Specialized Air Tool Road Pump

The Specialized Air Tool Road is a nod to the traditional frame pump that you always used to see sitting under the top tube or against the seat tube of road bikes in years gone by. It's much smaller in size but efficient, and it looks great – but it's not the most comfortable to use.

Let's kick off with positives. The Air Tool Road looks sleek and cool, and it's very simple to use.

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Being a road-specific pump there are no 'smart heads' or twin connections for various valves as it's Presta only. Nor are there any clamps to hold the pump in place – you just push the pump head onto the valve. It's a pretty secure fit, requiring just a bit of pressure from your fingers to hold it in place as you pump.

The machined alloy construction is of a high quality too, with very little in the way of flex or wobble even when at full extension.

To stop the pump accidentally opening, there's a neat little dust cap that clips into the head opening which is screwed into the main section. If the dust cap is in place, the pump can't extend.

Its volume per stroke is 60cc and this gets the air into your tyres quickly. In a 28mm tyre with an inner tube I could manage 50psi in just 100 strokes, and 75psi in 150. It's rated to achieve 100psi and I'd go along with that, although it'll take some time to get there – from 75psi onwards it takes a bit of a workout to go higher.

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As the pressures increase and it becomes harder to compress the pump, you need to use your hand to make sure the head stays on the valve, and also that the valve doesn't get damaged. The trouble is, the small area available makes it hard to hold the head without pinching your fingers each stroke.

Also, that smooth machined body looks cool, but once you start pumping away, the pump warms and your hands start to sweat, which makes gripping the pump difficult. Okay, mitts help, but not everyone wears them. I certainly don't once the temperatures have risen above the need for full gloves.

On top of that, to get purchase on the pump, to compress it once the tyre has got above 65psi, you need to use the palm of your hand to push against the rounded end of the main chamber. Because the diameter is so small it creates a pressure point that can be annoyingly painful.

It looks the business, but its usability is compromised.

Thankfully, at £27, it's not overly expensive.

It's slightly cheaper than the Topeak Roadie TT Mini Pump (£29.99) and delivers nearly twice the cubic capacity. The Topeak is a lot shorter, though, which means it can fit easily in a jersey pocket or saddle bag rather than just the supplied mount, unlike the 268mm  Specialized.

Nick got on with the Topeak, too, with the valve clamp reducing the need for so much finger pressure at the head, and the bigger barrel diameter reducing pressure on the pumping hand.

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The SKS Airboy is practically the same money (£26.99) as the Specialized and a similar kind of product. Again, it doesn't deliver as much air as the Specialized does per stroke, but it is so much easier and comfortable to use. Little details like the rubber grip on the end of the main barrel just aid the pumping motion.

Conclusion

I can't criticise the Specialized's performance – from that perspective it is a very capable pump – and I love the looks. It's a quality piece of kit. But it's let down by not being that comfortable to use.

Verdict

Very good performance let down by poor ergonomics