Support road.cc

Like this site? Help us to make it better.

Giant Control Tower 0 Floor Pump

8
£59.99

VERDICT:

8
10
A simple-to-use, leak-free pump with a precise gauge and quick inflation
Weight: 
1,771g

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.

What the road.cc scores mean

Good scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.

  • Exceptional
  • Excellent
  • Very Good
  • Good
  • Quite good
  • Average
  • Not so good
  • Poor
  • Bad
  • Appalling

Giant's Control Tower 0 is a sturdy, solid feeling, easy-to-use track pump – especially thanks to its digital display – and it's a pretty good deal too.

  • Pros: Comfortable handle, leak free head
  • Cons: Not the sturdiest base

The 2-inch digital display is positioned at the top of the pump, which makes it easy to read without having to stare down at the floor, and it displays the pressure in bar, PSI and kg/cm2. There is also a battery life indicator.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Tested against a dial pressure gauge I use on the car, the Giant is pretty much spot on, with about a couple of psi in it.

Giant Control Tower 0 Floor Pump-3.jpg

When attaching it to the valve there is no need to faff around with the head of the pump. It uses what Giant calls the AutoHead and it seamlessly switches between Presta and Schrader valves with ease.

Giant Control Tower 0 Floor Pump-4.jpg

Clamping onto the valve, it doesn't feel that firm a connection but it never leaked even when going from completely flat up to 100psi. (Under the screen it says that it'll cope with a max pressure of 180psi, should you ever need it.)

With a 1.2m hose it doesn't matter where the valve is sitting on the wheel, either.

The Control Tower 0 uses a steel barrel and base which creates a solid feel throughout the pumping action, although the feet could do with being a little wider in my view to really get a good purchase on with your shoes. It has a rubber section underneath the base which gives it extra grip and should stop it marking tiled or wooden flooring.

Giant Control Tower 0 Floor Pump-2.jpg

The handle has a grippy feel to it, and being flared backwards it's a comfortable shape to use. It's strong, too, so no flex issues.

It has little pockets at each end too, to hold some accessories like a ball/bladder adaptor and there is a valve core removal tool in the other.

The Giant delivers 355cc of air volume per stroke and pumped up a 25mm tyre from flat to 80psi in 19 strokes, and 100psi in 25 strokes, which isn't long at all.

> Buyer's Guide: 11 of the best track pumps

Priced at £59.99, it's way cheaper than the last digital pump I tested, the Truflo Digitrack at £99.99. Mind you, that was three years ago and it's still in daily use.

When it comes to good value track pumps, I highly rate models from the Topeak Joe Blow range, and this Giant has the same quality feel as the Elite that I tested a little while back. That one uses a dial gauge rather than a digital one, for £49.99; Topeak doesn't use digital gauges on any of its pumps.

Overall, the Control Tower 0 is well made, feels sturdy and has a precise gauge for what isn't a huge outlay.

Verdict

A simple-to-use, leak-free pump with a precise gauge and quick inflation

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Giant Control Tower 0 Floor Pump

Size tested: One

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?

Giant says, "Precise inflation. The Giant Control Tower 0 features a precise digital gauge to provide the most accurate tyre pressure readings. A high strength steel base and barrel offer a lifetime of durability, and the ergonomic handle design gives you more comfortable way to inflate tyres."

It is a solid feeling track pump with a precise gauge.

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

Giant lists these features:

AutoHead: V

Gauge style: Digital Gauge

Gauge size: 2.0'

Barrel: Steel

Base: Steel

Handle: Ergonomic sweeping handle

Maximum Pressure:180psi

Height: 690mm

Weight: 1688g

Hose: 1220mm

Ball/bladder needles: Integrated in Handle

Volume/per stroke (cc): 355cc

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10

Nicely shaped and textured handle.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

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

Does everything it needs to and does it well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Leak-free smart head.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

I would like some slightly wider feet to give it more security, especially when there is no weight on it.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

We haven't tested many digital pumps but even against a lot of the analogue pumps it is well priced for its performance and build quality.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

The Control Tower 0 is a quality piece of kit and should definitely last a long time.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 40  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

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

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

Latest Comments