Life In The Saddle

The world is going electric. There are no two ways about it, electronic gadgets have been making our lives easier and faster for years, and the power of electric shows little sign of slowing up in a hurry. The new AS2 Pro Max Electronic Bike Pump from CYCPLUS is a neat little gadget that takes the hard work and frustration out of inflating your bike tyres, while being small enough it could fit in a jersey pocket. I have been testing it out, here is my review… The AS2 Pro Max is the first handheld electric bike pump I have come across to date. I have used bulky compressors and handheld CO2 inflators, but this is a reusable handheld electric bike pump that is charged up using a USB-C cable in just one hour, and can quickly inflate or top up tyres on your bike or car. The AS2 Pro Max is the top of the range model from CYCPLUS, designed to be more powerful and have a greater capacity than its two smaller siblings. It weighs in at 205 grams, and measures 60 x 32 x 81mm in size – small...

Moon Sport have fast become one of my preferred brands for quality LED bicycle lights – you can see some of my past reviews of Moon Lights here . This year, the brand launched a new range of compact high-quality bicycle pumps; these mini hand pumps are built to the same superb quality level as the Moon Lights range; offering fast and efficient inflation, time and time again. In this review, I look at three of the new pumps within the Moon range: the Aiolos Gauge MFP HP Mini Floor Pump, the Aiolos Gauge Pro High Pressure Hand Pump, and the Aiolos Pro High Pressure Hand Pump. They are all impressive in their own right. Review – AIOLOS Gauge MFP HP (Mini Floor Pump - High Pressure) The Moon Aiolos Gauge MFP HP is a high pressure mini floor pump – designed to offer rapid inflation for all kinds of bicycle tyres. The pump is made of CNC machined aluminium, and instantly has a quality look and feel. A small kick-stand folds do to offer stability whilst pumping, and then a threaded hose ...

A shock pump is an essential accessory for any modern mountain biker; allowing you to adjust the pressure in air-based suspension forks and rear shocks. The Pro Bike Tool Shock Pump is a smart, well-made, and affordable option. I have been impressed by the quality of value of all the previous Pro Bike Tool products that I have tested to date: including their mini pumps , torque wrench , and Y-wrench workshop tool . Therefore, when I was on the lookout for a new shock pump to fine-tune the pressures on my Kona Hei Hei, the Pro Bike Tool offering looked like a great bet. I have not been disappointed. The pump has a simple design; with a large analogue pressure dial, a flip-out T handle to allow for comfortable pumping, and a strong steel barrel that is capable of pumping up to 300 PSI. The shock pump securely screws onto the Schrader valve core on a suspension fork or suspension shock, and then you simply pump to the recommended pressure for your weight. If you need to let pre...

There are a few cycling accessories that I would classify as essentials: a pump, a saddlebag to house your spare tube, a water bottle and cage, and a mudguard (especially in winter). The Vel Accessories Bundle delivers all of those, in a high quality and colour-coordinated package. I took a Vel water bottle with me on my #7Countries7Passes tour last year, because it was a stylish large volume bottle, without any offensive branding (perfect for those 'Bike Against A Wall' shots). The bottle included in this accessories pack is similarly subtle, well made, and easy to clean thanks to its large opening. The bottle mounts up in a sturdy and smart composite bottle cage. This gloss black cage is lightweight, easy to use, and will securely hold most brands of bike bottle. Under the bottle cage you can mount the mini-pump. This is the highlight of this cycling accessories pack, in my opinion. The black anodised finish of the metal barrel of the pump signals the high build qual...

The RideAir Compressed Air Capsule is designed to be a transportable fast inflation device; suitable for seating tubeless tyres, replacing CO2 cartridges, and facilitating fast inflation in pit-stop race scenarios. It is an interesting KickStarter concept, and one that I was keen to test out. Function The functionality of the capsule is simple: you flip open the rubber lid, and using a floor pump or compressor, pressurise the canister to around 200 PSI (13.5 Bar). You can then safely store the canister until you need it. To inflate a tyre, you screw the hose onto the valve (Presta or Schrader), and press the silver button on the canister to release all or part of the charge. It is effectively like a rechargeable CO2 canister, except that it uses normal air rather than carbon dioxide. The capsule is easy to use, and robustly made. Releasing the pressure charge is surprisingly easy to regulate too; although there is an element of guessing your tyre pressure, as the gauge on ...

Puncture essentials include a spare tube, tyre levers and an inflation device (pump or CO2). The Bar Fly Air Lever combines two of these into one lightweight and easy to use package. The Bar Fly Air Lever set contains two tyre levers, made of a strong composite material that won't damage your wheel rims. One of these levers then has an integrate CO2 inflator head; which fits to the valve on one interface, and allows you to screw a CO2 cartridge into the other interface to inflate your inner tube. The design is simple, yet logical. The inflator is actuated by the amount that you screw the CO2 cartridge into the head unit; and the head unit fits both Presta or Schrader valves. Weighing in at just 40 grams, yet built to last many tube changes; this is a great invention from Bar Fly Bike. View the Bar Fly Air Lever at barflybike.com (Link)

A good set of tools, whether for the home workshop or for your saddle bag, are one of the best investments you can make as a cyclist. Buy cheap and I can almost guarantee you will have to buy again; and as cheap tools wear out, so too do they often wear out your bolt heads and risk damaging other components. Buy quality tools, and they may well last a lifetime. Pedros make high-quality tools; in fact they compose a significant portion of my home workshop tool-chest. The distinctive yellow label is a sure fire sign of quality; in this post I take a look at two of their innovative multi-tools and their floor pump... The Pedros Trixie Singlespeed Multi-tool I don't own a singlespeed at the moment, but I do own several old style bikes, which tend to utilise bolts and lock rings rather more than their modern siblings. Therefore, I've still found the Trixie a very useful bit of kit. The tool is precision cut out of one piece of metal; making it super strong and durable. T...

Christmas is coming! To give you a few ideas of products that you might want to slip into the stocking of a loved one, here are some great products that you might choose. From bar tape to chamois cream, these are all products that any cyclist would be pleased with as a present. There are even some running laces in there for those doing some cross training this winter (like me!). #1 - Lizard Skin DSP Bar Tape Bar tape is a great way to customise your bike, for just a few pounds you can add a new splash of colour to your cockpit, whilst also aiding comfort and performance. The Lizard Skin DSP tape is some of the best I have tried. First there is the cushioning; unlike synthetic cork bar tape it doesn't seem to compress too much in well used areas of the bar, rather the Durasoft Polymer has continued to offer good cushioning, shock absorption and comfort with repeated use. Comfort is one benefit, but grip is the significant second. The DSP's textured grooves (see image...

Some of you may already know of my praise for Lezyne Pumps from my previous blog post on them ( Link ); however I recently added a new tool to my arsenal: the High Pressure Micro Floor Drive (with gauge) that I purchased from SportPursuit  for a knock-down price. This is no ordinary pump; somewhere between a track pump and a hand pump, it is a serious rival to the traditional "frame-fit" pump in terms of being able to reach high pressures quickly. To be more precise, this little pump will reach 160psi max. and will pump a road bike tyre from flat to 100psi with relative ease in under 2 minutes (in my experience). That's pretty good going!  Why did I buy it? There were two principle reasons for me to invest in yet another Lezyne pump:  Firstly, on our France and Spain tour last year we were subjected to a few punctures (inevitably), and after the first week and around 700 miles of riding over the Pyrenees and across the south of France, we st...

Pumps are one of those bits of kit which we depend on heavily. Perhaps every ride we will pump up our tyres, or at least every few, in order to get the correct rolling resistance, grip and comfort for the conditions and the type of riding we are doing. However, not every pump is the same; and when a pump fails on you, it could be a long walk home if you happen to be pumping up a flat out on the trail or road. Having had this happen to me, I now really appreciate the merits of a good hand pump and the accuracy of a good floor pump. So this blog looks at my two favourite, both from Lezyne: the Steel Floor Drive and the Alloy Drive Hand Pump. Steel Floor Drive Pump Every cyclist should have a 'Track Pump', it makes the task of pumping up tyres pre-ride far more manageable, faster and most importantly far more likely to happen; we all know the merits of correct tyre pressure. My first floor pump was a Topeak Joe Blow; it served me well, but over time I began to see ...