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review
£109.00
VERDICT:
A great answer to the mini-pump or CO2 cartridge, with fast, easy inflation guaranteed
Weight:
185g
Contact:
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 meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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- Appalling
The miniFumpa is about the size and weight of a mini-pump, but makes getting tyres up to pressure a literal blast. If you can't be doing with mini-pumps, wobbly tyre valves or sore arms, the miniFumpa might be for you.
- Pros: Small and light, fits in a pocket, inflates tyres much faster than a mini-pump
- Cons: Price, no charge level indication
Back in 2015 I wrote this about the four-star review'd Birzman Apogee Minipump: 'A quick review of the figures: 150 strokes to get to 60psi, where resistance starts to be felt. Then an extra 20 strokes per 5psi from there on, so for 80psi you're a few minutes and 220-ish easy strokes. At around 95-100psi it starts to get noticeably hard to pump, and to get to 110psi you're looking at around 350 strokes or three minutes of work. Beyond 110 abandon all hope of sympathy from your now-cold/bored/departed riding partners, and get thee to a CO2 shop.'
In the intervening years, nothing much has changed. Mini-pumps might be a bit lighter, but fundamentally if you need to get a tyre to north of 80psi you'll be there a while. And with every one of those 220+ strokes the valve head is wobbling around, becoming increasingly looser, likely to spill air, or in the worst case break off, leaving you stranded.
This is faff that some people find both annoying and possibly literally painful – getting a tyre to a decent pressure can leave your hands and arms sore. The pneumatic tyre is the one aspect of cycling that is still largely in the dark ages. Nothing has fundamentally changed in over a hundred years, until tubeless came along, but then that's a totally different kettle of sealant that's still at the enthusiastic early-adopter end of the curve – and I write that as a champion of road tubeless.
So if you find yourself beside a road or trail staring at a flat tyre, unless you call a partner/taxi, at some point there's going to be a pump involved. Thirty years ago, when frame pumps were de rigueur, getting going again with 100+psi in your rubber was the bat of a metaphorical eyelid. With frame pumps all but history (thanks, hydroformed and carbon tubes) and pocket-sized mini-pumps the norm, the issue of shifting air hasn't gone away.
Yes, CO2 canisters are one 'solution', but they have their own issues and are both strange and scary to the vast majority of cyclists, so I'm going to disregard them for the purposes of this review. And you can't fly anywhere with them. On the other hand, you can certainly pack the miniFumpa for your next sunny cycling escape.
So if mini-pumps or CO2 aren't the almost-perfect answer, what is? I'd posit: the miniFumpa. Hailing from Down Under – land of thongs, Vegemite sandwiches and more ways to die than you can shake a deceased Kookaburra at – the miniFumpa has a really basic, clear mission: to shift air into your Presta-valved tyre, fast. Fumpa promises to replace any batteries that die (unlikely, granted the use case), and by the look have a great customer service ethic.
Easily disappearing into a jersey pocket, the miniFumpa is about the same volume as a mini-pump (122cc). That's about the same volume as a carefully folded 28mm 700C inner tube, or half the size of a 26in mountain bike tube. Weighing 185g, the miniFumpa is a bit heavier than a mini-pump, but only by a swig of water or two so nothing noticeable. Going out for 3-4hr rides I entirely forgot it was sitting in a jersey pocket.
Charging the miniFumpa took 80 minutes via micro USB, the red light button going out once charged. There's no indication of how charged it is, but with such a short charge time, popping it on to top up before a ride wasn't a hassle. That button is what you press to start and stop the air – it's that easy.
In road.cc laboratory condition tests* the following results were observed:
For a 23mm tyre, getting to 90psi took about 40 seconds. For 100psi, about 50 seconds.
The miniFumpa was good for two 0-100psi 23mm inflations before the thermal cutout shut things down and prevented turning back on for a few minutes – which was OK, because by then it was getting pretty hot to hold.
Once things had cooled off, it was good for another 100psi, then a fourth attempt stopped early as the battery was done.
Looking at more practical lower pressures, it was possible to get no fewer than five 23mm 75psi bursts out of it, each taking just 30 seconds. For comparison, it took 2 minutes using a mini-pump to get to just 60psi.
The theoretical miniFumpa maximum of 120psi was exceeded – 2 minutes of pumping giving just under 130psi. Clearly it's the higher pressures that suck the battery, so if you're rolling a lower 40-50psi in fatter rubber (and why wouldn't you?), the miniFumpa is even more of a sell. Indeed, used outdoors in official road.cc anger, several mid-ride tubeless-sans-sealant top-ups followed by two successive full 35mm now-inner-tubed tyre inflations** were not a problem.
> How to choose your tyre pressure
Inflating 26in mountain bike tyres was also no issue – it took 50 seconds to get 30psi inside, and the battery was good for four of these.
Aside from road- or trail-side use, the miniFumpa is very handy to top up normally tubed as well as tubeless bikes that need inflating every week or so to keep the bead seals sound. You don't want to drag a track pump around for this, especially for bikes/wheels in hanging racks. The miniFumpa makes this chore easy.
Yes, you can get these pressures with a £30 track pump. But that doesn't fit in your pocket or suitcase, and requires two sound arms and a good back to use, which are not available to all. And no, not everyone relishes the Popeye-forearm-inducing mini-pump effort, which often ends in heads popping off valves and swearing in front of a group of increasingly cold riding mates.
> Buyer's Guide: 15 of the best pumps and CO2 inflators
If your needs are greater than the miniFumpa's means and you don't need pocket-friendly sizing, the full-fat Fumpa Pump might be an additional thing to consider.
Yes, £109 is a fair chunk of change for a 'pump'. But that misses the point that, unlike a track pump this also fits in your pocket, and unlike a mini-pump requires no effort whatsoever. For those without the ability or inclination to use a mini-pump, the miniFumpa is a great option.
* Meaning The Spaniel is in her bed and there's only been the one pint consumed beforehand
** don't ask
Verdict
A great answer to the mini-pump or CO2 cartridge, with fast, easy inflation guaranteed
road.cc test report
Make and model: Fumpa miniFumpa
Size tested: 1.3x2.2x2.7in (32x56x68mm)
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?
It's for people sick of faffing about with minipumps or CO2 canisters.
Fumpa says:
Introducing a new range of lithium-powered bike pumps
Engineered specifically for cyclists, our Fumpa Pumps are simple to use, effortless, light weight, and very very fast.
miniFumpa has been designed to replace your mini-pump or CO2 canister kit. Take miniFumpa with you.
Used by road cyclists, triathletes, mountain bikers, BMX and casual riders.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Fumpa:
Contains a patented compressor design, which compresses surrounding air at remarkable speeds to fill your tyres.
Utilises brushless motor technology to provide incredible power to the compressor.
Relies on a rechargeable lithium-polymer battery, which is easily charged using the supplied micro-USB cable.
Incorporates a patented casing design, which provides strength, reduces vibration and thermally stabilises the internal compressor.
Intuitive push-button start.
Size: 1.3x2.2x2.7 in (32x56x68mm)
Weight: 6.7 ounces (190 grams)
Inflates 2 tyres on a single charge
Accepts Presta valves only
120psi max pressure
0-100psi: 40-50 seconds (700x23c tyre)
Fits in your jersey pocket
USB rechargeable
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Really well built – feels classy.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Hard to compare, but it gets the asked job done.
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
With a good warranty and solid build, looks like it'll last many years.
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
8/10
Not much more than a mini-pump.
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
10/10
Compared with a mini-pump, way, way better.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
Is £109 justifiable for the package? For some folks, I'd say yes.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Really well – small, light, unnoticed until needed, then it did the job.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The size and speed.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Only the missing charge indication.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
Really the only competitor is its bigger sibling.
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
Clearly £109 is a lot of money for something so small and apparently simple. That said, if the use case fits, it could be worth its weight.
About the tester
Age: 45
I usually ride: Merida Ride 5000 Disc My best bike is: Velocite Selene
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo-cross, club rides, general fitness riding, mountain biking, Dutch bike pootling.
Living in the Highlands, Mike is constantly finding innovative and usually cold/wet ways to accelerate the degradation of cycling kit. At his happiest in a warm workshop holding an anodised tool of high repute, Mike's been taking bikes apart and (mostly) putting them back together for forty years. With a day job in global IT (he's not completely sure what that means either) and having run a boutique cycle service business on the side for a decade, bikes are his escape into the practical and life-changing for his customers.
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22 comments
I just came across a video of this in operation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p7rl7ah9mYs
I can't believe you didn't list the incredibly loud and annoying noise it makes as one of the "cons". Anyone who has neighbours and uses this to inflate their tyres before setting off early in the morning is an arsehole.
Last time I flew with a bike, I didn't bother letting the forks down, let alone the tyres.
Didn't bother taking CO2 for that trip, though - normal pump is a far better option for touring on fat tyres.
My 80's bikes (race & TT orientated things) have got pump pegs on a seat stay that hold a decently sized pump. I 've never understood why the configuration wasn't more popular.
Zefal do a set of zip-tie style pump pegs, which you could put on any bike.
Stueys wrote:
Ive flown all over Europe and Africa with my bike and a few CO2 canisters. Never had an issue. Go figure.
You have been lucky many airlines/airports dont allow pressure air canaster on board both carry on or luggage. The air in the cartrage expands this is also the reason the airlines tell you to deflate your tires.
Even if the aircraft hold was unpressurised (it is pressurised, BTW) even then going from sea level to 30,000’ is the equivalent of adding about 12PSI to your tyres. There’s absolutely no need to deflate anything.
[/quote]
Even if the aircraft hold was unpressurised (it is pressurised, BTW) even then going from sea level to 30,000’ is the equivalent of adding about 12PSI to your tyres. There’s absolutely no need to deflate anything.
[/quote]
You beat me to it. The first time I flew with my bike the airport checkin staff made me let the tyres down despite my argument that if the plane flew in outer space the pressure couldn't go up more than (1 bar) 15psi. The altimeter on my watch shows a cabin pressure reduction that equates to around 5psi.
I always wonder who comes up with silly rules and why. I can't think of one reason why CO2 cartridges should be banned.
Particularly as there's at least one CO2 cartridge per seat on an aircraft (… lifejackets).
As for the TSA - they don't allow random CO2 cartridges but their rules do allow four life jacket CO2 cartridges per person (presumably someone pointed out that if there was a risk of explosion, maybe the aircraft shouldn't carry any life jackets at all …) So perhaps one should just pack a life jacket into the bike box if travelling from the USA.
Reading the TSA rules is mildly amusing in some cases. "English Christmas Crackers" are not allowed either in checked luggage or carry-on. So, if I can show I bought them in Scotland, they should be ok? (although, yeah, I'm not going to test the TSA's sense of humour).
The ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) come up with the rules which state that pressurised containers need to be certified to survive a cabin de pressurisation. So if you want to persuade Specialized to flight certify their CO2 canisters you won't have a problem (except they will cost you £50 a pop instead of £7). So we all know a CO2 canister isn't about to explode, but a line has to be drawn somewhere, so that unqualified airport staff aren't left to make safety related decisions.
Agreed, I think we can find rules which seem stupid but ultimately they are trying to get to the lowest common dominator and take away the scenarios were people make varying subjective decisions. I always travel with my inflator head and buy canisters locally, I’m sure that you can probably sneak them through but I’d rather avoid a careless airport handler opening up my bike box.
Ha I tried to tell them this last week flying from Milan Bergamo after Italy Divide. They pulled me off of the plane and made me deflate my tyres. No problem with the 4x CO2 though!!
Do the plane tyres not have air in them then?
I've just flown United to the US with a Brompton. They did ask me if I had CO2 canisters but nothing about deflating tyres. Mind you I said the bag contained "bike parts" rather than a folded bike. I just didn't want risk extra baggage charges (even though the size and weight was within regular hold baggage limits) nor have to field any further questions.
I used a Vincita bag, by the way. I attached this to the rear rack and cycled to Heathrow.
Back to the product. It does look pretty good. I think it could do with pressure and charge guages. Does it support presta only?
.
This from the TSA: no, you cannot fly with CO2 cartridges. I’m sure this rule will vary from country to country and airline to airline, but for the purpose of clarity: if you want to be 100% certain of complicance, don’t take them. Various tales of success and woe here: https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/flying-with-co2-tyre-inflator-c...
In the context of the product under review, it wins because no-one is going to question it
https://www.tsa.gov/travel/security-screening/whatcanibring/items/co2-ca...
02AE4E66-691A-405A-9C2D-B7A5EA199E5E.png
Looks interesting as a travel pump solution. How do you control pressure with it, does it have a gauge?
They have a bigger pump that has a gauge, but this one doesn't there is only a button to start/stop pumping! But as with most other pumps, inflate until hard enough!
Pedantic, but re CO2 - "And you can't fly anywhere with them" - airlines allow four CO2 canisters per passenger in hold luggage (at least, BA, Virgin Atlantic and Easyjet do - these each allow 4 canisters up to 50ml capacity; haven't checked others).
Every year I wait at Mallorca airport as the oversize luggage x-ray machine finds CO2 canisters in bike boxes and the box gets opened up, canisters taken out. That's the airport, airline irreleveant.
I’ve flown all over Europe and Africa with my bike and a few CO2 canisters. Never had an issue. Go figure.
Maybe I’m lucky - I’ve never had a problem with taking CO2 in my bike box at Mallorca (or, indeed, elsewhere).
I have looked at this pump a few months ago, and it's a very neat idea but there are a few problems that I can see:
-U can't connect it to a bike as neat as a bikepump (at the bottlecages for example), and I already have enough in my pockets to also carry this!
-U can't forget to charge it!
-As u mentioned 2 full tires and u need to wait and 1 more and it's empty! Ok getting 3 flat tires on 1 ride is rare it does happen and it also happens that people don't bring a pump! While with a normal pump u can inflate as much tires as u need to!
-The price, it's kinda expensive!
So maybe there will be a day that I buy it but only for my mtb (I usually wear a camelback on the mtb), but for my roadbike I stay with my trusty Lezyne!
Good review and that does look really neat.
The problem I have is that I can't justify buying yet another pump, especially as I paid a lot of money for a ridiculously light pump (iPump Twist). The other issue is that I'd end up either charging it every day or leaving it for a while and then discovering it was out of charge when I actually need to use it.
(I'm intrigued about The Spaniel, but have been instructed to not ask)