Specialized Air Tool HP floor pump review

The Specialized Air Tool HP is a handsome-looking piece of kit, standing out from the crowd in its ‘Ion’ hi-viz colour way (it’s also available in silver) with a large steel base that curves forwards to combat rocking in that direction with sandpaper grips stuck to each side of the footplate.

It stands 65cm off the ground, a seemingly standard height that allows you to get your weight over the handle without doing your back in. However, as we shall see, the Specialized doesn't really need to be leant on t00 much to hit the sort of pressures a road bike user will be aiming at.

The Air Tool has ‘auto-selecting SwitchHitter II technology’, which means the chuck goes onto either a Presta or a Schrader valve without any user intervention. On the Presta valve we tested it with, we got an immediately airtight and secure seal. Pulling the chuck off the valve is an equally neat operation with minimal air lost – just what's in the hose.

The gauge is a fairly standard 7cm in diameter, is easy to read and has a useful marker that you can leave pointing to your target pressure for extra speed and accuracy.

Talking of speed, Specialized says the Air Tool “requires 30 per cent less effort than traditional floor pumps to reach 100psi in a 700C tyre. That’s hard for us to quantify, but it took us 30 easy-feeling strokes to reach 100psi.

The Specialized Air Tool HP isn't the cheapest track pump around, but with its aluminium barrel and steel base it's made of good quality materials that will last a long time. It’s a pity the plastic handle, which is comfortable to hold and nice and wide at 25.5cm, feels lightweight and flimsy compared to the rest of the pump’s metal construction, but this doesn't have any effect at all on the Specialized Air Tool's ability to deliver a smooth and powerful tubeful of air.