Topeak’s Joe Blow Mountain X is a track pump designed for the demands of high volume tubeless mountain bike tyres and fat bike tyres. It sits neatly between the brand’s Sport series and their well-reviewed Joe Blow Booster, offering vast volume with little effort. At £55, it’s more expensive (and less versatile) than some, but this pump is massively efficient and extremely well built.
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With its steel base and barrel the Mountain X is made to last, and the smallish base provides decent stability while you’re hammering that long stroke. Yes, the full steel construction does make it weighty, but it’s fine for home use and solid in a way that instils confidence.
The three-inch pressure gauge – while smaller than some competitors – is easy to read with great contrast. Having it a third of the way up the pump means don’t have to bend awkwardly to get your reading, and the mount incorporates handy holders for the ball and bladder attachments.
What really shines is the handle. Made of two ODI-like grips, it’s super tactile. Those grips are something that will wear over time, but the rubber is quite firm, so it should take a lot of stick. The whole bar is wide, too, which stops the lengthy stroke from becoming too much of an issue.
The TwinHead connector is a tried and tested design you find on nearly all of Topeak’s pumps. Thanks to its double-sided design, there are no little bits to be lost when switching from Presta to Shrader, simply because there’s no need to unscrew anything. I’ve had no issues attaching it to any valve, either.
The hose comes up a little short but it’s super tidy, with a great little clip that stops the head flopping about in transit.
The Mountain X is a great option if the price of the Joe Blow Booster is a little salty, you run your tyres tubeless, and you don’t have an Air Shot inflator in the garage. Tubeless tyres seat confidently after a few pumps with the Mountain X.
The Topeak Joe Blow Mountain X promises lots of air quickly, and it absolutely delivers. It blew a 2.35 Nobby Nic up to 30psi in around 20 seconds, for instance. The travel does stiffen near the end of the stroke, but that’s a small price to pay for such volume, quality and easy of use.
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