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Topeak Joe Blow Sport track pump

8
£32.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Great performance and build quality from a home workshop favourite
Weight: 
1,720g
Contact: 
www.extrauk.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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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.

The Joe Blow range is extensive, going from £25 for the Max II to £85 for the twin-barrelled Race. The Sport, the second-cheapest pump, gets plenty to recommend it. The construction is all-steel, with the pressed base bolted to the barrel. Further up the range you get 'upgraded' to Aluminium but I'd rather have the longevity than the light weight. The barrel-mounted gauge tops out at 160psi; we didn't have any track tubs to inflate during testing but certainly 120psi was no bother at all, and putting 100psi into a 700x23c took just 24 easy strokes. The elastomer insert makes the handle nice and comfy.

The Sport uses Topeak's TwinHead™ adapter, with Presta and Schraeder valves sitting opposite each other and sharing a locking lever. It's a simple and elegant cheaper alternative to a smart head, and means there's no fiddling with spacers. Both sides of the head accepted all the valves we tried with no leaks. The hose isn't the longest but the articulated joint at the valve means the hose you get is more usable, and it clips over the handle when not in use to keep everything tidy.

Verdict

Overall it's a great workshop tool that should give you years of service. The performance is first rate for the money, and there's been no corners cut in the build. Nice job.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Topeak Joe Blow Sport track pump

Size tested: n/a

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 190cm  Weight: 100kg

I usually ride: Schwinn Moab, urbanised with 700cs  My best bike is: Trek 1.5 with upgrades

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

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