Pumps & CO2 inflators

The SKS Airgun is a pump designed for riders who need to inflate their tyres in a hurry, and is particularly suited to race, time trial and triathlon riders who need to get moving again quickly.

The Airgun comes complete with one cartridge - it takes the 16g threaded type CO2 cartridges – a bottle cage mount for the pump, another that holds a spare cartridge, and an insulating sleeve.

The quoted weight of the pump is 105g including the cartridge, separate 16g cartridges weigh in at around 58g each.

Bontrager's Air Support Road is another lightweight mini pump genuinely capable of delivering 100 PSI in 150 strokes and five minutes and would be my choice for those that want something that works well and looks good.

The extensive use of alloy gives a reassuringly solid feel and the intricately machined T handle offers surprisingly good grip - even at the higher pressures and being double action improves efficiency managing 100PSI in a 700X23 and 85 inside a 26X1.5 in one hundred and fifty and two hundred and twenty strokes respectively.

At just over £30 Topeak's Joe Blow Sport is not an expensive pump but it certainly performs like one. The construction and operation are pretty hard to fault, making it a good home workshop investment.

Despite the bargain basement price tag, the head rush could be perfect for commuters and mountain bikers looking for a simple, reliable pump. Rotating 360 degrees, the swivel head also tilts giving better access to hard to reach valves-the sort typically found on small-wheeled folders, children’s bikes and trailers. A thumb lock prevents frustrating air leakage but swapping between Presta and Schrader valves demands stripping of the valve head, yet the piston action felt smoother than models costing twice the price.

Sporting a slender 6063 aluminium barrel, T handle for improved grip and two way action capable of delivering 100psi, the Ultralite would suit riders demanding moderate tyre pressures and needing a reliable pump for roadside emergencies

Lezyne’s steel floor drive track pump oozes old school charm with its varnished wooden handle, long black barrel and large gauge. However, it’s let down by an inferior nylon valve which requires dismantling to switch between Presta and Schrader stems.

The price of three bog standard inner tubes buys you Revolution’s Air track pump Sport. Intended for the home workshop there’s nothing budget about the build quality. The steel barrel resists all but wanton recklessness and despite my initial reservations it packs a mighty punch, inflating a 700x20 from zero to 110 psi in twenty three easy strokes and feeding 80psi into a 26X1.5 in a very respectable forty-eight. The resin base and shapely ergonomic handle continue the reassuringly solid feel, shaming many track pumps costing twice the price.