SKS’s latest track pump, the Rennkompressor NXT, is the next stage in SKS’s floor pump story. With it, the brand claims that tradition meets modern, and while it’s well made and can be packed down into a small footprint, the Rennkompressor NXT falls short of excellence in numerous ways – it’s not terribly stable, its gauge is hard to read, and it doesn’t have the power to seat tubeless mountain bike tyres.

 

SKS Rennkompressor NXT – Technical details

With the Rennkompressor NXT, SKS has taken its beloved Rennkompressor and equipped it with a range of mod-cons. Perhaps the most notable is the fact that it can be packed down into a delightfully small size. Its feet can fold up, and the handle can unscrew, meaning that it can hide neatly in the back of the car with the spare wheel or fit within any van setup.

2024 sks rennkompressor nxtbarrel.jpg
2024 sks rennkompressor nxtbarrel (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
2024 sks rennkompressor nxtbarrel.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Another thing that sets the NXT pump apart from its predecessor is that it’s a bit taller than the old pump, so it should deliver a greater volume of air into a tyre and boost its tubeless tyre seating capability.

SKS isn’t too descriptive about what this pump is made of, only stating that its barrel is made of ‘solid’ metal and that its aluminium base is rubberised. The pump’s handle is made of beech, however, which adds a high-end and rather luxurious touch.

2024 sks rennkompressor nxt handle.jpg
2024 sks rennkompressor nxt handle (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
2024 sks rennkompressor nxt handle.jpg, by Liam Mercer

Capable of inflating up to 230 PSI or 16 bar, this pump is equipped with a plastic pressure gauge and a dual-style valve head that SKS calls MV EASY MULTI VALVE – very German. It’s capable of clamping onto Presta and Schrader valves, depending on the hole you pick.

SKS Rennkompressor NXT – Performance

One thing’s for certain, the Rennkompressor NXT is well-made and mega durable. It’s lived a harsh life rattling around the back of my van, only seeing the light of day when put to work. While it’s carrying the usual scuff marks, its action and general demeanour are as positive as the day it came out of the box. 

2024 sks rennkompressor nxt fold.jpg
2024 sks rennkompressor nxt fold (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
2024 sks rennkompressor nxt fold.jpg, by Liam Mercer

During my time with the pump, it mainly found its use topping up pressures rather than seating tubeless tyres simply because it’s not really up to the job. Despite the fact that it’s been made taller to give it greater capacity to push more air into a tyre, it’s still not enough to encourage a tyre’s beads into a rim. It’s also weird in use as it’s so tall. I’m five feet ten inches in height, and to get the full range of motion of the pump, I’m pulling really high up into my chest before the handle tops out. 

Then there’s the case of the gauge, it’s clear, although smaller than many, it’s poorly marked with no numbered intervals between zero PSI and 50, which leaves some guesswork. Because of this, it’s also very tricky to reach accurate readings between the indications that are present – the gauge just isn’t detailed enough. So if you’ve found yourself using a Rennkompressor NXT, make sure you’ve got a standalone pressure gauge on hand.

2024 sks rennkompressor nxt gauge.jpg
2024 sks rennkompressor nxt gauge (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
2024 sks rennkompressor nxt gauge.jpg, by Liam Mercer

The saving graces are the pump’s build quality, and the fact that its feet fold up, and the handle comes off. It makes it small enough to carry around all of the time, whether that’s in a car’s footwell or in the boot. The pump doesn’t catch on anything either, so when pulling a bike out of the van, I’ve only got the bike, rather than the pump also clinging onto a spoke or pedal. However, the foldy feet make the pump rather unstable when pumping. 

2024 sks rennkompressor nxt head.jpg
2024 sks rennkompressor nxt head (Image Credit: Farrelly Atkinson)
2024 sks rennkompressor nxt head.jpg, by Liam Mercer

SKS’s adequately named MV EASY MULTI VALVE is exactly what it says on the tin, too. It’s simple and, as a result, it just works. The lever is backwards, however, so you push it down to lock onto a valve rather than pull it up. That’s fairly commonplace on SKS pumps, however.

SKS Renkompressor NXT – Verdict

The real kicker is the price. £134 for a pump that’s very much form over function really doesn’t help. For tubeless installations and general MTB tyre fettling, Topeak’s £45 Mountain EX has proven a much more reliable tyre-inflation companion for gravel and MTB use. 

When it comes to gravel use, which the Renkompressor NXT is definitely capable of, it’s trumped by Lezyne’s Sport Gravel Drive, which comes in at £70, gets a larger and easier-to-read dial, while boasting a similar construction. It doesn’t fold down, however.

If it’s tubeless inflation you’re after, Blackburn’s Chamber pump is £20 more at £150. It’s a tubeless charger pump, so not really a like-for-like comparison, but it’s a good highlight to compare what you can get for somewhat similar money.

Topeak’s JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage sits at £120, and if I was looking for a premium pump, that’s where my money would go. It gets a fancy head that allows for valve core removal and reinstallation without having to remove the head, and it’s more than capable of all manners of tubeless inflation.

Without bashing the SKS Rennkompressor NXT too hard, if it’s a pump for pure MTB use you’re looking for, this one doesn’t fit the bill. Gravel riders or roadies may find better use, but its small and hard-to-read gauge paired with its instability and high price means that there are certainly better options around and for less cash. If you’re after a folding pump with a small footprint that’s built to a high standard, however… 

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Test report SKS Rennkompressor NXT track pump review £134.00

Pumps and CO2 inflators

Product purpose: 

SKS says, “Tradition meets modernity: The RENNKOMPRESSOR NXT combines the basic elements of the legendary original with the demands of the modern world. The upgraded version ensures more volume when inflating tyres with its taller steel tube.” Technically, it delivers more air volume but it’s still not enough

Build extra: 

Precision pressure gauge
• Solid metal tube
• Rubberised, non-slip aluminium base
• Folding snap-in feet
• Removable beech wood handle
• With an MV EASY MULTI VALVE valve head
• Made in Germany

Product construction 


Product construction extra: 

It’s built very well and foldable functionality is handy, but not perfect.

Product performance 


Product performance extra: 

lacking power, hard to use, gauge is hard to read.

Product comfort 


Product comfort extra: 

Gauge is hard to read and making a pump taller isn’t the most ergonomic of ideas.

product value 


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Product value extra: 

£130 for a pump that struggles to perform isn’t ideal, but it is built well.

Overall performance: 

Not the best.

Product likes: 

Build quality, folding function, reliable head.

Product dislikes: 

Air delivery, height, instability, hard to read gauge.

Enjoy: 

No

Buy: 

No

Recommend: 

No

Conclusion: 

It’s built very well and the fact it folds will appeal to some but general functionality doesn’t match up to more budget-friendly alternatives.