Test 2015: Mini pumps for road cyclists - 16 mini pumps for travelling compared

When racing cyclists still rode steel frames and "sloping" was still a foreign word, the long pump was stuck in the frame triangle as a reliable air dispenser. Today, curved frame shapes and complex tube cross-sections no longer leave room for the mobile long pump. Today, the classic frame pump is usually replaced by a mini pump. Pencil-short and light as a feather, the mini compressor either rides in the jersey pocket or in a separate holder that can be attached to the bottle cage threads, seat post or frame tube using rubber or Velcro fasteners.

From the huge range of pumps and cartridges on offer, we have selected products that are generally worth recommending and for which we have dispensed with detailed ratings: eight mini pumps as well as four cartridge attachments and four combi pumps. Our requirements: secure and airtight fit of the pump head on the valve, easy handling, the lowest possible number of pump strokes required for road bike tyre pressure and, in the case of the cartridge models, safe handling of the CO2 attachments. Bonus points were awarded for useful details such as flexible pump hoses, handle lock or insulation for the cartridge.

The test results of these mini pumps, combi pumps and CO2 cartridges can be found below as a PDF download:

CO2 cartridges:
- BBB Airsafe (TOUR tip)
- Pro CO2 Micro Inflator
- SKS Airbuster
- Topeak Airbooster

Mini pumps:
- BBB Ovalintegrate
- Blackburn Airstik 2Stage
- Bontrager Air Support HP Pro
- Lezyne Road Drive
- SKS Injex Lite Zoom
- Specialised Air Tool Road (TOUR tip)
- Syncros Mini Pump 1.0
- Topeak RaceRocket HP

Combi pumps:
- Bontrager Air Rush Road
- Lezyne Pressure Drive CFH
- Specialised Airtool Road CO2 Mini

Due to their design, the short-stroke pumps have a decisive disadvantage: they are so small that they are difficult to grip and only a little air can be pressed into the tube per stroke. For comparison: The classic frame pump HPX Classic Vintage from Zefal pumps a 23 millimetre wide tyre to seven bar with 100 strokes. A mini pump requires 400 to 500 pump strokes - if you don't give up exhausted beforehand and instead roll home with only four or five bar in the tyre.

ICY HISS

Small valve attachments for cartridges seem much more practical - the pressure in a small CO2 bottle always travels with them. In an emergency, all you have to do is safely release the gas charge from its steel casing and let it hiss into the tyre - but this is precisely where the problem lies: it is not uncommon for cyclists who lack composure or routine in handling cartridges in the event of a puncture for the valuable air to hiss past the valve into the atmosphere because the pump head is not airtight on the valve, or because they have forgotten to unscrew the hose valve beforehand in the excitement.

The combination of mini pump and CO2 cartridge offers a safe solution. A 16-gram charge is enough to inflate a road bike tyre to six bar. If that's not enough, you can - at least theoretically - add another bar by hand. If the first cartridge misses, the tyre can still be inflated in normal pump mode. But that takes time again - and some people might think: Oh, I wish I had a steel tyre with a nice frame pump ...

Downloads:
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