Review: Cycplus AS2, AS2 Pro and AS2 Pro Max mini e-pumps

Pumping up your tyres isn’t many people’s idea of fun, especially if you’re doing it by the side of the road in cold and rain. If you experience mobility issues in your hands it can be particularly unpleasant. This family of mini e-pumps from cycling tech company Cycplus aims to fix that.

They’re all very similar. In the box for each you’ll find the mini-pump, a USB 3-to-USB 3 charging cable, an adapter to switch between Presta and Schrader valves (they’re set up for Presta out of the box), an extension cable, silicone case and waterproof bag.

The charging cable wasn’t much use to me, but luckily (and probably like most people these days) I have several USB-to-USB 3 cables. Using one of those I made sure each unit was fully charged out of the box. They were.

The Cycplus website describes the products as ‘tiny’ and this is pretty accurate, particularly with the AS2, which weighs less than 100g and is smaller than my mouse. All three will fit in a jersey pocket, although the Pro Max will pull. They’ll also fit in all but the smallest of bags.

They all work in very much the same way: push the nozzle onto the valve, long hold the on/off button to turn the unit on, then press it again to start the pump. There are a couple of important differences: the AS2 Pro and Pro Max both have small screens and two extra buttons.

This allows you to set the pressure you want to pump the tyre to. When you turn the unit on, the screen lights up. It will show the pressure it’s currently set to. You can adjust this up or down using the plus or minus buttons. Press them both together and you can toggle between PSI and BAR.

Once you’ve set your preferred pressure, it will flash a couple of times. You’re now ready to start pumping. Do this by simply pressing the on/off button again. The unit will pump the tyre to your selected pressure and then automatically stop once it gets there. The screen also shows battery level.

I tested both units at 60PSI on my touring bike and 80PSI on my road bike. It took fewer than three minutes in each case. I checked the pressures using my usual pressure gauge and they were spot on.

The AS2 only has one button: on/off. Again, attach the nozzle to the valve and long hold the on/off button. Press it again to start pumping. A light behind the on/off button will turn from red (empty) to amber (almost there) to green (done) and then the unit switches itself off.

I wasn’t as keen on this. You can’t set your preferred tyre pressure and you can’t tell how much charge is left in the battery. Although Cycplus does give a handy chart showing how many full pumps you get for various tyre pressures.

All three versions are noisy. You wouldn’t want to be using them first thing in the morning before setting off to work while the rest of the household are still asleep.

The waterproof bag is a nice addition. It’ll keep the pump safe from rain or sweat if you’re storing it in a jersey pocket.

Verdict

All three options are incredibly easy to use. They would be ideal for anyone with limited mobility in their hands. Or anyone who simply doesn’t want to stand by the side of a wet road on a cold and rainy day for longer than necessary.

I even used them wearing full-fingered gloves and operated them with no problems. Although I’m not sure how you’d get your tyre off the wheel without taking off your gloves first.

I didn’t like the lack of a screen on the AS2, but its small size and lightness do make it ideal for any situations where size and weight are of the essence.

My favourite was the Pro. It seemed to combine the best of other two options with none of the drawbacks. It’s only marginally bigger and heavier than its smaller sibling but is smaller and lighter than the Pro Max while still letting you set pressure and see the battery charge.

The Pro Max is the heaviest and largest; this also makes it the costliest. But its size means the screen is slightly bigger which could be a consideration for glasses-wearers.

Other options

Michelin Portable Electric Bike Pump £59.99

Bigger and heavier than all the AS2s, but it doesn’t cost as much and it has a clear, larger screen.

Rockbros Mini Electric Air Pump As1 Pro £99.98

E-pump with display screen and adjustable air pressure. It’s about the same size and weight as the AS2 Pro.

All information correct at time of publishing.