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Airace Infinity Turbo Steel Floor Pump

9
£38.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Sturdy Schrader/Presta floor pump that can comfortably handle 160psi; it makes you wonder if there's any point paying more
Weight: 
1,600g
Contact: 
www.fisheroutdoor.co.uk

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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This sturdy floor pump is great and makes you wonder whether there's any point in paying more.

What's good? Funny you should ask... For a start, both the base and the 30mm-diameter barrel are steel, and fairly hefty steel at that. You're going to have to do something pretty darn careless to wreck either... and that's coming from a man who can break most things without trying.

The handle is plastic with an elastomer inlay in the top that stops your hands from slipping. Rather than bending about like some handles when you get a bit of force behind them, it holds firm which bodes well for durability. In my experience, flexy handles always fail sooner or later.

You get just one small rubber stud on each side of the base for grip. That seems a token effort but it's not really a problem – foot slippage has never struck me as the biggest concern when it comes to floor pumps. Even if those studs don't last forever, it's really not going to affect the overall performance much.

The hose comes out of the top of the barrel and it's about 1m long which is ample. The pump head is a chunky, confidence-inspiring piece of work with a single 'Clever Valve' that fits Schrader and Presta inner tubes equally well. The tough lever on the back of the pump head tightens the rubber seal inside and holds it firmly in place so it doesn't shoot off across the garage at high pressures.

The gauge sits at the top of the barrel too so it's easily read, and you can turn a dial on the outside to your target pressure to make things even simpler.

Airace give a maximum pressure of 160psi (11 bar, give or take) and, for once, that's accurate. Sometimes a manufacturer will claim a figure and it's just about achievable if you and a friend both jump on the handle at the same time. Not here: I pumped some 22mm tubs up that high with no trouble at all – no sweating, no cursing, no nothing. It took 32 strokes – if you're interested, like. If you accidentally put in too much air, a little bleed button on the back of the pump head allows you to let some out easily.

What else do you need to know? Ah yes, you can get spares too. So, if the rubber in the valve eventually goes kaput, you can spend a few quid on a new one rather than having to replace the entire pump. That's good for your wallet, the environment, your grandchildren and all the rest of it.

Oh, I do have one complaint: they spelt the name wrong on the barrel... Unless they did actually want to call it the Infinity Tubo.

Verdict

Sturdy Schrader/Presta floor pump that can comfortably handle 160psi; it makes you wonder if there's any point paying more.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Airace Infinity Turbo Steel Floor Pump

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Airace say:

"160psi maximum pressure

Clever valve automatically detects for schrader or presta

Air bleeder for 2-3psi fine air pressure control

Durable steel barrel"

It's suitable for any cyclist, really – unless you need more than 160psi for any reason.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Airace call the pump head a 'Clever Valve'. Other people call this type of design a Smart Head or something similar. There's a single hole that fits both Schrader and Presta valves.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

The quality is high – certainly high enough for most home mechanics.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

The manufacturer promises 160psi and that's what it delivers.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

It's mainly steel and sturdy; it's built to last.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

A very good price for something that should last an age.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It easily does exactly what it's supposed to and it looks like it'll last.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The sturdiness and the ease at which it delivered the promised pressure.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The hose/pump head storage device is low rent - but it works fine.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Certainly one to consider.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 190cm  Weight: 75kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding,

 

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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