Small, said the economist EF Schumacher back in the day, is beautiful. And it’s true that Blackburn’s pump certainly is, er, tiny. But if you’re standing by the roadside in the rain trying to get 100psi into your tyre you might rue your decision to save a few grams.
It has a wide shaft inside its short barrel and flicks from low to high pressure but once you’ve pushed the chuck on there’s nowhere to comfortably hold the pump at the non-pumping end, and you’re in danger of pinching the skin of your hand – and putting pressure on the valve.
It will fit in a pocket or seatpack, and will get you home, but we’d recommend something larger for everyday use – you won’t regret it.
This article was originally published in Cycling Plus magazine, available on Apple Newsstand and Zinio.