Topeak JoeBlow Roadie EX

The Topeak JoeBlow Roadie EX looks great, feels light (if a bit rattly), and works extremely well. For the money it's a fantastic pump, as the only real niggles are a couple of style-over-function decisions Topeak could easily fix. It's one of the best track pumps you can get for the money.

This is a basic product, but arguably it should be – it blows up tyres. It's a good idea to keep it simple. The large chuck is easy to hold and the latch is easy to flick, and I found attaching it considerably easier than with most pumps. That right there is a big pro for me, and the way it fits straight onto either Presta or Schrader valves without adjustment is a bonus.

It's not the longest hose at 100cm, but it's long enough to reach any part of a big wheel with slack to spare. It runs into the body next to a floor-level gauge that's pleasingly large (3.5in) and easy to read... for the most part. The PSI markers on the bezel and the BAR readout on the dial are big and clear in white, but for some reason both the movable pointer and the 60-120psi range are 'highlighted' in matt, battleship grey.

Okay, it's a particularly bluey grey that's very attractive – it looks very stylish in the band at the top of the steel barrel – but down by your feet against the black plastic it's about as high-contrast as a coffee bean in space. It's a useful substrate for painting something brighter on, I suppose.

The squarish plastic handle is tough and surprisingly comfortable even at high pressures…

…and generally one foot on the pump's foot is enough to keep it all stable. It's stable when stored, too, which is another thing not every pump manages. Some topple over like workplace compensation scammers if you so much as look at them wrong, which gets old pretty quick in a crowded shed.

In my highly meaningful test, this took 34 strokes to take a flat 28mm tyre to 100psi on a 21mm internal diameter rim. No doubt you're comparing that with your own charts, but let me pre-empt you by saying that's good. It's also very easy compared with some pumps, needing only moderate force once over around 80psi. It tops out at 160psi, and while that takes a hard shove, it's not exactly hard work. It only took five strokes to go from 140psi to 160psi when I was filling an Airshot bottle.

> How to choose the best bike tyre pressure – balancing speed, comfort and grip

All it really lacks is a bleed valve for adjusting over-pressured tyres, but given the price it's hard to complain – plenty of more expensive pumps lack them too.

Pulled to full extension, the entire upper rod can wobble rather a lot in the barrel, but in use I never found it wanting to kink or wedge during the stroke. This slight rattliness, combined with the faintly bendy handle (at high pressures) and actually quite usefully low (1kg-ish) weight means it can feel slightly flimsy, but I strongly suspect it's not. The metal barrel and impact-proof plastics seem more than solid enough on closer inspection.

Also, my personal experience is that Topeak generally builds things that last; I still use two old JoeBlow models that have done over a decade's service without issue. What's more, this Roadie EX arrived in a very mangled box alongside a considerably more expensive (£130) full-metal pump, and the metal one had significant damage. The Topeak suffered none.

Value

A £36.99 ticket sets this firmly at the lower end of the spectrum – fancy ones will run you well over £100, such as the Lezyne Pressure Over Drive tubeless track pump at £150, or the Silca Terra Floor Pump at £180.

There are budget competitors, such as the £29.99 Truflo Easitrax 4 Floor Pump – which has actually got £5 cheaper since we reviewed it! CAN YOU IMAGINE SUCH A THING? But that's heavier, can be slippery and has a less comfy handle.

For its easy use, assured performance and promising chances of longevity, the Roadie EX offers excellent value.

Conclusion

Overall, this JoeBlow makes blowing up your tyres really easy, and it's cheaper than a lot of fancier models that don't necessarily do it any better – some, in fact, do it worse. I don't know about you, but there's not much more that I want from a pump.

Verdict

Excellent budget track pump that makes tyre inflation easy