Electric bike pumps are a recent phenomenon and a success story. In the space of just a few short years, they have gone from seeming a bit unnecessary to total acceptance and are fairly commonplace now on my group rides.

Whilst most pumps of this type concentrate, understandably, on compactness and low weight, the Silca Elettrico Ultimate Inflator majors on power and capacity. Silca claims that it is the equivalent of carrying nine CO2 canisters (presumably the 16g type), making it capable of pumping up multiple road or gravel tyres on one charge.

We recently conducted a thorough group test of all the best electric pumps, so I used his test parameters when evaluating the Silca Elettrico Ultimate Inflator.

Construction

In the box is the pump, hose, needle adaptor (for footballs etc), waterproof carry case, USB-C charging cable and a spare O-ring.

It’s quite a chunky unit, measuring 81mm x 60mm x 32mm, plus the connector hose, and it weighs 240g. It looks quite purposeful, with grey, finned sides and an aluminium construction, and, as with most things made by Silca, it is beautifully crafted.

Natively, the pump works on Presta valves, but it is compatible with Silca’s Schraeder chuck, should you need it.

The ride

First off, some facts and figures from my tests.

Sam tested and timed his pumps by inflating a 700 x 30c road tyre - the Elettrico Ultimate Inflator smashed this test, completing it in 22 seconds and beating all the on-bike pumps by a significant margin (the Cycplus AS2 Pro was the fastest in 37 seconds). Only two of the workshop pumps bettered the Silca, and then only by a few seconds.

The Elettrico Ultimate Inflator also beat all of the group test pumps in terms of number of inflations per charge. I managed to inflate my 700 x 30c road tyre 13 times from one charge and my 700 x 45c gravel tyre to 35psi 9 times. Very impressive.

Recharging takes less than an hour via a USB-C cable.

Of course, all of this power and battery life does not come without consequences, and that consequence is the unit’s size and weight. At 239g, it is heavier than most of the other electric pumps tested, and larger too, but it does still fit in my bottle cage tool tub and would easily slot into most saddlebags. It could be carried in a jersey pocket, but the weight and sharp edges might make it quite uncomfortable.

For reference, it weighs less than four 16g CO2 cartridges plus an inflator (250g) and 25g less than my mini pump, inflator and three canisters (265g).

Using the Elettrico Ultimate Inflator couldn’t be simpler, and within a few seconds of opening the box, I was busy blowing up my tyres - press and hold the On button, adjust the psi using the + and - buttons, screw it on the valve and press the On button again. I didn’t read the instructions tut, tut.

Like all these devices, it's quite loud and vibrates in the hand, and it gets quite warm too, although it was still holdable after three consecutive full inflations. The hose and valve get the warmest, and this does mean that it is not recommended for use with the best TPU tubes that have plastic valve stems.

As a cyclist, using a track pump is about the only upper-body exercise I do, and I had always been a bit sceptical about adding yet another battery-operated device to my cycling kit (gears, power meter, lights, computer, heart rate strap - cycling used to be such a simple hobby!). However, I have been seduced by the Elettrico Ultimate Inflator’s speed and convenience, pushing exactly the right amount of air into my tyres before a ride in just a few seconds, and all without troubling my triceps.

I have mainly used it as a workshop tool, preferring to carry one of the best mini bike pumps or a single CO2 on local rides for weight and space reasons. However, I took the Elettrico on a weekend trip around the Yorkshire Wolds with my wife, and used it to top up a leaky tubeless set-up on day 2, and it was excellent on a European cycling holiday too.

Whilst it might be bigger and heavier than a mini-pump, it is a lot smaller and lighter than a track pump, so I packed the Elettrico Ultimate Inflator in my hand luggage for a week-long ride around Slovenia. It was ideal for building the bikes up after the flight and also for monitoring tyre pressures as the weekend went on; Silca claims that it is accurate to within 1%. With its huge battery life, I didn’t need to charge it all week.

I did manage to successfully seat a tubeless tyre with the Elettrico Ultimate Inflator, but only the one, and it was no match for my trusty Airshot - it just doesn’t dump air rapidly enough to snap the bead onto the rim in most cases.

It's worth noting that the pump is limited to a maximum of 100psi. In this age of wider tyres and tubeless setups, this shouldn't be an issue for many riders, but if you still like to run 23mm tyres at 120psi, then the Silca won't work for you.

Value and conclusion

Not only is the Elettrico Ultimate Inflator larger and heavier than most of its rivals, it is also more expensive at £150 / $159. However, Silca has never troubled itself with making cheap products; this is the brand with a £500 / $509 track pump in its portfolio, so the premium over the other options is not unreasonable given its vastly superior performance, capacity and speed.

It is a bit less portable than many of the other electric pumps available, and perhaps 80-100g more than I’d like it to be, but that is a direct consequence of its battery capacity. Personally, I would trade a few inflations for a smaller, lighter unit - Silca does make the Elettrico Micro Inflator to fill this niche, but that loses the LCD screen and programmable pressure too.

I would also like the form factor to be a bit more forgiving, with fewer sharp edges and corners, so that it could be carried more comfortably.

The Elettrico Ultimate Inflator is best suited to workshop use, long trips or group rides when multiple inflations are a probability, rather than solo local rides.

Coming in a little smaller than two CO2 refill bottles, the diminutive Cycplus Tiny E-Pump AS2 inflator packs a lot of functionality into its 65x46.5x28mm shell and is now one of our best electric bike pumps. It can accommodate either Presta or Schrader valves with a reversible chuck and inflate for around 200 seconds, to a maximum of 100psi.

It costs $89.00, £70.20 or €82.38 with free shipping, and is available in either a black or silver finish. Included with the pump was the silicone case, USB-C charging cable, Schrader pin or 'pillar' and a spare seal (used on its own for Presta or in conjunction with the pin for Schrader).

Construction

The Cycplus has an aluminium case and is provided with a removable silicone sleeve that covers five of its six surfaces. The USB-C side is left uncovered to provide access to the charging port and air intake. It feels solidly made in the hand and weighs 97g, or 115g with the case. 

In use

I tried a wide variety of tire and inner tube setups to see how well the pump operated and whether the claims made by Cycplus stack up. I started off pumping up a flat tire until it felt reasonable to ride on using the thumb push technique (pressing down on the tire). Then I used the recommended timings to get to the target pressure required. For each test I confirmed the pressure using a Topeak AceDX track pump which I have found to have an accurate gauge.

What I discovered was, that by pumping to a rideable and 'get you home' pressure, it was often a bit lower than normally used. For example, on a 700x28c tire I'd use a track pump to go to 80psi, yet using the Cycplus and a thumb I'd get to 60psi. However, as I became used to the pump, I started to time the operation using the stopwatch on my phone. If I left the pump on and running for the recommended 150 seconds then it'd get to 80psi. So there is a difference in perception between the pressing down on a tire to see whether it's inflated enough and using a gauge. This is certainly not a criticism of the Tiny E-Pump AS2, as it can happen using CO2 or a mini pump too.

I found that the recommendations from Cycplus to be accurate. Using a 700x25c tire it would take 60 seconds to get to 60psi and 90 seconds to get to 80psi. Naturally as you have 200-ish seconds pumping time available it will allow you a certain number of inflations per full charge. For example you can expect to get four inflations of a 700x25c tire to 60psi but only two when using the same tire but need 80psi. 

In common with many hand pumps the Presta and Schrader valve capability is created by unscrewing the chuck head from the pump body, reversing the rubber seal, and in the case of setting up for Schrader, fitting the 'pillar' which is the brass pin that pushes the Schrader valve open. Either setting works well, however normally in hand pumps both the seal and pillar are reversed and kept in the chuck until such time that the other valve type is required. With the Cycplus the pillar is removed for the Presta mode. This left me feeling that it was a part that could be very easily lost. You could either leave it in Schrader mode and swap when Presta was needed, and return it back after the pump had been used or you could leave it permanently in Presta mode and leave the pillar safely at home. Although I only use Presta valves, I still felt that this was an opportunity lost though, as sometimes you may need the other setting to help a fellow cyclist out.

Using a mini pump such as the Topeak Micro Rocket AL would take a lot longer to inflate to the ideal pressure and involves a lot more effort. However should you have an issue whereby the puncture isn't fixed first time, or a fresh tube is damaged because grit or a thorn haven't been fully removed from the tire, then at least you can have another go. 

Conclusion

My main takeaway is around risk and one's appetite for it. If you're the sort of rider who gets nervous about only having one or two chances to inflate a tire, so avoids CO2 canisters as a result, then this pump may not be for you. Also, if you're going to cycle in a remote area, then the reliability of a conventional pump may be appealing. However, if you don't mind the limitations of the battery pump or CO2-type systems, and a speedy inflation is appealing, then this is a good proposition. Its advantages over CO2 are pumping control and possible environmental benefits. This pump could save the use of many CO2 canisters, however I appreciate that there is the manufacture and eventual disposal of a battery and case to account for. 

I liked its small size and that it would fit in my spares pot. Equally, it fitted into a rear pocket easily. Although I don't generally use a seat pack for spares there is no reason why it wouldn't fit in one, especially if replacing CO2 refills and a chuck. 

Overall it's a well-made pump with speed of inflation at its heart. The ability to recharge in 20 minutes is great too. I'd just like the chuck operation to keep all the parts safely inside, regardless of whether Presta or Schrader was chosen.

With so many different volume and pressure tires using different valves, a single floor pump that suits all the bikes that you and your family own is an extremely valuable asset. 

We put the Specialized Air Tool Comp Floor Pump to test against all the road, gravel, MTB and kids bikes we could find to see how fared and compared to other best bike pumps we've tested recently. 

Specialized Air Tool Comp Floor Pump: construction

Everything about the Specialized Air Tool Comp Floor Pump is oversized; the handle, foot plate, head and cam, even the colour is massive. Aesthetically this can feel a little in your face, but practically it makes the Air Tool incredibly easy to use (and due to it's fluro-orange colour, very easy to find in the back of the garage).

The Air Tool Comp delivers 365cc per stroke up to a pressure of 120 psi. It’s designed to be used on both road tires which require a lower volume of air at a higher pressure, and gravel bike ones which take a higher volume but at a lower pressure. 

The base measures around 26 (wide) x 20 cm (deep). As well as textured / drilled out metal there’s also skateboard grip tape. The size and grip combined makes it incredibly stable to use and it’s well balanced even with just one foot on it. Similarly the wide (26cm) and ergonomically shaped handle is easy and comfortable to grip. At 65cm tall the pump is pretty standard height.

The gauge is nicely designed with both road and gravel tires in mind. There are two sections on the gauge which are different scales, one for 0-30 psi and then 30-120 psi to suit gravel and road tires respectively. At 75mm / 3” across the face is incredibly easy to read, particularly when it comes to the increments between the lower numbers which is great if you’re picky tire pressure person like me.  

The SwitchHitter II head fits both Presta and Schrader valves. What’s really useful – and pretty unusual – is that it does this automatically without the need for a double-sided head or for you to change the orientation of the rubber insert. Convenient features like this are all the more welcome when you’re late for work and find you need to sort a puncture before you commute to work.

A nice extra is the spare rubber seal that comes with the pump if you mangle the original one. Spare heads and hoses are also available.

Specialized Air Tool Comp Floor Pump: The ride

The Air Tool is really stable in use and pumping is quick and easy. My MTB tires have pumped up quickly enough and I’ve had no issues getting my road tires up to the max 120 psi pressure the pump can handle. I’ve have also managed to seat tubeless tires with the Air Tool but not consistently.

The gauge was really easy to read although, in comparison to readings from a Topeak digital gauge, were a little higher: Air Tool 40 psi = Topeak 35 psi, 60 psi = 54 psi, 80 psi = 73 psi. As the variation was pretty consistent across pressures then it’s one that’s easy to adjust to.

The downside of a do-it-all pump is that – relatively – you’ll need a few more pumps to inflate a gravel tire and a bit more oomph for higher pressures in a road tire than if you have a specific pump. But neither of these things have been an issue, the Air Tool Comp handles it all with ease.  

If you did want a pump that was more orientated to one end or the other of the volume:pressure ratio, Specialized do the Air Tool Floor Pump in HP (high pressure; 252cc stroke volume, 145 psi max) and MTB (508cc, 40 psi max pressure) versions.

The SwitchHitter II head does the job it’s supposed to do and has worked effectively on both Presta and Schrader valves.  The massive cam lever on the head makes the pump really easy to attach and remove from your valves. I’ve had no problem with getting a tight fit and no leaking whilst pumping.

The only wheel / valve I couldn’t get it to work on was on a child’s 20” wheeled bike where there’s not enough room between the spokes to fit the head. This is likely to be a problem with any track pump (I’ve not yet found one that fits), I tend to use a mini-pump with a hose on these wheels.

I’ve not run this particular model long enough to comment on longevity but I do have a previous version of this pump which is now about 15 years old and I’ve never had any issues with it.

Specialized Air Tool Comp Floor Pump: Value and conclusion

At $70 / £50 the Specialized Air Tool Comp Floor Pump is competitively priced against other floor pumps like the Cannondale Precise ($65 / £55).

The do-it-all convenience of Specialized Air Tool Comp Floor Pump makes it an ideal pump for general use. It’s incredibly easy to use: there’s no faffing around with different ends of the head for different valves, it’s secure and stable and easy to achieve the pressures it’s designed to do.

Specialized Air Tool Comp Floor Pump: specs

• Dual-scale 3" (76mm) oversized gauge has 0-30 PSI (2.2bar) zone for gravel tires, and 30-120 PSI (8.2bar) zone for road tires.
• SwitchHitter II head automatically switches between Schrader and Presta valves.
• Steel base and aluminum barrel construction.
• Ergonomic wing handle is overmolded for comfort.
• Includes spare rubber seal for head.
• Max pressure: 120 PSI (8.3bar)
• Volume-per-stroke: 365cc

The Specialized Air Tool Road is a minimal frame pump, delivering 60cc air per stroke up to a claimed 100 psi. 

We got our pressure gauges out to see how it performed and compared to our other best bike mini pumps. 

Specialized Air Tool Road: construction

The Air Tool is manufactured from aluminium so it’s lightweight and durable with a plastic head. The outer barrel of the pump has been lightly machined with ribs to increase grip whilst you pump.

To get as much volume as possible for the size, the pump has a small direct -clamp head which is Presta fit only.

There’s a plastic clamp for mounting the pump onto the water-bottle bosses of your frame. As the pump is 10.5" / 27cm long it’s not really one for carrying in your pocket, making the clamp a must-use. This throws in a few limitations if you have several bikes (spare mounts aren't available) or are riding in mucky conditions which subject your pump to grime.

The Road is one of a few iterations of the Air Tool. Other options include the Road Mini (a shorter but lower volume version), as well as MTB and MTB Mini versions for higher volume / lower pressure tires. On our scales the Air Tool road weighed 99g and another 12g for the frame clamp.

The ride

The head fits really firmly over the valve and was firmer than many I’ve used which have a lock (as it’s so tight you do need to be careful removing it so not to bend your valve).  

Because the pump is so slim and head so small I found you have to be quite precise with your hold and used my fingers on the head rather than my whole hand. The body of pump is quite smooth despite the machining, so to get a better grip and more oomph behind my pumping I tended to move the end of the pump so it pushed into the palm of my hand. As the pump is pretty narrow this became a bit uncomfortable as the pressure got higher as all the force was concentrated on a small area. Generally it was much easier to get the right hold on the pump with the wheel out the bike.

With the technique dialled pumping was really easy and smooth, it took 120 pumps to get a tubeless 28 x 700cc tire to from flat to 65 psi (pressure measured with a digital pressure gauge). I could get the tire to about 75 psi but after this I didn’t have enough strength to get much more air in, I’m sure those with better pecs and biceps could manage better.

Value and conclusion

Specialized Air Tool Road is a sleek but high-volume mini-pump. It delivers air quickly into your tire but it’s not necessarily the easiest pump to handle and it’s too long to stash in a pocket.

The Air Tool Road sits at the mid-point of prices for mini-pumps ($35 / £28). Other similarly priced pumps are the Topeak Microrocket  ($32 / £27) and Lezyne’s Lite Drive Mini Pump ($40 / £33). If you want to go cheaper, there's the Specialized Air Tool Switch Sport and others in our best budget mini pump guide. 

Specs

• Material: All-aluminum inner and outer chamber
• Mount: Water bottle boss frame mounting bracket included.
• Max pressure: 100 PSI (6.9 bar)
• Volume-per-stroke: 60cc
• Colour: Black
• Valve: Presta
• Weight: 99g and 12g frame mount

We've all been there, standing by the side of the road or trail hesitating to call a friend or partner after failing to fix a flat. The fear of ridicule or a grumpy loved one might make some of us choose to walk. This is where the best tubeless tyre puncture repair tools can be incredibly helpful. These compact tools are portable and can help you finish your ride or at least get home using your own power.

While the best tubeless sealants do a fantastic job of sealing the best gravel or road tubeless tyres, sometimes they need a little extra help, especially with larger holes. Working like a needle and thread, tubeless repair tools allow you to insert a rubber strip, commonly known as a "plug," into your tyre to help fill the void. These tools are available in various formats, with most of our experts' top picks specifically designed for the job. A prime example is our top-rated tubeless repair tool, the Blackburn Plugger, which boasts a sturdy handle, space for extra plugs, and a strap for easy transport on your bike.

To put these tools to the test, we deliberately punctured tyres to test the best tubeless tyre repair tool. The result is six tools that we highly rate and trust for use by the side of the road or trail.

The quick list

Best Tubeless Tyre Puncture Repair Tools 2026

Best overall

The Blackburn plugger kit does one job quickly and reliably. Its plastic housing feels lightweight but durable and contains the tool and ten plug strips. The plugger can be preloaded, allowing for fast deployment. A quick turn releases the tool from the housing, which is a metal tube with an open and pointed end rather than the frequently seen fork. We appreciated this difference, as the strips always stayed in the tyre and were easy to insert and load.

The system's wider diameter can be tricky to insert in a smaller puncture, but those would likely seal up with sealant alone. The manual encourages loading “up to two plugs at once” for larger holes, and we found the tube was fairly easy to load with one or two strips. Two plugs were nearly enough to seal a larger (8mm) sidewall tear, but we might not trust that as a long-term fix. The Plugger kit has a hook and loop strap that enables fast access by strapping the kit to the bike’s frame, fork leg, or zip-tied anywhere. We thought strapping it to our best bike mini pump was rather clever. Blackburn claims repairs are permanent so you can ride easy knowing that your tyre should last.

Best for racing

Dynaplugs, originally used for motorcycle tyre repairs, are fast, reliable, and beautifully machined tools. The Racer Pro's slick aluminium housing contains “Twin Tube™ technology” to hold four ready-to-go plugs, including one Megaplug (three times the thickness of their standard plug). Unlike the more common strips, these plugs are metal-tipped to enable low-force insertion—for us, this made the repair easier. It also helps reduce the risk of nicking rim tape or damaging nice carbon rims.

We found that the system took just seconds to insert into a puncture, with more plugs ready to go if needed for larger holes. This is a go-to choice when every second counts on a racecourse. The Racer holds two plugs, compared to the Racer Pro’s four, for a bit of cost savings. Dynaplug also claims repairs are permanent for the life of the tyre.

Best for big holes

The DART Tool is certainly a different concept than most of the other tools we tested and that came with its pros and cons. The light plastic body houses two large “Dual Action Repair for Tubeless” aka DART that are almost reminiscent of a badminton birdie, and the rods to insert them.

While Stan’s describes these rods as “ultralight, corrosion-resistant and incredibly strong carbon” we had one break on the first attempt and don’t seem to be alone in this issue. Luckily the tool comes with two and the other side held up and sealed an ugly sidewall tear that any other plug or strip would have struggled with. To aid matters the DART is also said to create a chemical reaction with Stan’s sealant to enable a stronger and more durable fix. This benefit, however, only appeals if you’re already a Stan’s user.

With some breakage and the plastic head of the DART as a real struggle to insert, this tool might only be useful with large punctures. If you seem to tear sidewalls, or go big with punctures and need a way to get home, this might be the tool for you.

Most versatile

The Wolf Tooth Encase Chain + Tyre Plug Multi-Tool is meant to be a multi-tasker, and it’s a clever one at that. Initially, the kit seemed too large to fit in the curve of a drop bar. However, the installation was consistently a breeze once we'd placed the pivoting tool correctly.

The tubeless plug tool is encased in an aluminium body and threads onto the tool, which pulls double duty as a chain breaker. It has space to store the included 5 repair strips and preload the fork tool with one as well. On its own, the plugger was pleasant and easy to use. Strips loaded into the fork easily, even when doubled up, and we found they plugged punctures well, detaching from the fork to remain in the tyre.

The Encase System is well designed and richly featured, a pro if you’re looking for a full tool kit and a con if you’re just after a plug tool to add to your existing kit. As a stand-alone, the chain tool seems robust but was not tested and does require an external 4mm hex to function. The system storage sleeves seemed to fit snugly without noise or rattling but were not tested on the trail. Wolf Tooth does acknowledge that this system will not work with some ergonomic-style road bars with extra bends in the drops and has a running list of known bars that fall into this category.

Best for wide tyres

This kit comes with the traditional fork encased in one bar end, a knife to trim plugs in the other, plus 3 packs of different size strips. The strips are described as being small for road, medium for gravel tyres, and large for mountain. Our first attempt with the medium strip fared poorly, with the tacky strip sticking to the tines of the fork and itself, failing to stay in the tyre. A second attempt using the smaller strip went smoothly and held well despite a tricky placement right next to a knob. The knife to trim down the strip worked well and did not create any resistance or pull any of the strips back out, as we were concerned it might. With this in mind, this kit may be best for a more aggressive gravel adventure bike or to share with a mountain bike.

Having a colour pop or colour-coordinated bar end is also appealing, as these come in 12 colour options. They are the most involved in fitting into drop bars and also the slowest to remove. Utilizing the 4mm hex to get a comforting, snug install also means you need the 4mm to get the tools out of the bar ends. It’s not a complicated ordeal, but it is potentially an issue of lost time, tyre pressure, and sealant.

Best bar end tool

A tool that's hidden but always there. Granite's Stash Tyre Plug seamlessly disappears in your handlebars or hollow axle crank, out of the way but there when needed.

The quality aluminium all-in-one kit comes with a reamer and fork, medium-sized strips, and two different end caps. For a small 35-gram weight addition, you can fit the stash tool in your handlebars, steerer tube, or hollow crank.

The tool looks super clean, and we found that the reamer and fork itself did the job at hand. However, the tool's insertion and removal require an additional 4mm hex. It's also a tad time-consuming, resulting in quite a bit of air and sealant loss. Stashing the tyre strips inside the tool is a bit of a squeeze, but Granite doesn't provide a dedicated place to store them, meaning you either stuff them in with the tool or carry them in a pack separately.

How we tested tubeless plug tools

The testing of tubeless tyre puncture repair tools is the only time we willingly want punctures to see which is the best tool. To avoid any accidents or injuries to reviewers, our testing is done in the relatively controlled environment of our warm and dry workshop. While it doesn't replicate real-world scenarios, it allows us to test a larger number of tools and kits, replicating different-sized punctures and damage.

Clearly, the primary function of a tubeless tyre plug is to repair punctured tyres, allowing them to hold air again, which was the test's primary concern. The Plug's ability to seal large and small holes or slashes was assessed, as was its speed of deployment, which could be crucial to help the tyre retain air, especially when racing.

However, elements such as ease of storage, simplicity to use and inclusion of other handy tools were also considered when giving a star rating and the kit's value for money.

Our basic testing is done by making several holes or varying sizes, then plugging and reinflating. This test is very similar to how we test the best tubeless sealants; however, these holes are slightly bigger.

For more information on how the Cycling Weekly team of tech testers go about putting the best cycling tools and kit through its paces, visit our How We Test page.

Meet our tester

How to choose a tubeless plug tool

While the traditional flat kit of the best tyre levers, tube, best mini pump (or best electric bike pump) and best multi-tool is the core basics you should have on every ride, the addition of a tubeless plugger can make the difference whether or not you need to use those resources. To find the right plug tool for you, consider a few variables:

Storage - Ease of access to this tool can make the difference between losing a few psi or leaking sealant all over the road. Many products are designed to be stored in a handlebar so they take up minimal space. Others strap onto your bike, and some are small enough to be added to your existing flat kit or tool wrap.

Multi-taskers - Many of the best plugger tools we tested were built to do that one thing, while others are built into multi-tools or entire tool systems. Are you happy with your existing multi-tool or other elements of your flat kit? If not then consider these multi-taskers as a clever way to build out your tool arsenal.

Type of riding - This test was structured with gravel riding and the tyres and likely punctures of this style of riding. Many of the pluggers in the market are oriented to mountain biking and size their tools and repair strips accordingly. We struggled with this larger strip size and left off several tools that fell into this category. Additionally, the kit you carry may vary depending on pace, terrain, and remoteness. Some tools are oriented toward fast and light, while others are heavier-duty or feature-rich.

How to use a tubeless tyre plug tool

Using one of the best tubeless tyre repair tools is incredibly simple and shouldn't be a concern for anyone. The benefit is that you don't need to remove the tyre, which, considering the tightness of some tubeless tyres, means you only need your repair tool and something to reinflate with, like one of the best electric bike pumps. Here are my six steps to getting the best seal...

1. Locate the puncture - remove the offending article and see if the sealant can work its magic without intervention. If not, prepare your tool.
2. Tool prep - ensure the plug is correctly fitted in the tool, through the eye, and can be removed unobstructed.
3. Insert the tool, ensuring the plug folds in half and aligns as best as possible to fill the hole.
4. Twist and slowly extract - to release the plug, you will need to twist the tool a small amount and then slowly pull it out. Make sure to leave at least half the plug in the tyre.
5. Let the remaining sealant do the rest - once the plug is in and looks secure, place the plug at the lowest point to allow sealant to pool around it, giving a good seal.
6. Inflate - be careful inflating and keep an eye on that plug, you don't want it popping out. Also, be sure to check the plug's max rated pressure; some will only allow you to limp home.

If the hole is large you might need to use more than a single plug. Whatever you do try to keep as much sealant in the tyre as you can, as this will save you once the hole is plugged.

FAQs about tubeless plugs

The Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage floor pump works as a conventional track pump, taking inner tubed tyres from zero PSI all the way to 160PSI (as required) but will additionally deal with the extra complexities that a tubeless setup needs. Primarily this is the requirement to be able to dump a large volume of air into the tyre quickly to enable the tyre bead to seat against the rim and create a tight seal. Then the liquid sealant can do its job and close up small gaps to create an air tight seal and keep the tyre inflated correctly. 

One of the main impediments to allowing the air mass quickly into the tyre is the valve core. The JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage deals with this issue by having a core removing tool cleverly placed in the chuck head. As long as the fitted valve stem (not including the valve core) measures at least 16mm then the core removing tool can extract the core, allowing the tyre bead to be seated. The tyre can then be pressurised to 30PSI - using the 'stage 1' setting' and the core refitted. 

Next the switch can be flipped to stage 2, which will allow a higher pressure to be reached (30PSI-160PSI). 

It's worth noting that this is for a Presta valve setup. The JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage will pump Schrader-valved tubes but the provided adapter will need to be used.

I found the pump to be very stable when pumping it one handed with my hand placed centrally over the handle. The baseplate is made from hardened steel and is very solid with just one foot placed upon it. This one hand and one foot technique is sometimes required when starting a tubeless inflation from scratch so that the other hand can be used to manipulate the tyre beads near to the valve hole at the same time as pumping. In normal use with both hands and feet on the pump it was really solid.

I compared the number of strokes to pump from zero to 90PSI between the Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage Track Pump and my own Topeak Ace DX that I’ve been using for three years. I used the same wheel, tyre and inner tube each time. The Tubi 2Stage took five strokes to reach 30PSI (using setting one) then a further 26 strokes to get to 90PSI (using setting two). The Ace DX took 12 strokes to get to 60PSI and an additional 10 strokes to reach 90PSI. 

So the Tubi 2Stage is a little slower to gain higher pressures. However it can deal with tubeless much more effectively.

The pressure gauge is clearly marked and easy to read from a height. The adjustable ‘tell-tale’ was clear to see and adjust. It enabled the desired pressure to clearly flagged. I felt satisfied with the accuracy of the gauge as it matched a variety of other gauges that I had. However this was not a scientific test.

I liked the chuck head and found its Presta valve-only function more reliable than some dual-type chucks. It was a snug fit over the valve stem and with the addition of the Grip Lever tab allowed an easy two handed fitting and removal of the chuck head in a controlled manner. Sometimes other chucks can accelerate the hand, as they are removed, with a jolt which can push the hand into spokes or sharp bike parts. This can hurt! There is a Schrader to Presta adapter provided and this worked well on Schrader valved bikes.

The hose length is adequate at 75cm, however I'd like it to be longer and 100cm would be my preference. That said, the hose going over the handle then clipped is great as it allows ease of manoeuvring and carrying using the handle, without the pump extending.

Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage floor pump: value and conclusion

So, in conclusion, I felt that the Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage pump was well made and worked very nicely. If you want the tubeless features it is good value for money at £109.99. If you don't want that feature then maybe consider the Topeak JoeBlow Sport II track pump (£46.99) as a good and economical pump or the Topeak JoeBlow Ace DX (£136.99) for a high quality pump.

Specifications

• Weight 2.3kg
• Height 74cm
• Footprint 26cm x 18cm
• Max pressure 160psi / 11bar
• RRP £109.99

The Truflo Airstore joins the ever expanding band of versatile track pumps that also feature a separate chamber designed to store pressurised air specifically for the job of seating tubeless tyres.

The sleek, gloss black finish hides a pump that has similar proportions to many of its rivals. A height of 680mm when stored extends to nearly 1200mm so creating a very comfortable and ergonomic pump action even for users over six foot like myself.

Truflo construct the Airstore out of metal for long-term durability, using steel for the base and aluminium for the chambers, shaft and handle. A rubber skirt around the base increases grip on slippy surfaces along with two small rubber sections for your foot to grip when pumping. Although the base isn't as stable as other designs and the high overall weight means it can be easy to tip the Airstore over.

The handle has a teardrop shape that feels really comfortable on the hands even when pushing down hard to fill the secondary chamber.

The best track pumps for 2020

The head also follows the all-metal, durable approach and has a valve lock that grips so tightly that it can be difficult to look fully in place on occasions, but be assured it grips like a limpet when on. A small lever underneath this controls the action of the pump, flick out to engage and prime the high pressure chamber, flick back to release air or operate the Airstore as an ordinary pump.

To swap between presta or schraeder valves you need to unscrew the end piece, reverse and reinsert. It only takes a couple of seconds so isn't too much of an issue but still a bit more faff than a double head or multi-valve version. It also lacks a bleed valve - I know this isn't a common thing found on pumps but when you use a pump with one it is a real godsend with setting accurate pressures.

All you need to know about going tubeless

In action the Truflo Airstore is comfortable and relatively quick to use. As a test it took 33 strokes to inflate a 700x28c Bontrager R3 tyre from 0-80psi, as registered on its gauge. To pressurise the chamber up to 180psi took 11 strokes - Truflo claim you can pressurise up to 260psi but I found going over 180psi to be exponentially harder to achieve and 180psi was more than enough to seat and inflate any tubeless tyre I cared to test. For example, 180psi seated and inflated a 700x42c WTB Resolute tyre to 14psi, requiring a further 21 strokes to pump to my usual 35psi for tubeless gravel tyre use.

Aiding in the inflation is a relatively easy to read, high-positioned gauge. When tested against my accurate pressure gauge the Truflo unit over read by approximately 2psi, which is perfectly adequate for road use and a pretty good measure for gravel and MTB. The only thing I don't like about it is the fairly cheap and plasticky nature of the gauge's construction.

For a product that sees almost constant use it seems it can be surprisingly difficult to develop the perfect pump. Luckily Birzman has done just that with the Editor’s Choice winning Maha Push and Twist. Easy to use, accurate and above all reliable it could be the last pump you ever buy.

The Birzman Maha Push and Twist V track pump continues Birzman’s line of track and minipumps which use its clever Push and Twist valve connector. Rather than having a lever on the head, there’s an outer ring to the connector. To seal it to the tyre valve, you just push the connector over the valve head, pull up the ring and twist it one turn to make an airtight connection.

Pulling down the connector ring releases the head quickly and with minimal air loss. The design works really well and is simple and easy to use.

I’ve been using the older Maha Apogee III pump as my go to track pump for years. It still works just fine and shows zero signs of wear. The Maha Push and Twist V track pump simplifies the design a bit from that pump, but is essentially the same. The valve head is a bit chunkier now, but this allows it to handle Schrader valves in the same way as presta ones, whereas the older head had to be screwed onto Schrader valves.

Birzman doesn’t skimp on hose length either. Twice as long as the barrel and secured via a hook in the base, there’s plenty of length to reach a bike in a stand.

There’s more use of plastics in the Maha Push and Twist V than in the Maha Apogee pump. The pump cylinder is still made of aluminium. But the handle and the base are now plastic. The handle is still robust and comfortable to use and the base is wide and three legged like the older design, so the Maha Push and Twist V pump is stable on uneven and soft ground.

The barrel stands vertically on the base of the Maha Push and Twist V. On the Maha Apogee, it was slanted slightly towards the user. Supposedly an ergonomic feature, I actually found this a bit uncomfortable to use, as if you used the full stroke, the handle tended to hit you in the chest. It’s good that the slope has gone on the Maha Push and Twist V, as it makes the newer pump that much easier to use.

The gauge on the Maha Push and Twist V is also larger, for increased readability. The white on black psi scale is particularly clear. It reads up to 220psi if you are looking for a firm ride – not that I tried inflating any tyres above the 100psi which is nowadays considered firm for a road-going tyre.

The Topeak JoeBlow Ace DX was double the price of the next most expensive pump in the August 2 issue of Cycling Weekly magazine's track pump grouptest, the SKS Rennkompressor. Is it worth it?

Well, you get double the number of barrels to make pumping to various pressures as efficient as possible, it’s almost double the weight and it stands 10cm taller than most others at 74cm. Its gauge is a positively Big Ben-like 11cm in diameter, over twice the size of the Rennkompresssor's.

What's more, the Topeak JoeBlow Ace DX has a dial on top of the handle to select your approximate target pressure, determining which combination of barrels is to be engaged – the equivalent of selecting an appropriate gear for the gradient.

In its ‘60’ setting the Ace DX inflated our test 700x25c tubeless tyre to 100psi in a 11 monster strokes giving it both barrels – but as expected it took a lot of leaning on to get that much air in in one stroke once it got beyond 60psi.

The ‘120’ setting got 100psi in 18 strokes using just the large barrel – more controlled, easier pumping than in '60' – while the small barrel takes it up to 260psi, which we didn't test since there's no road bike component that requires that much pressure – it's for shocks.

The pleasingly heavy all-metal SmartHead DX1 chuck fits Presta and Schrader valves without swapping parts and there’s a bleed valve that lets air out of the tyre rather than just the hose, unlike the Lezyne Macro’s – useful for getting pressure spot on.

The base, like the barrels, is made from aluminium and has rubber grips that hold the Topeak JoeBlow Ace DX solid when you're pumping. The handle, a heavyweight plastic, has plenty of heft even if it doesn't feel or look as nice as those of some considerably cheaper pumps that use wood. But it does match the Ace DX's workshop aesthetic.

This is an unashamedly massive pump with a massive performance and a correspondingly bigger price tag.

The Lezyne Macro Floor Drive is the cheapest track pump in Lezyne’s range, which tops out with the Digital Pressure Over Drive at £140, and was a worthy winner of the ‘best value’ sticker in our track pump grouptest in the August 9 issue of Cycling Weekly.

Lezyne’s screw-on dual chuck (reversible for Presta/Schrader) is the star – gold anodized to emphasise this – and really works a treat. This is complemented by Lezyne’s ABS air bleed system that allows you to let the pressure out of the hose before unscrewing chuck from valve, making for a precise inflation and neat decoupling.

Since the chuck itself doesn't depress the valve – the air pressure does that – it's very easy to use. If you're swapping between Presta and Schrader you have to unscrew and reverse Lezyne's Flip Head Chuck but it's a 30-second job.

The barrel and piston are steel but the handle and base are plastic – to be expected at this price – and feel a little lightweight. At 1.25kg the Lezyne is lighter than many track pumps, but this doesn't affect its function at all.

The Lezyne hit 100psi in 25 strokes, feeling slightly less smooth than the Specialized Air Tool HP in the last few strokes and needing more weight behind it, possibly due to a thinner hose.

The gauge, at 7cm is the same size as the Specialized’s and has black digits on a light background rather than reversed-out white on black, which is more common in the current crop of track pumps and as it result is very clear.

We checked the Lezyne Macro Floor Drive's gauge against a digital gauge and found it to be 100 per cent accurate.

As for its value for money, we doubt you'd find a better-functioning, sleeker-looking pump for £36 but if you like a more solid-feeling handle and a metal base and the budget will stretch, the Lezyne Steel Floor drive has a varnished wood handle and machined aluminium base and costs £60.

This is not my first dabble with the SKS Rennkompressor track pump. It was known as just 'the track pump' in our house for many years, as it was all we needed, and before that, as my other half reminds me, 'his track pump'.

>>> Best track pumps for 2018

We've tried to work out the lifespan of the old one, but lost count at around the 25-year mark. It met its eventual demise in a fateful garage flooding around 10 years ago. We tried to save it but the water got in deep, wrecking the inner workings and even splitting the wooden handle.

I realise now we could have probably given it a complete overhaul and replaced more or less everything in spare parts, Trigger's broom style, but hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Form v function

Unpacking the 2018 SKS Rennkompressor track pump not much has changed over the years. At a glance you would struggle to tell the difference between it and the 1966 version. It is, in my humble opinion, still very much a handcrafted thing of beauty. I realise that the aesthetic of a bike pumps isn't going to be everyone's thing, but for me personally I love the industrial look and the Rennkompressor has it in spades.

>>> Tubulars, clinchers, tubeless - which tyre system is fastest?

What's immediately noticeable, if you've ever had the pleasure of handling a Rennkompressor, is the weight. The steel barrel and shaft are still partnered with a cast iron base, making it  just over two kilos in weight.

There are four valve head connectors on offer: Multi-valve, Thumb lock, EVA Head and Brass Nipple Connector. We opted for the handy Multi-valve head for ease of use on this test, but I suspect if I were buying for home, my old-school romantic ideals would see me wanting to purchase the Brass Nipple Connector again, even though from memory this wasn't the best at staying put after several years of use and necessitated the one-handed body-pump squat while the other hand held it firmly on the valve.

With the barrel measuring around the 54cm mark, the SKS Rennkompressor is around average height for a track pump, but with foldable feet the pump's overall footprint is on the small side, measuring 35cm by just 7cm when in use, or, with the feet folded up, the base is just 7cm x 13cm with the handle at 25cm its widest point.

Talking of handles, it's nice to see the SKS Rennkompressor track pump still continuing to use a tactile wooden one, which fits really well with the overall concept that everything should wear beautifully. Once it's actually worn out it can, with the loosening of one nut, be replaced.

Compared to modern pumps, the pressure gauge is very small at 5cm across. The pros of this of course allows the overall shape to remain one of the slimmest on the markets; the downside is that it can make precise pressure requirements a bit hit and miss as the dial is too small to be exact – and it takes a bit of squinting to actually read it – and there's no external pressure pointer guide.

The Rennkompressor in use

With all my cooing, it would be easy to overlook the practical aspect of actually using a bike pump. The only truly important aspect of a pump is how it does its job; namely does it connect easily and stay connected, does it leak air anywhere and, finally, how easily does it inflate a road tube?

To give the test a bit of context, I'm using a standard Presta valve tube in a 25mm Continental Grand Sport Race Tyre on a Vision Trimax Carbon 40 wheel.

It took 40 pumps of the SKS Rennkompressor track pump to inflate the tyre from near flat to 100psi.

Since the Rennkompressor's feet are in a single plane at 180°, it lacks a bit of forward/backwards stability in use, but it was still easy to get to 100psi. The actual pressure gauge dial reaches 240psi, which might be slightly optimistic, but I would reckon on 200psi reasonably easily (not that I would like to test on any of the tube/tyre/wheel combos I have access to).

The valve head was easy and quick to attach with zero leakage. It did dawn on me that the  Multi-valve head valve connector is on the large size, so it's worth taking it into consideration that if you're using a small wheel with a high spoke count, one of the smaller valve heads might fit easier.

Value

There's no denying the SKS Rennkompressor track pump is at the upper end of the price bracket when compared to other options on the market, but I would certainly look at it as an investment.

Almost any part of the track pump can be replaced and, assuming your garage is more watertight than my old one, you shouldn't need to ever by another in your life time, and it will certainly outlive most bikes if not their owners.

There are a few occasions when accurate tyre pressure measurement makes a lot of difference. The Lezyne Digital Alloy Drive makes dialling it in a lot easier.

If you’re planning to ride off road, you want to make sure that you can set the right pressure in your tyres. It makes a big difference to grip and traction on wet, muddy paths. If you run too high a pressure, you’ll be slipping around; too low and you risk pinch flats.

The Lezyne Digital Alloy Drive has a low profile digital gauge attached to its side. Switch it on with the rubber button and it automatically zeroes. It initially reads in PSI, but another short push of the button switches it to Bar. A long press switches it off again. The gauge is powered by a single CR1220 button cell that’s easy to replace.

The Lezyne Digital Alloy Drive has the standard features of all Lezyne’s mini pumps. So it’s got a sturdy build with a separate hose which is screwed into the handle when not in use and covered by a rubber cap to prevent contamination. The bottom end of the pump is matt finished to add some extra grip when using the Lezyne Digital Alloy Drive.

>>> Mini pump buyer's guide

The hose is reversible, with one end screwing onto a Presta valve and the other onto a Schrader. There’s an air bleed valve at the Presta end to let you reduce pressure if you overinflate your tyre.

Screwing the hose onto and off a Presta valve is slightly tricky as it’s easy to unseat the valve core, losing air. It’s best to screw the hose onto the valve before attaching it to the pump.

>>> Best track pumps for 2018

Once attached, the pump’s high volume means that you can quickly and efficiently inflate wider tyres to moderate pressures, although the pump is not designed to inflate above 90psi/6 bar. Lezyne also sells high pressure digital mini pumps with higher maximum pressure ratings.

I’ve been lugging the Digital Alloy Drive around for a few months now. It’s not too long to fit in a jersey pocket, but it’s a bit larger and heavier than some other options.

There’s a second rubber cap at the bottom end of the pump, but this is easy to lose as it’s not connected that securely to the pump body. In dirty conditions, its loss could let contamination into the pump body.

The Pro Team Compressor comes from Shimano’s component brand and gives you the ability to seat tubeless tyre beads at a lower price than an all-in-one reservoir and pump.

With more and more bikes, aftermarket wheelsets and tyres coming tubeless-ready, tubeless clincher technology is rapidly becoming established on road bikes. Tolerances are getting better so, unlike a few years ago, you’re much less likely to find a wheel and tyre combination where the tyre is impossible to fit or alternatively blows off the rim when inflated.

But getting a tyre to seat properly and to hold air can still be tricky. If you just use a track pump, you can spend ages pumping furiously without getting anywhere, with the air escaping around the bead.

>>> Should you change to tubeless tyres?

So a reservoir pump is a useful option. You pump air into the reservoir then release it in a high power blast that is often enough to get the tyre seated properly on the rim and holding pressure.

But to hold the pressurised air safely at over 100psi, the pump must be substantial, making reservoir pumps expensive items.

The Pro Team Compressor gives you a reservoir without the associated pump. There’s a Schrader valve head on top of the Pro Team Compressor which you attach to your standard track pump. You can them pump air into the reservoir until you reach 100psi or more.

At the other end is a hose with a twin presta/schrader Snaplock EZ head, which you attach to your tubeless valve. The head pushes onto the valve, rather than having a lever to lock it down. This means that you need to press it on firmly or hold it down, or there’s a risk of it flying off when you discharge the reservoir.

Discharge is effected by flipping the sturdy lever on the side of the Pro Team Compressor. This releases the air charge into the tyre, hopefully seating it.

>>> How much damage can a tubeless tyre take?

The Pro Team Compressor has a sturdy design with a steel barrel and base, accounting for its not inconsiderable weight. The base is stable, so you can use the Pro Team Compressor on uneven ground. The reservoir incorporates a useful carrying handle at the top too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WgqeOI-aJCs

I’ve found the Pro Team Compressor effective at seating tubeless tyres on road and cyclocross bikes, although trickier combinations have required multiple attempts and a bit of fiddling.

>>> Why don't the pros ride tubeless?

The Schrader valve adapter on some track pumps can be tricky to fit to the threaded inlet valve though, due to its position. Once you’ve got a tyre to inflate, you’ll have to remove the pump from the reservoir to check that you’ve got the tyre inflated to the correct pressure, which is a bit of a nuisance.

But with most integrated reservoir pumps priced at over £100, the Pro Team Compressor provides a much more cost-effective solution for anyone who only needs to set up tubeless occasionally and already has a good track pump available.

The Lezyne Classic Floor Drive does everything you’d want from a track pump, plus this year it’s got a new adaptor head. This uses a screw-on, flippable red Presta/Schrader connector. It screws onto the tyre’s valve via the rotatable gold ring. There’s an air bleed valve built into the new head design too.

The head is chunky and feels very robust, although the need to swap it manually between Presta and Schrader modes is a bit of extra work if you need to inflate tyres with both sorts of valves.

The new head sits at 90 degrees to the hose. It’s a more ergonomic position and means that the head is easier to use, with less chance of displacing the valve core and losing air when screwing it on or off. It pushes onto a Presta valve, then you need to screw it tight before inflating. There also a rubber seal built in to help prevent air loss.

The hose is long, so there’s plenty of flexibility to reach tyre valves even in a workstand. It loops over the handle and is held in a hook in the base when not in use.

>>> Seven essentials you need to take on every ride

The pump itself is a chunky, substantial piece with a wide, stable alloy base and a steel barrel and piston. The handle is black-varnished wood and wide enough and shaped well to be comfortable to use.

The base includes an extra-large gauge with easy-to-read gradations. These go up to 15 bar/220psi and the pump works effectively to pump road bike tyres to less extreme pressures.

At £60, the Lezyne Classic Floor Drive is mid-price range for a track pump. But it has the substantial build that suggests it will prove durable, and Lezyne sells a full range of replacement parts if something does go wrong.

At just 18cm, the Topeak Race Rocket HP is shorter than the standard Race Rocket making it even more packable, but it still packs a punch being capable of pressures over 100psi and it's so small I had no issue keeping in my pocket. However, on rainy group rides it doesn't stay there for long: my friends keep asking to borrow it because it's so good.

>>> Click here for a useful hack to puncture proof your tyres

It’s very well made too and I was impressively able to achieve 90-100psi by the roadside. I bench-tested the Topeak Race Rocket HP and then measured the pressure achieved with a digital gauge. With enough perseverance 100psi can be achieved on a consistent basis. The downside to the small size is that achieving a pressure of 100psi is going to take a lot of pumping.

>>> Click here for a round up of 5 of the best mini pumps

I lost count/gave up counting, but it was over 300 strokes! This is of course, a trade off against low weight and small size.

I love the compact size of this pump and have found it to be more robust than the Lezyne Carbon Drive Lite I replaced it with. My only real criticisms are you that have to take care when unscrewing it from the valve, as if it is not properly in line you can inadvertently remove your valve core. Another slight criticism is the hose, which I feel would benefit from being slightly longer. Considering the overall performance and quality, it is very well priced against competing products from the likes of Lezyne.

Also included is a frame mount if you don't want to store the Topeak Race Rocket HP in a jersey pocket.

Fabric has expanded its range from its core saddles in the last couple of years and last year added pumps and lights to its inventory. It makes two track pumps, with the Fabric Premium version differing from the standard one in substituting a wooden handle and a plywood base with anti-slip surface for the standard pump's plastic and using a hose with a braided steel covering. It’s also £20 more expensive.

The pump’s barrel is smart and made of brushed aluminium, while the plunger is extra wide and doesn’t wobble around when extended. Some pumps have quite small gauges, but Fabric’s is one of the largest and easiest to read we’ve seen. The black lettering on white makes for good legibility too.

>>> Best track pumps for 2017

The Fabric Premium pump’s braided hose is sturdy and should be durable. It’s long too, stretching over the top of the handle, where it’s secured in a grove, with the head sitting in a dock in the base when not in use.

>>> Seven essentials you need to take on every ride

The adapter head is designed to work with both presta and schrader valves and is secured with a lever. It gives an airtight fit. The head is attached to the hose with a rotating joint, so it’s easy to avoid getting the hose twisted and to attach to the valve at whatever angle. Again, this aids use.

Pump action is efficient, with high pressures being reached without undue effort. Fabric quotes a maximum pressure of 140psi.

>>> How to repair a punctured tube

I did find the base a bit small though. On flat surfaces, it was adequate, although you need to make sure the pump is balanced after use. But on uneven and loose surfaces, there’s a tendency to slip around or topple over. I’d have preferred to see a wider or three-point base.

The new Blackburn Piston 4 track pump does everything you’d want a top notch pump to do. That starts with a large, easy-to-read gauge. Too often pumps’ gauges are small and somewhere down near your feet. But the Piston 4’s is right up there at the top of the barrel, clearly marked in psi and bar and around 7.5cm across. So it’s dead easy to see what pressure you’ve reached.

The Piston 4 stands just under 68cm tall, so its steel barrel is long and there’s plenty of length to the pump stroke, making for easy inflation to high pressure.

The barrel is securely bolted to a large steel baseplate too, so the pump is stable even on uneven ground. You get a wide cylindrical plastic handle, which also makes for comfortable, easy pumping. Blackburn quotes a maximum pressure of 220psi/15 bar if you like a firm ride.

>>> The best track pumps for 2017

I like the way that the metre-long long hose loops around a peg at the base of the pump and into a clip at the top, for easy stowage. There’s also a groove in the handle you can use if you want to keep the hose tidy without stowing it away completely. Being top mounted the hose is easy to attach to a valve on a bike in a workstand too.

Blackburn’s pump head is substantial and has a robust metal locking lever. It works with both presta and schrader valves and includes a pressure release button. But I did find that it needed a firm push to get it fully engaged on presta valves, so that it worked effectively.

>>> Five best mini pumps

Although it’s pricy, the Blackburn Piston 4 feels like a pump that will last forever and that’s backed up by Blackburn’s lifetime warranty.

CO₂ inflators get you going again far more quickly than a pump if you get a flat when out riding. They’ll also get a tyre up to around 100psi, which is hard work with most pumps – if I check tyre pressure when I get home after a flat mid-ride I usually find I’ve given up at about 60psi.

>>> Best deals on bike components

But get it wrong with a CO₂ inflator or get a second flat and you don’t have a get-out once the gas from the cartridge has been lost.

The Sheath Apogee combines the quick and easy option of a CO₂ inflator with the belt-and-braces solution provided by a minipump.

It’s essentially a relatively short minipump with a built-in hose that extends from the handle. But you can unscrew the head from the hose, which allows it to be used as a CO₂ inflator that screws onto a standard cartridge.

You don’t get any regulation of the carbon dioxide discharge, so you’ll use a complete cartridge, but you will get your tyre up to pressure in double-quick time.

>>> Birzman Maha Apogee III track pump review

The head also features Birzman’s easy to use Snap-It Apogee presta-schrader head, which gives a simple, secure connection to the valve. You just push it on, pull up the collar and give it a quarter turn and it’s airtight. Pull the collar down again and it disconnects without air loss.

Watch: Buyer's guide to inflation

Although the pump is quite small, it is nevertheless efficient enough to get a tyre up to get-me-home pressure and is not too difficult and relatively comfortable to use.

There’s a built in rubber end piece that snaps over the valve head to keep it clean and out of the way, although I found I pulled this off the pump with vigorous use. It’s relatively easy to refit though.

Birzman sells the Sheath Apogee with an under-bottle cage mount and two CO₂ cartridges along with a neoprene insulator to protect your hands from the cold generated by discharging the cartridge, going some way to justifying its quite high retail price.

Travelling with a track pump is never an easy thing, especially when flying. With weight and space limits it is often the one thing to get left out when packing, which is annoying when you consider that many airlines recommend you let your tyres down before loading your bike on a plane.

With the Cannondale Airport Carry-On pump, though, that should be a thing of the past as the handy, slimline profile makes this very portable.

Weighing in at just over 830g it shouldn't tip you over the bike bag weight limit and slots nicely at the bottom of most bags. In particular the Scicon AeroComfort is a perfect partner with Velcro straps at the bottom of the case to hold it in place.

Video: Pumps buyer's guide

It has also lived in the boot of my car for a time and works perfectly for track or road events, giving plenty of pressure. OK, it isn't as easy to get up to the perfect tyre pressure for racing (120/130psi), like a standard pump, but it does a stellar job and will get there eventually.

The base where the gauge sits swivels around to create a baseplate with a one-sided foot peg. The gauge is small and hard to read but gives readings up to 160psi. The base itself isn't that stable – unsurprisingly, being thin and light – though it does a remarkable job and I've not managed to fall over or snap the pump thus far.

The handle twists around and locks in place with a hidden bolt, which allows for a relatively comfortable handle to pump with. Again it's not perfect but it's better then nothing when away travelling.

The EZ Head allows for both Presta and Schraeder valves and is a good solution. It clips in with a bit of force and hasn't blown off the valve even when approaching the 160psi mark. A simple pull down unlocks it without any undue air leakage.

At £44 it is a little expensive if you leave it in your boot and save it for emergencies or only take it away on one or two trips a year, but if you were only to buy one pump to live in the boot, garage and be your travel pump, it'll do the job nicely.

The JoeBlow Booster is huge. It stands 75cm tall and weighs 3.3kg, so it’s not something you’re likely to want to lug around with you. But if you’re serious about setting up tubeless tyres, a reservoir pump is a very useful item.

Basically, the Booster is a standard track pump coupled to a pressure chamber – the large tube with Topeak written on it. Topeak says it will store a litre of air at up to 160psi. There’s an equally beefy twist lever at its top, around the edge of the pressure dial, which you turn to release the air charge into the tyre.

Hopefully, if you’ve got the tyre well set up on the wheel rim, the volume and pressure of the air released, along with the speed at which the reservoir pushes the air into the tyre, will be enough to seat the tyre beads on the tubeless rim and give you an airtight seal.

>>> Should you change to tubeless tyres? (video)

The Booster comes with an extra-long 160cm hose mounted at the top of the reservoir and a chunky metal SmartHead DX3 presta/Schrader valve connector with an aluminium locking lever and a pressure bleed valve. There’s a second bleed valve at the pump end of the hose.

>>> Clinchers, tubulars or tubeless - which tyre system is fastest?

The Booster has a robust steel footplate and with its weight it’s not going to move around when in use. The pump handle has Topeak’s standard wide, well-shaped hand grip, so it’s easy to get a good hold.

Watch: Are tubeless tyres indestructible?

You can also isolate the reservoir by setting the pump lever to 'Inflate' and use the Booster like a standard pump, if you just want to top up a tyre or add more air once you’ve seated the tyre beads. The pressure gauge being top mounted and with yellow needle and lettering is easy to read, although with the length of the connection through to the tyre, it’s not as easy to use as a standard pump. There’s a feeling of sponginess using it this way.

>>> Topeak JoeBlow Sport II track pump review

So overall, the JoeBlow Booster is an impressive bit of kit. I’ve used it successfully to seat a number of tubeless tyres. You can still get tyre-rim combinations where seating is either very difficult or impossible; it’s one of the quirks of tubeless that manufacturing tolerances are not precise enough that all combinations of components will work successfully.

Fabric puts a design twist on the workaday components and accessories that keep your bike going. The Fabric CO2/lever kit is a good example of this. Fabric has packaged the inflator head along with a spare cartridge and two tyre levers, holding the lot together using a rubber strap. It’s sold with a second cartridge. So you have one item which has everything you need to get rolling again if you get a flat – except a new tube or patches of course.

>>> How to repair a punctured tube (video)

CO2 cartridges get very cold when you discharge them, so Fabric includes a foam sleeve to insulate your hand. The valve head is a neat little job, made of plastic, which takes threaded CO2 cartridges. There’s a screw-down control valve so that you can easily regulate the amount of gas which gets into the tyre and potentially save a bit if you don’t empty the whole cartridge when reinflating the tyre. It’s got a knurled edge to make gripping it easier, even if you’re still wearing gloves.

The inflator pushes onto the tyre’s valve and it will accommodate both Presta and Schraeder tubes. It seals easily to Presta valves and we were able to inflate tubes without losing gas.

Watch: How to puncture proof your tyres

The tyre levers are sturdy and reinforced with glass-fibre. They come in black, white or blue for a dash of colour, but otherwise they’re pretty standard levers with a hook on the back to wedge them to a spoke. They’re narrow and curved enough to get under tight beads on tubeless tyres – not a given for other makes’ levers.

>>> Are solid tyres worth a try?

As well as holding everything together, the rubber strap fastenings allow you to attach the kit to your bike for transport rather than it taking up space in your jersey pocket or saddlepack.

If a pump is more your thing, Fabric has now introduced its own range of these too.

Not just any old mini pump, oh no, the Lezyne Digital Pressure mini-drive features a digital gauge to tell you how much pressure is in your tyres.

The pump is based on an existing Lezyne mini drive pump design and exhibits the quality CNC construction that Lezyne is known for.

>>> Buyer’s guide: the best cycle mini pumps

Having a digital gauge on your mini pump is hugely useful. We have all been at the roadside with a puncture, desperately inflating a tyre after in the middle of nowhere.

After much pumping, it starts to dawn on you that you have no idea how much pressure you have mustered.

Usually, despite vigorous wrist action, it isn't enough and you are left worrying about the prospect of a potential pinch flat or at the very least dramatically diminished rolling resistance.

Haplessly pinching your tyre with finger and thumb, to try and estimate the pressure is a common resort.

The Lezyne Digital Pressure drive removes this guess work and has become an indispensable tool for me on training rides.

 Video - How to puncture proof your tyres

I should also point out that it fits very well into a jersey pocket, but can be frame mounted, with a bracket that is included.

The gauge works pretty well and using the pump, I could work out my tyre pressure from the screen.

However, the reading does jump around slightly, depending upon where the piston is situated in the barrel and this could be improved.

To test the accuracy of the Lezyne Digital Pressure Drive, I compared the reading to that with separate gauge and the reading was consistent to within about +/– 5 psi.

Using the pump to inflate 25mm tyres I was able to reach a commendable 100 psi and I only have weedy cyclist arms. Seventy pounds is very expensive for a pump, but it does work well and solves a problem.

Aside from the price, a bigger disadvantage is that the hose screws on to your valve. This can sometimes result in you accidentally unscrewing your valve core, deflating your tyre in the process.

An event which, take it from me, is thoroughly depressing when you have just spent 15 minutes in the freezing rain, getting covered in crap, repairing your flat tyre.

For more info, head over to Lezyne

The weight weenie in me is tempted to head out with the bare minimum of repair kit. It’s an approach which is usually fine – until something goes properly wrong and I end up calling for the broom wagon. Or walking.

>>> What tyre pressure should you run? (video)

The same is true of puncture repair. I often carry the smallest pump I can lay hands on, which maybe will get me up to 50psi or so and let me struggle home, but rather curtails the enjoyment of the ride and leaves me scared of getting a pinch flat every time I hit a bump. So a pump with a bit more oomph is definitely an advantage, particularly if it doesn’t incur too much of a weight penalty.

The Mini Morph is designed to provide just that: it’s got a fold out footplate at the bottom and a handle which folds out to a T-shape for better leverage. There’s an extendable hose and a presta/Schrader head with a locking lever. In addition, the G version has an in line pressure gauge, although you can also get a Mini Morph without this.

>>> How to set up tubeless road tyres

Watch: bike pump buyer's guide

Being under 27cm long, the Mini Morph is still not going to give you the performance of a stay-at-home track pump and you will be bent over double to use it, but it does allow you to get a lot more leverage to your pumping than a minipump does. The barrel is quite wide, so you can get a bit more air in per stroke too.

>>> Topeak JoeBlow Sport II track pump review

The Mini Morph is compact enough that you can carry it on your frame, using the included mount, although you’ll lose a bottle cage in the process. It would also be a good bet to tuck away if you’re carrying larger luggage or a pack. It’s not really pocketable though.

Topeak’s JoeBlow is one of those track pumps which everyone seems to use, but Topeak actually makes a bewildering array of Joe Blows, with the Sport II being near the bottom end of the 20 pump range (only 14 of which make it to the UK).

Nevertheless it’s a meaty pump, starting with its weight, which is heading towards 2kg. It has a steel barrel and a large steel base, which both makes it very stable and easy to get a foot on to start pumping.

Although it’s got a shortish hose and small gauge, they are placed around a quarter of the way up the barrel, so they’re easy to get at and the gauge is easy to read, with a quality look to it. It’s also got a moveable yellow indicator so you can see at a distance when you are up to your desired pressure. You might have difficulty getting at the valves if you’ve got your bike in a stand though.

>>> Buyer's guide to minipumps

There’s a two-head adapter for presta and schrader vlaves with a two-way locking lever which engages with a solid-feeling click and there’s no loss of air when pumping once it’s attached and locked.

Watch: bike pump buyer's guide

The pump’s handle is wide, well shaped and comfortable too, so that although there’s a bit of wobble when fully extended it never feels flimsy. At 29 strokes, it doesn’t take too much effort to get to 100psi and you could go a lot further if you wanted to.

>>> Topeak SmartGauge D2 digital pressure gauge review

Topeak sells the parts you are most likely to need to replace separately too: valves, gauges, seals, heads, so if something goes wrong you probably won’t have to throw the pump away and start again. It also comes with the usual airbed and football adapters if you expect to venture away from the bike. So this is a great pump at a keen price which should keep going for ages.

Tubeless tyre technology is gaining traction on the road. As well as tubeless ready wheels to ensure an airtight and safe connection between the rims and tyre beads, and tubless-ready tyres, you’ll need a sealant to make everything airtight and provide puncture protection. Sealants are becoming more sophisticated. Most are still latex based, but increasingly they include additives to improve sealant performance and puncture protection.

Orange Seal is a US brand of latex based tyre sealant. Along with its colour its main characteristic is quite a gritty texture due to the included particles, which the company calls nanites. These help to plug up any leaks effectively as they are of differing sizes and shapes, helping to form a matrix to seal the hole with the latex making it airtight.

>>> Is graphene cycling's next game-changer

Orange Seal claims that its formula is more effective at coating the inside of the tyre than competitors’ offerings and works over a wide temperature and altitude range. In addition to the standard formula which we’ve tested, there’s an Endurance version which Orange Seal claims will last up to three times as long.

>>> How to puncture proof your tyres

I’ve used Orange Seal sealant to mount tubeless-ready tyres, where I got a quick seal without difficulty. It has also mended a flat in a cyclocross tub, which is now as airtight as when it was new. It’s easy to apply as the bottle comes with an applicator tube to squirt the sealant through the valve after the core has been removed.

>>> Are solid tyres worth a try?

It does seem to gum up the valves a bit though, so that you really need a good track pump to get the tyre up to pressure. This would make it tricky to reinflate a tube if you got a flat or a significant loss of pressure when out on the road.

It might seem extravagant to spend 50 quid on a track pump, but the Jobsworth Vortex track pump does a decent job of justifying the price.

Perhaps most importantly, it looks and feels great. The barrel is made from aluminium with a classy back logo extending down from the top. The footplate is also made from cast aluminium, and the handle from wood, to make a pump that not only looks amazing, but has the feeling of something that will keep going for years.

>>> The best track pumps: a buyer's guide

In use, the Jobsworth Vortex track pump is also pretty hard to fault. I found that the piston rattled around a bit in the barrel, and there could have been more soft material on the bottom of the footplate to stop it from sliding around and potentially damaging hard, smooth floors, but other that, there are no issues.

The clever valve head design on the Jobsworth Vortex track pump is compatible with either Presta or Schrader valves, and shares the same polished look as the rest of the pump. It is also very easy to attach and remove from the valve, and stays securely in place even at high pressures.

>>> Icons of cycling: Silca Pista pump

It takes roughly 20 strokes to get up to 100psi, which is pretty decent figure in the track pump market, and the gauge accurate and fairly easy to read. Apparently, the Jobsworth Vortex track pump will keep going all the way up to 240psi, which seems a little much, seeing as Rohan Dennis was only running 224 psi during his successful Hour Record attempt.

For more details visit the Planet X website.

Topeak is a bike accessories powerhouse with everything from bags to computers and trailers. Even its track pump range is extensive with almost 20 models on offer.

The Topeak's JoeBlow Max II is towards the budget end of its range, but still comes with a steel barrel and a quality gauge, with replacement parts readily available if anything stops working.

It’s quite a short pump and its stroke is short too, but nevertheless it took just 19 strokes to get a 23mm tyre up to 100psi, which is the least we’ve found on testing a range of track pumps.

>>> The best track pumps: a buyer’s guide

Those strokes required a lot of effort though once the tyre got to higher pressures, making the pump quite awkward to use. This is probably due to the quite short pump stroke and the hose too is on the short side, so it’s more difficult to get to the valve of a wheel on a bike held in a stand.

The pump comes with a plastic twin-sided head which works with both presta and schrader valves and has a lever to lock it onto the valve securely.

>>> Buyer’s guide: the best cycle mini pumps

Despite only having two legs to its base the pump is stable and the handle is comfortable to use. The gauge is reasonably easy to read as it is positioned some way up from the base and is clearly graduated, although we found that it undermeasures pressure by a few psi.

Although the Oxford pump has a bit of a budget feel to it, it actually does the job quite well. There’s an alloy barrel, but the base and handle are plastic.

The gauge is calibrated up to 160psi, although Oxford suggest that the maximum pressure achievable is 120psi. The gauge is attached about a third of the way up the barrel with a short hose from the base of the pump, making it a bit easier to read and putting the shortish hose nearer to the valve when the bike is held in a stand. The gauge is accurate, with a measured 101psi at a reading of 100psi.

>>> The best track pumps: a buyer’s guide

The connector head has separate presta and Schrader adaptors and a lever to lock it to the valve. This is quite stiff, but does ensure a secure fit. In use, the pump feels a bit wobbly due to the two-legged design of the plastic base and the stroke is quite short at 46cm, but nevertheless 100psi was achieved in 24 strokes. The plastic pump handle is quite narrow, but is comfortable and robust.

>>> Buyer’s guide: the best cycle mini pumps

The pump comes with adaptors for airbeds and footballs and there are three tyre levers stashed in the base – a useful touch.

Zefal is the oldest cycling accessory manufacturer in the world, having been founded in 1880. it is probably best known for its mudguards and pumps, but also makes accessories such as bottles, mirrors locks and iPhone cases.

The Zefal pump is stable, with a metal barrel and a nice wide three-legged metal base. It has a large, easy to read gauge with a magnifier with a hairline built into it which can be moved to the target pressure before starting to pump, making it easier to judge that the tyre is up to pressure.

>>> The best track pumps: a buyer’s guide

Despite this we found the pressure measured with a separate gauge was a few psi lower than the pressure indicated by the pump and there was some inconsistency in the actual pressures achieved between multiple tests.

>>> Buyer’s guide: the best cycle mini pumps

The pump is efficient and comfortable to use, taking 21 strokes to reach 100psi. It has a longish hose and an efficient connector, so that it’s easy to connect up even if the bike is in a workstand. The connector has a single outlet to attach to the tyre's valve, with a red slider on the side of the head used to select between presto and schrader valves.

It’s quite a heavy pump at 1705 grams, but comes with a comfortable rubberised handle with the arms angled slightly towards the user, making it slightly easier to use than a straight handled design.

GT is better known for its bikes than its accessories, but this track pump is effective as well as being good value. It's got a metal barrel, a pressure gauge and a base with two wide feet.

At 62cm high the GT pump is short and has quite a short stroke and this is reflected in the 29 strokes needed to get to 100 psi. The hose is also quite short at 78cm meaning that the pump may have to be moved close to the bike rather than being able to reach the bike easily – particularly if the bike is in a stand.

>>> The best track pumps: a buyer’s guide

When checked with a separate pressure gauge, I found that the pressure achieved was exactly 100psi when this was displayed on the pump’s gauge. At 1123g it’s quite light for a floor pump and so is easily portable.

>>> Buyer’s guide: the best cycle mini pumps

It’s comfortable to use, although the handle is quite narrow. Despite only having two legs, which can make a pump wobbly if on non-level ground, the base is stable too and has a single rubber gripper pad on each leg so that your feet do not slip around when using it, making the pump easy to operate.

Despite its budget price and short stroke, this is a pump which will get your tyres up to pressure effectively and comfortably

Tyre pressure is a significant determinant of a road bike's performance. Too high and you will get a stiff ride and there's the risk of skidding or even a tyre exploding on long downhills. Too low and the bike will handle sloppily and you may get tyre roll or risk pinch flats. So it's useful to be able to measure your tyre pressures accurately. It's also important off road, where grip on loose surfaces can be critical and you don't want to bottom out on a wheel rim.

The Topeak SmartGauge D2 pressure gauge digitally measures pressures up to 250psi in 1psi increments, allowing you to accurately measure and tune pressures in tyres with Presta or Schrader valves, or in shocks for the off-road minded. It’s easy to use: just switch on, push onto the valve and wait until it beeps, with the reading being displayed even once the gauge is taken off the tyre.

>>> Buyer’s guide: the best cycle mini pumps

The screen rotates around the valve head so that you can choose a good viewing angle, and there’s a button on the side to bleed the valve and fine-tune the pressure. Power is supplied by one CR2032 button cell and there’s an auto-off function after 30 seconds of non-use.

The gauge can be set to measure in psi, bars and kg/cm², with a single button toggling through the options. The selection of valve type is via a slider on the head, which locks the central part of the connector when Schrader valves are being used.

It's easy to fit the gauge over a Presta valve head, with little chance of disturbing the valve core and releasing air from the tube accidentally. Each measurement does result in a loss of 2 to 3 psi from a tube though, so repeated measurement will result in a significant loss of pressure which will potentially need to be topped up.

Birzman has a knack for taking bog standard bicycle accessories and adding a few design twists which really make a difference to usability. It’s successfully applied this design approach to the Maha Apogee pump, which has a couple of clever features.

First is the snap-on connector. Pull back the gold collar, push the connector over the valve and pull the collar back up and the pump is securely attached to a presta valve. If you have a mountain bike it works with Schrader valves and shocks too.

Although not such a problem with a track pump as with a minipump, the ability to attach and detach the pump from the valve quickly and easily is a real boon. There’s a bleed button on the head if you overinflate your tyre.

>>> The best track pumps: a buyer’s guide

The aluminium pump barrel is tilted at five degrees to the base, which leads to a more natural pumping motion. Although for someone of average height it is still quite difficult to use the whole stroke of the pump, this does help.

>>> Buyer’s guide: the best cycle mini pumps

The pump’s base is wide and stable and the pump does not wobble around even if held down with only one foot and the wooden handle is a nice touch even if it does not add much to comfort in use. It took 23 strokes to reach 100psi and the pump’s gauge was accurate, with a reading of 100psi equating to 101psi when measured with a dedicated pressure gauge. It’s calibrated up to 220psi if you like a firm ride.

At 126cm the pump’s hose is long enough to reach the valve when a bike is held in a stand and it is secured for transport with a single hook at the base.

Axiom is a Canadian brand with a quiver of well-designed cycling accessories. Indeed, so robust is its gear that it offers a lifetime guarantee on its products. It sells a number of track pumps as well as mini track pumps and hand pumps.

There doesn’t seem much chance that you will have need of the guarantee with the Annihilateair track pump though. This really is a chunky piece of kit with a huge, stable base which is 32cm wide by 23cm deep and comes with raised pegs, so that there’s no way your feet will slip around when using it.

>>> The best track pumps: a buyer’s guide

The pump’s pressure gauge too is large with clear graduations and looks as if it will be durable. There is a long hose so that you can reach a bike’s wheels even if it’s raised off the ground in a bike stand.

The chunky connector has two heads so that it is presta and Schrader valve compatible, with the locking lever selecting between them and there’s a bleed valve built in to let a bit of air out if you have overinflated your tyre.

>>> Buyer’s guide: the best cycle mini pumps

The handle has grippy soft rubber hand grips and is wide and comfortable to use and with its long stroke the pump gets to 100psi in only 20 strokes.

All this comes at a price though and at £95 it’s an expensive piece of kit, although it’s unlikely that you will need to replace it any time soon.

The Topeak Microrocket AL looks smart with its compact cylindrical body made of brushed aluminium, a silver band between the pump and handle, grey top and tail and carbon-look ends. At 160mm long and 65g, it’s also small. The valve is connected by removing the cap from the connector and pushing it directly onto the pump – there’s no hose to attach and nothing to screw onto the valve. When you have finished pumping just push the pump body down to release the connector.

>>> Read more: Mini bike pump buyer's guide

The disadvantage of this arrangement is that any movement of the pump body pushes the valve around. I’ve never had a problem with this arrangement, but some prefer to have a bit of flex between the pump and valve to avoid damage to the latter when pumping hard. The connector is presta-only.

The barrel has a smooth action and is comfortable to use, although the handle is quite short, providing limited grip and at higher pressures the top of the handle can dig uncomfortably into the hand. Nevertheless, this wasn’t a difficult pump to use and 200 strokes brought a 23mm tyre up above 60psi, without too much effort.

The handle locks onto the barrel by giving it a twist, so that the pump shouldn’t come open when not in use and there’s a sturdy bung to protect the connector, which is well-connected to the pump and so shouldn’t disappear. The pump fits into the mounting bracket with a solid click and there’s a rubber strap too, so there’s not much chance of the pump getting lost.

If you want to spend an extra £15 to lose 10g, there’s a carbon version too.

The Lezyne Carbon Drive Lite mini pump is a ‘traditional’ pump, where the hose connects to the end of the barrel and you pump by pushing down on the handle. The tube is stored in the pump body and has to be screwed into the pump before use, rather than being integrated and pulled out of the handle. Insert the tube one way and it will fit presta valves; screw it in the other way around and it fits schrader valves. There’s also a pressure relief button, should you get carried away and over-inflate your tyre.

>>> Read more: Mini bike pump buyer's guide

Attaching the hose to the valve is a bit fiddly as it is quite stiff. There is also a risk of disturbing the valve core and losing air when unscrewing the adaptor after use. The two rubber end caps are attached to the pump with quite flimsy O-rings and can get lost.

Although this was the second shortest and lightest pump on test, it achieved the highest pressure, getting close to 100psi after 200 strokes. It was not the most comfortable to use, however, as there are some sharp edges on the handle and the stroke is short.

Pocketability is great, with the pump only protruding a little from a shallow rear jersey pocket, giving no concerns that it might fall out. There’s a bottle cage mount with four plastic clips and a sturdy Velcro strap to keep everything together too.

The iPump Twist mini pump is tiny and incredibly light at just 25g. The very thin hose, which is Presta-only, is pulled out of the handle and screws onto the valve. The handle can then be twisted at 90 degrees to provide a more comfortable handhold. Both the pump body and piston are made of carbon-fibre, to achieve the astonishingly low weight.

>>> Read more: Mini bike pump buyer's guide

The valve connector was fiddly to screw on and off and it was quite easy to disturb the valve core and lose pressure. With its small volume and short stroke, it was no surprise that this pump achieved the lowest pressure in the test, reaching just over 60psi after 200 strokes. Those strokes were difficult to achieve, due to the force required to squeeze the air into the tyre and the limited hand purchase. The pump body also got quite hot. The manufacturer claims 120psi is achievable – maybe, if you are Popeye with asbestos hands and enjoy standing on the verge for extended periods.

Nevertheless, this pump can achieve a get-you-home pressure, which is not bad considering its weight and size. Its exotic construction and materials also make it the most expensive pump on test, and you’ll have to wait for it to be shipped from Japan as at the time of going to press there is no UK distributor.

There’s no frame mount, though that’s not really a problem when the pump almost disappears into a jersey pocket with little chance of it falling out again.

Wiggle’s LifeLine Performance CNC mini pump has a solid, quality feel to it. The hose extends from the handle, which has a plastic extension built into it to shield the connector. The connector itself has Presta and Schrader adaptors on either side of the head at right angles to the hose. The blue Presta adaptor is screwed onto the valve by rotating the red Schrader adaptor — a neat trick.

>>> Read more: Mini bike pump buyer's guide

Having the connector at right angles to the tube works well, making it easier to screw the pump onto and off the valve than a straight-through design, as you can hold the tube firmly while screwing down the connector. Detachment is still a slightly fiddly operation though, with the risk of some air bleed by disturbing the valve core. The pump was quite comfortable to use, but the shields for the tube at the end of the handle could become uncomfortable when trying to reach higher pressures.

Pocketability is OK, although with its length and shiny finish we would be slightly concerned that it could slip from a pocket. The pump’s barrel has a rubber sleeve that holds the handle in place firmly when not being used to keep water and muck out. There’s also a sturdy bottle cage mount with a Velcro strap.

Although not the best on test, this is a great pump at an exceptional price and there’s no doubting its ability to get you home.

The hose is concealed in the handle of the Hoy Hi Pressure Mini Pump; remove the covering bung and pull out the hose and it’s ready to use. Having such a long stroke, pumping was a comfortable experience with an easy feel to it. The adaptor is Presta and Schrader compatible.

Screwing the adaptor onto the valve was a bit fiddly, and there was some air loss from the valve when unscrewing it again.

I had some concerns about the pump’s durability: the cap on the adaptor fell off and was lost and the handle came unscrewed from the barrel with continued use – although it was easy to screw back on again. The painted stripes also rubbed off after a few months’ use. Although none of this affected the pump’s usability, we wondered whether something more critical might fail over a longer period.

Being long, slender and without any rubberised parts, there were also concerns over how well the pump would stay put in a jersey pocket over the rough stuff, although there were no problems with this during the test period. A bottle cage mount is supplied, which seems sturdy enough.

The Birzman Velocity with gauge mini pump has a solid feel, with an aluminium barrel and head, and grippy rubber at both ends to hold onto when pumping. The hose extends from the top of the head and includes an in-line pressure gauge calibrated up to 150psi.

>>> Read more: Mini bike pump buyer's guide

The press-on Snap-It valve connector proved really easy to use. It has an outer sleeve which is pulled back before pushing the adaptor onto the valve. Once on the valve, the sleeve is pushed back up to seal the adaptor. This proved really easy to use both to attach and detach the pump from the valve. The Snap-It head can be unscrewed from the tube to reveal a schrader valve adaptor.

Although slightly less efficient than other pumps we have used recently, achieving just over 90psi after 200 strokes, it was much more comfortable to use, thanks to the longer stroke and rubberised grip.

The cap covering the hose did not seat very well. It would be unlikely to get lost, however, as it is very firmly attached to the pump itself.

As one of the longer pumps in the test, the Birzman extends out of a rear pocket, but it happily survived the Rapha Hell of the North ride without budging. There’s a plastic clip with a sturdy rubber fastening for mounting to the frame.

The high level of finish really sets the Super Charger apart from its rivals in this test.

In fact, its classy looks are more akin to a high-end kitchen gadget than a humble pump!

It’s not all show and no go, either — the chuck is well made and easy-to-use, the silver-faced gauge is clear and accurate and the large diameter piston feels solid.

Dropping the pressure is easy with the large air bleed button and the gauge responds to each small release of air instantly and accurately.

With a reputation for producing high quality tools, we had high expectations for the PFP-7.

So to say we were disappointed would be an understatement.

The action of the barrel in the chamber felt rough, the foldable base isn’t the most stable, and then there’s the connector. Despite its immense size, it’s awkward to use and takes quite a bit of effort to get on and off.

For a pump with the word ‘professional’ in its name, we were left a little bemused. It’s not particularly accurate, the hose is too short for a bike on a workstand, there’s no air bleed and it doesn’t feel durable enough for regular workshop use.

There’s quite a heavy, solid feel to the Air Tower 4.

It’s reasonably well built but still feels a little plasticky compared to many of the other more luxurious pumps in this test. The pumping action felt rough and made a noise not too dissimilar to sawing through wood.

This did ease a little with use, but not much. The small gauge is top-mounted and 100psi has an extra red increment mark. Along with the marker bevel it’s very easy to read, if not the most accurate.

Joint second when it came to accuracy and, as it turned out, our second favourite overall.

We chose the Pro from Topeak’s extensive range of Joe Blow pumps as it’s perfect for day-to-day use.

The base is solid, though the paint does scratch off a bit too easily. Like many of the others, the chuck was a little tight fitting over the valve and the lever action was stiff but this eased quickly and always sealed perfectly.

The air bleed mounted just behind the gauge is a neat touch — adjusting the pressure down is easy and, best of all, highly accurate.

A huge gauge with a suitably massive marker bevel makes it easy to read but not very accurate.

The small connector is stiff to fit and awkward to use — we managed to bend a valve core trying to hold it on properly, no thanks to a super-stiff locking lever.

It does get better with use but it’s still far from ideal. This pump took the fewest strokes to 100psi thanks to a generous volume that is further increased by a handle that returns a long way on the ‘up stroke’ — certainly further than feels natural when pumping.

If you’re after a straightforward, no frills piece of kit then this could be the pump for you.

The connector doesn’t have an air bleed but it’s very easy to use while the 385cc pump is super-efficient, taking just 17 strokes to inflate to an indicated 100psi.

The base is very stable and the gauge is large and very easy to read. Specialized says that it has recently improved the internals for increased durability but to be on the safe side, just about every component part is available should you need a rebuild.

Nicely turned out but pretty basic sums up the BBB in six words.

A few more will tell you that while the cast base is solid (until the little rubber feet fall out) the screw-on connector is fiddly, particularly as there’s no air bleed to drop the pressure should you go over.

And with a less than easy-to-read gauge — with the most popular 100psi increment marked in a tiny typeface together with no marker bevel — there’s a fair chance you will.

The action became quite stiff past 80psi and despite losing a fair bit of air from the screw-on chuck, the tyre was overinflated by more than 10 per cent, so it’s not that accurate.

The first thing that struck us about the G200A was the lock-on mountain bike grips.

The second was that this pump isn’t all style over substance. The solid steel base is totally protected by a large rubber sleeve so the pump remains stable throughout even the most enthusiastic use.

The pump action itself is super-smooth and the top-mounted gauge is very easy to read with clear numbers and increments as well as a marker bevel.

The most expensive pump on test and a good choice for the professional workshop.

It seems SKS has this kind of regular use in mind as it’s completely rebuildable, right down to a removable base to allow cleaning of the aluminium barrel.

The huge gauge mounted on the solid base reminded us of a good set of bathroom scales, with a large, clear display — particularly suitable for cyclists as it reads a little low!

The thick cork handles are comfortable and the connector, while a little plasticky, is easy to use and seals well.

Quite a classy contender, with a durable powder-coated finish topped off with a very comfortable wooden handle.

Ultra-stable in use and while clearly well engineered and built to last, it’s let down a little by a connector that is awkward to get on and off.

It improves with use but despite some thoughtful details to the two-sided anodised chuck — such as the switchable threaded Presta/Schrader connector and handy air bleed — the locking lever lacks the ergonomics needed to make it anything other than fiddly.

The only pump on test with a digital gauge that can switch between PSI and Bar, Lezyne’s Steel Digital Drive promises accuracy to within three per cent.

Yet it’s even better than that — our control test found it accurate to 0.1 per cent! It’s also very small, making it ideal for racers and sportivistes running out of space in the family car.

But there are a couple of downsides. Dropping the pressure via the relief valve gives a false low reading so you need to reinflate and recheck.

It’s also very easy to press it while unscrewing the connector, which in turn has a tendency to unscrew valves with removable cores.