out on local rides. For longer trips and exploring new places on multi day trips I'd take an analog pump as back up.
Most have 4 inflations worth of power at most for a grav tyre, less for an MTB so bare that in mind. Iirc the cycloplus and rock bros were made in the same factory
Had an AS2 Pro for over a year now
Brilliant bit of kit. All my bikes mtb / road are tubeless so means any air loss pre ride is sorted and accurate pressures are maintained
I wouldn’t go back to an old fashioned pump which is bulky and gives you no idea what pressure your putting in
I have the Cycplus AS2 Pro Max. It gets used regularly
It's a bit on the bulky side but I always have a bag of some description.
It easily does 4 MTB inflations if not more and will seat tubeless tyres
They are brilliant, refusing to accept that they are a decent innovation is someone else's loss
I have:
Cycplus AS2 Pro (really good)
Silca Electrico Ultimate (really good, not worth the extra cost over the Cycplus though)
Coospro something (probably OK but feels noticeably cheaper and is louder/rattly compared with the other two)
(I have 3 bikes and can't be arsed swapping them between saddle bags :p)
I do carry a manual pump or CO2 as well but it allows me to have a much smaller manual pump and, especially over winter, you aren't dealing with cold hands etc. at the side of the road/trail struggling with a mini manual pump and 300 strokes... I used to carry either a Topeak Mountain Morph or Lezyne Micro Floor Drive, both work well but are very bulky (and don't fit on the down tubes of my road or gravel bike). I never found a smaller manual pump that worked well enough that I'd want to be relying solely on it. All my electric pumps have pressure gauges to which is handy for trail side adjustments.
(I have 3 bikes and can't be arsed swapping them between saddle bags
this may be me too, I have 2 gravel bikes and one road, with pumps in saddle bag, backpack and on frame respectively. If the CycPlus AS2 Pro suits me I may end up cloning it…
im not planning on carrying a mini pump as well, unless bikepacking. I do unfortunately have a embarrassing amount of mini pumps and have put some of the brand new ones on the classifieds
A mate recommended the flex tail pump with guage. I'm still manual but can see the attraction
Had a few beers one evening early this year and bought a CycPlus AS2 Pro off Amazon for £50.
I like it, easy to use and with a gauge it means consistent tyre pressure. Took it on Lejog, but it was mostly used by my friend to check his tyre pressures as he was convinced he had a leak. He did have a manual pump for Lejog.
Worst pump I have ever owned was a Lezyne hand pump, one of those special ones that kindly removed the valve core for you 😖
I would never have an electric pump as my only pump in a ride.
Are you riding alone? If not, it makes sense for the group to have different things.
I don't mean you have to meticulously go through everyones kit list and remove all duplicates.
But it helps if everyone has a slightly different approach.
I'm quick to lend out my electric pump if someone needs it. I hope that in return if we've run it flat after doing 3 tyres someone else will offer their manual pump. Or if there's a bead that needs seating, a Co2.
Similarly I'll be quick on pulling my oneup steerer tube multitool out, gets used on other's bikes more than on mine. But I am missing pliers, quicklink pliers, and a big 8mm for crank bolts, all of which I have borrowed at some point in the last 12 years.
i am not sure I would rely on an electric pump alone… so would always take a normal pump too.
why ? They are pretty reliable and I would check the charge before a ride, I don’t take a backup phone, or spare Garmin, though do realise that a catastrophic failure of either of those probably wouldn’t be ride ending on a solo spin.
Careful in the cold.
One of my mates was using one on his commuter last winter and came to pump a tyre up after noticing a puncture when he went to ride home. His little electric pump went "puuuuuuummmmmmpppppp" then stopped. Leaving it in his saddle bag for the day had knackered the (fully charged) battery. Lucky he was at work, as he could bring the whole lot in and warm it up/charge/inflate.
I would never have an electric pump as my only pump in a ride.Don't think i'd do any ride without some sort of inflation back up, either being within reasonable distance of a bail out option (riding locally, or near the car) or taking two devices if it's a long ride away from civilisation!
Did have to ride about 20km on a flat tyre despite having two devices and three spare tubes between us after the cheapskate bike hire place refused to replace the threadbare tyre on the bike as it was the last hire it'd do that year, then they'd sell it.
Useless tossers.
I have one which was about £30 on amazon, not sure of the brand but has the gauge and has worked well in the 6ish months I've had it. Only used it a couple of times to pump up a flat tyre, but my mate uses it quite often to top his tyres up.
I still carry a co2 just in case it packs up though
Right, sounds like I need to manage my expectations a bit re a backup plan, so will pop the mini pumps back in to bike storage and look to carry the e pump in my jersey pocket
Cycplus as2 pro here as well and I always carry a mini pump as back up. I started carrying back up after a tubeless pal couldn't reseat his bead after a puncture, borrowed an inner tube, used all his battery faffing, borrowed a mini pump and off we go... It's obviously a flawed logic as I didn't carry a spare mini pump in case the primary mini pump failed but I think that's a less common (though not unheard of) scenario.
I also carry a couple of spare Presta valve cores as ejection/extraction is not limited to Leyzene pumps...
NanoFumpa. For road and gravel duties. Think of it as two reusable CO2 cartridges. One press is about 30 psi for road. There is no gauge and I don’t think you need one. It was powerful enough to seat a tyre on a tubeless ready rim in Mallorca. Very pleased. And it’s tiny. Fumpa sell spares including a user replaceable battery, and they’ve been running for ten years. That sold it for me and I’m going to buy the Fumpa black for track duties and home use too. I have a micro Topeak pump for emergency use mounted behind the seat tube water bottle cage. Not used it but happy it’s there. And yes I know the Topeak pump works as I’ve tested it!
I don't need one, get you pump out on any group ride and an electric pump gets offered. On solo rides I don't care if it takes a min or so more
I don't need one, get you pump out on any group ride and an electric pump gets offered. On solo rides I don't care if it takes a min or so more
Ok
Fab contribution 👍
I accidentally bought the full size Fumpa pump a while back (instead of a mini one to take on rides), was too lazy to return it and thought it might end up gathering dust in the garage (although would be carriable in a camelbak for MTB rides). As it turns out I use it all the time and it's my track pump that's now gathering dust. Great for quick top-ups before a ride and seats tubeless tyres fine.
For the garage, I have one of those battery drill format pumpers and it's really good. Battery lasts months, you set max pressure digitally and away you pump... Good for the cars too. I still occasionally use a track pump but it's definitely been relegated...
It's more the Use case(s) that dictates things for me, I do like the idea of an E-pump TBH.
Function on demand is still the major concern for me, I can't say I've never had any problems with a manual pump, but they are at least not reliant on a battery that is going to degrade with charge cycles, temperature cycles and age. These things generally have a similar capacity battery to a GoPro don't they(?) but without the benefit of being replaceable...
I do see the appeal for all flavours of bicycle, a compact air pusher that can be stowed in the compact spaces/pockets we have for tools and spares, an appropriate replacement for CO2.
My issue is that rather than being a thing I feel I can definitely rely on in a pinch I'll end up carrying an E-pump in addition to a manual pump, I just know I will.
I've recently gone back to carrying a full sized frame pump under the TT of my Winter Road and Summer Road/Gravel bikes. Yes They're generally unfashionable but had more capacity than any other manual pump, actually live quite out of the way and unlike CO2 there's less of a worry about their compatibility with sealants and/or TPU tubes (both of which need to be considered now). Plus you can't actually see the thing when your sat on the bike...
A full sized pump isn't really an option on my MTBs so I'm still carrying unsightly mini-pumps normally lashed to the DT on both of those, but I would like to get rid of them. Mini-pumps are sort of a "worst of both worlds" Solution IMO, less capacity than a 'proper' pump they still rattle and potentially get a bit in the way, but again avoid the possible issues CO2 has. I could probably be persuaded to try relying on an E-pump for the MTB and ditching all other options before the Road bike, mostly because my MTB ride distances and durations are less these days.
But if I'm 30-40 odd miles from home on a longer road or gravel ride, with sunset approaching, I really don't want to get a flat and then discover that my only air source has a knackered battery...
I'll no doubt buy a cheap one sooner or later...
I bought the fumpa because I decided to try tubeless GP5000s. Tyres were great but I was concerned about co2 degrading the sealant. The nano has been super and better than I expected. That it fits in the Rapha pouch is a bonus. The fumpa black goes to 200 psi. The nano is just count the presses, and a full battery gives 5-6.
Has anyone managed to get a tubeless bead to reseat with a lecky pumper whilst out and about?
Mine did with a tube in it.
Has anyone managed to get a tubeless bead to reseat with a lecky pumper whilst out and about?
I reckon you're less likely to be able to get it to seat with a mini electric pump than you are with a mini-pump. I've never managed to seat a tubeless tyre with anything less than a track pump.
I usually use a compressor but obviously not at the side of the road 🙃 That usually requires a tube.
Has anyone managed to get a tubeless bead to reseat with a lecky pumper whilst out and about?
I've seated two sets of Hutchinson Griffus and a set of Conti Kryptotal DH tyres recently with my Cycplus.
Not a re-seat trailside, but first fitting
Interesting. I'll give it a test next change. Sans jizz obv 🙃
First go with an AS2 Pro today. Does a good job of getting the air in but the gauge is disappointingly inaccurate.
Interesting, the reviews seem to suggest it is fairly accurate
Yeah, one of the reasons I went with that one. Hopefully they'll sort it out.
Mine arrived the other day and have had a play with it on gravel tyres, hadn’t thought to check accuracy, though I guess it’s all relative to the checking device accuracy
I'm testing against the cars toms, a digital shock pump and a Topeka D2 all of which are a good bit closer to each other. The Cycplus is the clear outlier
I reckon you're less likely to be able to get it to seat with a mini electric pump than you are with a mini-pump. I've never managed to seat a tubeless tyre with anything less than a track pump.
I disagree, most manual mini pumps you need to use 2 handed but for me the key to seating a tubeless tyre (without having a massive volume of air) is pressing down on it around the valve area (I guess it helps the pressure build up a bit by part sealing that area?). I haven't done it trailside but have done MTB, road and gravel tyres in my garage with the Fumpa pump (it's the bigger version though but not sure if it's more air flow or just a bigger battery)
I'll give it a try but will be surprised if it manages it. I had a 'p' while out yesterday and the little lecky device took ages to pump up a 25c inner tube (GASP! tubes and narrow...) so it's not delivering much volume at all. Not really a surprise as its cylinder and piston are tiny.
Maybe my slightly chunky Pro Max has a bit more oomph about it for seating tyres.
It's definitely (unsurprisingly, as it's bigger) got a much better battery than some of the reports on here.
It'll do a couple of big MTB tyres to 50psi if I'm trying to seat them, without going flat.
Blew up two tubes in 26 x 2.1 Billy Bonkers to 35psi yesterday without dropping a bar (of it's three).
Been on a big puncture ride with mates and done at least 4 MTB inflations with some left in the tank
I just picked up a rock bros gauge as it was heavily discounted, it has a little digital guage. Issue is it reads so far off what my knackered pump and a digital pressure gauge read. Anyone else had similar?
Used the AS2 in earnest today for first time. Out on gravel bike and heard the hiss and saw the spray of sealant everywhere.
Thought it had sealed but no, it’s about a 3-4mm slice in middle of tread. Used the pump to blow it from low teens up to 35psi twice, then decided to cut my losses as it was soft again and put tube in.
much faffage and mess, but the wee pump took the tubed tyre up to 35psi and still had 2 bars left. Air temperature was minus 3.
Thankfully the mudguard kept the sealant away from me 🤪
Mine arrived the other day and have had a play with it on gravel tyres, hadn’t thought to check accuracy, though I guess it’s all relative to the checking device accuracy
updating on this, I have a couple of accurate gauges, proper accu-gage ones, a high and a low pressure one.
I used them both this morning, pumped 2 gravel tyres to a displayed on AS2 Pro screen pressure of 35psi. Both gauges recorded 34 psi. Happy with that, @Onzadog, perhaps you have a duff one ?
- Thanks for the update, much appreciated. In the quest for accuracy, I bought a Jaco digital for the car and an SKS airchecker for the bike. Those two read with 0.1 PSI of each other. The AS2 Pro is 1 psi more. Seems it was my old To peak D2 that was under reading, that's now in the bin. I'm happy enough with the AS2 Oro
Good result 👍