Autonomous Motion

Topeak Turbo Morph Bike Pump

Travel-size, floor pump

The Topeak Turbo Morph is a lightweight frame pump that functions like a floor pump. It has a fold-out anchor for your foot, and the handle also flips sideways into a T-shape. It’s also got a hose, so you can easily inflate the tire while it’s mounted on the bike. Before getting the Turbo Morph about two years ago, I had a tiny frame pump that was just this side of useless. Most portable bicycle pumps are designed to be used exclusively with your arms/hands. Since they attach directly to the tire, they’re cumbersome to use and difficult to get to the full tire pressure. Contrast this to the floor pump in your garage. You anchor it with your feet and use your body weight to power it. Unfortunately, they are also too large to easily carry with you. I tried another “mini foot pump” before the Topeak, but it wouldn’t quite work with a Presta adapter. With my other frame pumps, I’d spend more time inflating the tire than I would fixing it, and it would be hard getting the thing past 60 PSI. With this pump, I can get the tire to its full 120 PSI in just a couple of minutes. I have the G model, which has a built-in gauge. More convenient to have a gauge on the pump than to have to carry a separate one. But if you’ve already got a gauge, then you probably won’t want the gauge version. I have puncture-resistant tires, but the key word is “resistant.” I still wind up getting a flat a couple times a year. This is well worth carrying.

-- Joe D. 07/2/08

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