Topeak Joe Blow Sport III Floor Pump, Yellow

Product Information

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. 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. These are modal figures taken from a number of attempts at each tyre size, measured with the same pressure gauge. 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. 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 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. A durable steel barrel and base as well as ergonomic padded handle make inflating tyres with this pump a breeze. A large 3"" chronograph inspired gauge with pressure indicator makes it easier to read and achieve accurate pressures. New hammer type TwinHead® DX5 with longer lever engages onto the valve easier. The 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.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. The screen needs to be dropped out of the casing, before the attached box housing the batteries can be removed.

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. Value Chain reaction Cycles and CRC are trading names of Wiggle Ltd (In Administration) registered in the United Kingdom at 1000 Lakeside, Suite 310, Third Floor N E Wing, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 3EN, The gauge is mounted 20cm up the body and has a single button to switch between psi and BAR readouts. Our Media 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. Because the gauge is mounted at the same elevated point as the hose origin, visibility of the readout is improved versus pumps with similar-sized gauges housed on the base.Finance is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. Performance Cycling Limited FRN: 720557 trading as Tredz are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are a credit broker not a lender – credit is subject to status and affordability and is provided by Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC. Terms & Conditions Apply. Well, pay extra and you're likely to get something made from better quality materials so it'll probably be more robust and last longer. If you only cycle rarely, that might not be much of an issue, but if you're a year-round cyclist, perhaps with several bikes to keep on the road, a better pump is more of an asset. He 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 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.

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.

Oh, almost forgot, I always carry a Topeak Master Blaster DX in my bag. Which seeing as it features a Smart Head, was the same price as a Smart Head on it's own. ? Like this pump, max pressure on the booster is 160psi so I decided in the interests of research to head on up there. As you'd expect, the pumping action did get noticeably harder beyond 140psi but not so hard that it was a struggle – again, with other pumps of this price I've been wrestling the lever down or simply given up at pressures above 140. The Joe Blow maxed out at just under 160 – for 49 strokes, no wrestling involved – it simply reached a point in the downstroke and said 'that's yer lot'. Given the max rating on the metal bottle I was attempting to force air into was also 160, I was happy to call it quits there. 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. In testing, the JoeBlow Sport Digital hit 80psi for a 700 x 26c road bike tyre in 19 strokes, 50psi in a 700 x 40c gravel tyre in 28 strokes and a 29×2.4in mountain bike tyre in 36 strokes. I didn't count how many strokes it took, but speaking of that – here's how I got when I did count the strokes on a variety of different tyres, plus a tyre booster for seating tubeless tyres on a rim:

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 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. 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. 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.