Topeak Joe Blow Sport III Floor Pump, Yellow

Product Information

I feel Topeak could do better here. With a longer hose and a more stable gauge, the Sport Digital would be a better, more usable pump. The fundamentals of build quality and spare parts are in Topeak's favour here, and if you aren't fussed by an immediately-visible pressure or a not-too-long hose then the Joe Blow Digital Sport is a good pump. Verdict Smaller riders should go for narrow-barrel floor pumps to get the right pressure; we've seen diminutive riders lift themselves off the floor with some fatter pump. My Joe Blow De Lux is 20 or more years old. I have run latex tubes on mountain bike tyres in all of that time, so I use it loads, and it has been marvelous, highly recommended. I have to strip and clean it about every 5 years, I'm on my second smarthead, which I recently had to repair by combining bits, and the gauge is not great at the lower pressures I run, at least not according to the digital gauges I have used, Shimano AWFUL, topeak, wonderful, but it is consistant. Might have to get an expansion chamber as I'm about to run 3 inch tubeless (it's getting real close now) and I would love the excuse to maybe have to buy a new pump (mmm Silka). But the Joe blow keeps pumping. I have just looked it up, Topeak make an air chamber, I now HAVE to consider it. Their pumpy stuff is just so good. The JoeBlow® III continues the tradition of setting the benchmark for floor pump durability and performance, while ushering in upgrades with an enlarged 3” chronograph inspired gauge and new hammer style TwinHead® DX pump head. This will help it reach some valves on bikes suspended in a bike repair stand. Hose storage comes via clips either side of the collar atop the barrel.

Although the 74cm (29.1in) hose is on the short side end-to-end, its range is helped by the fact it stems from part way up the pump body. If you are using larger volume tyres, on your gravel bike, say, then up to 30psi using both barrels is achieved in 13 strokes for a 43mm Panaracer GravelKing, 33 strokes using the single barrel. The screen is powered by two CR2032 batteries, which require some level of effort to install and replace with the included 1.5mm Allen key. Overall, I'd say this JoeBlow doesn't quite offer the value for money as its more simple siblings, but if you need the options of both high volume and high pressure then it is worth the investment. VerdictThe lone button on the gauge toggles between readouts in psi and BAR – handily, it wakes when pressure is sensed and powers down after a period of inactivity. These are modal figures taken from a number of attempts at each tyre size, measured with the same pressure gauge. The growing popularity of tubeless tyres has led to a new pump category, with an extra chamber that provides a big burst of air to get a tubeless tyre seated. You pressurise the tank, and then release all the air into the tyre in one hit, blowing the tyre bead up on to the rim seat. Weight and portability

If you want a pump that's shiny and/or anodized with a wooden handle and a cool-looking gauge, it'll cost you more than a basic plastic pump, but you might not be interested in how the pump looks, especially if it's going to spend its whole life in the shed or garage. The dual-density polymer handle adds a good level of comfort and is tapered towards the ends, making it comfortable for a range of hand sizes. I've used various models of JoeBlow over the years and the one thing that is always impressive is the build quality. They just last and last, and I don't see any reason why this one would be any different. ValueHe was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.

The 2Stage uses two barrels (stage 1) to deliver the first 30psi to your tyre or inner tube, giving 715cc of air volume per stroke. On a 25mm tyre, it'll have you there within just five strokes; compare that to using just the single high-pressure (stage 2) barrel's 258cc and you'll see that you'll save eight strokes. I did buy a Leyzne HV Micro Floor as a leave at girlfriends, then at work and as an "adventure" pump, you know for the days when an extra apare tube is taken out. It was shiny, but does hurt my hand. So it's not just Topeak for me, quite. The gauge is mounted 20cm up the body and has a single button to switch between psi and BAR readouts. Our Media

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High pressure or high volume, or indeed mid-pressure/mid volume as so many of today's fatter road tyres are, it's all grist to this pump's mill. I've used it on a variety of tyres during the (long) test period I've had it. John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.