Specialized Air Tool Comp Floor Pump review
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Specialized Air Tool Comp Floor Pump review

It’s not subtle, but does the performance match the loud aesthetic?

Our rating

4.5

65.00
70.00
50.00
100.00

David Caudery / Our Media

Published: August 19, 2023 at 9:00 am

Our review
A brilliant pump with features you didn’t realise you needed

Pros:

Comfortable handle; simple dual-compatibility head; easy to read two-stage dial

Cons:

Handle is on the large side for the smallest hands

The Specialized Air Tool Comp sits alongside the Air Tool HP at the second highest price point in Specialized’s pumps range.

Specialized claims it is "dependable, versatile and accurate" and the Air Tool Comp certainly has a range of interesting features to go with its radiant paintjob.

It's comfortable to use, with a clearly readable dial, and boasts a range of handy features.

Specialized Air Tool Comp details and specifications

Specialized Air Tool Comp
The handle is pleasingly comfortable to use. Steve Sayers / Our Media

Weighing in at 1,678g and standing at 65.5cm (25.8in), the Air Tool Comp features a 78mm-diameter gauge and a 109cm (42.9in) hose.

The head is Specialized’s SwitchHitter 2 system, needing no manual selection between Presta and Schrader valves.

A 26cm-wide and 21cm-long (10.2x8.2in) base houses the dial and the hose exits from the front.

Fully extended, the height is 113.5cm (44.7in), giving a stroke of 49cm (19.3in).

The handle is 26cm long. Viewed from the end, it has a teardrop-like profile that has been turned 90-degrees.

Specialized Air Tool Comp performance

11-48-21BikeRadarJULY_180723ss8491
The large two-stage gauge is easy to read.

The handle is very comfortable in use. Its 5cm-wide upper face provides plenty of support.

You might not consider that a pump should be comfortable to use. However, the fact that this one is so comfortable suddenly makes those that aren’t somehow less appealing.

While the very smallest hands may struggle to encircle the 3.5cm-tall handle, most will enjoy using the Air Tool Comp.

The Air Tool Comp needed 17 strokes to get to 80psi in a 700 x 26c road bike tyre, 25 strokes to achieve 50psi for a 700x40mm gravel bike tyre and 19 to hit 20psi in a 29x2.4in mountain bike tyre.

These are modal figures taken from a number of attempts at each tyre size.

The two-stage gauge has larger graduations for more accurate pressure adjustment from 0-30psi, switching to lower degrees of rotation for higher pressures.

Pressure readings between the pump’s own gauge and my digital gauge, used as a benchmark, were consistent as far as could be judged on the pump’s analogue dial.

A target pressure indicator is present on the gauge’s bezel, but I found it wasn’t essential to use it because the gauge is large and clearly visible despite being mounted at the base.

The steel base effectively forms a broad tripod, offering stability on rough ground. It has drillings and grip tape designed to improve traction with any footwear in any conditions.

The hose stems from just ahead of the gauge as the user looks down at the base. At 109cm (42.9in), it's long enough to reach either wheel of a bike suspended in a repair stand.

Specialized’s SwitchHitter 2 valve head accepts Presta and Schrader valves with no need to select or adjust anything. You simply fully insert the valve, lift the locking lever and away you go.

There is a little play between the shaft and pump body at full extension – pressure builds from early in the stroke, no matter what height the stroke begins from.

There are mounting points either side of the collar and a clip to attach the hose to itself, to enable you to stow it away. While there isn’t a groove built into the handle, the hose does hook over it.

A replacement rubber seal for the SwitchHitter 2 head is included to help prolong usability of the pump.

Specialized Air Tool Comp bottom line

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The Air Tool Comp is an excellent, well-built, versatile pump.

Specialized has produced one of the best bike pumps on the market in the Air Tool Comp.

The pump is suitable for every type of rider I can think of and has a slew of features to make the experience better one way or another.

While it's not overtly cheap, it doesn’t carry an exclusionary price tag.

Bike pumps | Also on test

This pump was reviewed as part of BikeRadar’s 2023 pump review. The other pumps tested were:

  • Silca Pista Plus
  • Topeak Joe Blow Sport Digital
  • Lezyne Macro Floor Drive Digital
  • Zefal Profil Max FP60 Z-Switch
  • BTwin Foot Pump 900

Product

Brand specialized
Price 100.00 AUD,65.00 EUR,50.00 GBP,70.00 USD
Weight 1678.0000, GRAM () -

Features

br_pumpType track_floor_pump
br_pressureGauge analogue
Features Height - stored: 65.5cm

Height - extended: 113.5cm

Base: 26cm x 21cm
br_maxPressure 120psi