babysaph

What is it and where can I get one. Seems the rage in bike pumps

cyclintom

Actually the best pump I've used on a road bike is the Master Blaster Frame Pump. But they're hard to find and you have to be careful about their sizing since it's different from Zephal.

Cycliste

Great but frankly overrated. It's like a mini foldable foot pump with a gauge.
A lot of people prefer the hose to a direct connection to the valve. The only time I damaged a valve was with a foot pump, and I wasn't paying attention

Pumps like Zefal HPX are better and faster.

Dourbali Star

You can get one from nashbar.com for $26.95. I ordered one last week based on recommendations I read here on BF, and it should be arriving soon. Be sure to use the latest 10% off coupon:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=137335

You can also find some of the other pumps mentioned above on nashbar:

https://www.nashbar.com/results.cfm?c...bcategory=1074

Cycliste

other thing, I could not fit it on a Cannondale frame and ended up installing it on our tandem. Oversized tubes made it difficult to install it in a convenient place.

babysaph

Will it pump up my tires on road and mtn bike to required lbs. I tried using an old hand pump I had around the house and it would not put enough air in the tires. The air would leak out around the hose when I got up to over 40lbs. This didn't work and this morph pump looks a lot smaller and more feable than the standard air pump with hose I used.

GrannyGear

Don't overlook Zefal HPX frame pump or its newer version. They work, they last, they easily pump to 90lbs. For a floor/garage pump, spend $25 or so on a Nashbar...mine's worked efficiently for 3 years and when it finally doesnt, toss it and get another.

Cycliste

No comparison. The morph will go >100lbs. Small pumps have come a long way.
Having said that, and GrannyGear also voted on this one: I prefer the long Zefal HPX pumps or similar ones, and they also go >100lbs but don't have a gauge like the morph.

Both are good, everything else is preference. Get both and write a comparative review on BF

DnvrFox

You probably need two pumps

A "garage" pump for regular work. I use the Joe Blow Sports pump

Something for the road. I have a couple of different frame pumps.

A mtn bike tire works best with a high volume pump which will usually give a lower pressure.

A road bike needs a pump designed for higher pressures.

In an emergency, anything that works . . . .

Some folks use the CO2 cartridges. I have them on my wife's bikes, but neither she nor I have ever used one.

Recycle

I just got a Topeak Turbo Morph, which is similar to the Road Morph but with a dial gauge on the barrel rather than the Road Morph's micro in-line gauge.

Arthritis makes it difficult for me to operate a normal frame pump. The Morph, with the hose connection, and one end supported on the ground, is as easy for me to work as a floor pump.

The pump fits fine under the top tube of my Giant Cypress, but there's not a lot of room to spare.

I can't vouch for the advertised 160psi, but it brings my 700x40C tires up to 80psi quickly with no problem.

Dchiefransom

It's a great pump for getting tires up to 120 psi without getting the nickname "Hercules". I helped a guy out with Vredestein tires once. He had a gauge, and we pumped it to 145. Just remember to extend the piece on the end of the hose before use. It pops off under pressure if it shoots to the end by itself.

MaxBender

I bought a road morph turbo (Digital gauge) and like it because:

1. I can pump up, or top off my tires without having to remove them from the bike.
2. I top off before each ride, flats are not every day.
3. It works like a floor pump, so I don't stress the valves.
4. It's easy to connect to the tire, and does not lose a lot of air doing it.
(To hook up my Crank Bros. pump dumped half the air in the tire.)

stapfam

I use a similar type of pump on our Tandem, but have to fit it in my Camelback. Keeps falling off the water bottle mounting, and too long to fit in the Top bag. Mind you the pump works and works well with the high volume tyres used on the thing.

DnvrFox

Please explain?

I have never had to take a tire off to pump it up or top it off? Is there a pump which requires this?

Trsnrtr

Here's a quick story about the Road Morph:

My wife and I had a flat on our tandem a couple miles into a 65 mile ride. I changed the tube and used the Road Morph to pump up the tire. I could not get more than 110# according to the gauge, which didn't make sense, because I'd pumped tandem tires to 130# with it before.

Anyway, I told my wife that I'd take it easy on the bumps until we could borrow a pump from a sag wagon. We got all the way to the 48 mile food stop before I found a floor pump. My wife kept saying the tire felt plenty hard to her, but she's a woman, you know, so I ignored her.

I got the floor pump, hooked it up and it promptly pegged the 160# gauge! The inline Road Morph gauge had stuck at 110#. It was no wonder that my wife was complaining of the rear tire being too hard considering the miles and miles of coarse chip seal that we had ridden.

So, will the pump get your puny tires up to 110 or 120# or so? Probably.

-Dennis

MaxBender

Floor pumps are easy enough to add air with, but with a mini pump, there is a lot of stress on the valve.

I usually remove the wheel, so when I push down on the mini pump, the pump head is braced against the ground.

Or I used to. Now I hook up my handy dandy Road Morph just like a floor pump, pump it a few times to get it from 95psi up to 100psi, and take off!

DnvrFox

Thanks.

I have never used a mini pump in the garage (I have two floor pumps), but of course, when fixing a flat "on the road" I would pump the tire before placing it on the wheel as a matter of course.

Thanks for the explanation.

GrannyGear

Ahh....many's the valve stem I've torn while pumping too vigorously with my frame-fit as my friends left me farther and farther behind.

Who here remembers to stop after 10 or 20 pounds to make sure the tube is well seated? The sound of a tube exploding between bead and rim-- and next to your ear--- as you pump away, bent over your wheel.....not soon forgotten for sheer shock quality.

Dchiefransom

If you use a mountain bike type water bottle mount, it has a velcro strap that goes around the entire mount and pump. It holds the pump on nicely. Mine was just slightly bigger than the pump, so a couple of wraps around the pump barrel with electrical tape fixed that.

I've also found that when using my Road Morph, pumping slowly doesn't make the gauge move. On every one I've seen used (lots of them in the club), it takes quick, sharp strokes to get the gauge to move like it should.

jwbnyc

Good pump.

Easily gets a road tire to proper pressure.

jazzy_cyclist

I've been very happy with mine; unlike those "mini-pumps", it actually works. I've fit it on several places on my Cannondale (seat tube, top tube, and down tube).

When I originally mounted it, I trimmed the strap on the mounting bracket, so I wasn't able to mount it on the down tube (markedly "fatter" on Cannondales) later on. I wrote to Topeak since I wasn't able to find a mounting bracket and they sent me one the next day N/C.

Old Hammer Boy

Another thing to consider is customer service. Topeak has excellent service. When I told them I wanted an additional mounting bracket, it was in the mail and at my door in 3 days and at no charge. I also have a number of their other products and couldn't be happier with the quality. I can't speak for the other companys mentioned, but Topeak is excellent when it comes to customer service.

Lonestar1

Well, I'd like to add to all this. I purchased a road morph several years back & have used it with great success. I carry 2 spare tubes on rides & if I flat, I'll change the tube & repair the punctured tube later at home. I have several floor pumps for use in the home "shop". The road morph will "wear out" but is rebuildable. For quite some time, I also carried CO2 cartridges but stopped. Anyway, the road morph failed on one ride & I had about a 3 +/- mile walk home. I checked at my favorite LBS but they didn't have the rebuild kit. So I went on-line to the TOPEAK site. Sure enough they have a kit for rebuilding the morph line of pumps. I e-mailed them & they sent me one FREE. I was very amazed at that kind of service. I believe it's a great pump!

moymike

Did Topeak farm out their customer service?

I have been trying to contact somebody at Topeak for almost a week now. First thing I opened a problem ticket. Three days later I left two voice messages. Two days later I left another message, and tried all the extensions I could get through their 800-213-4561 number, each resulting in a "leave a message" recording.

The Topeak site takes me to Todson to handle their contact info, and support requests. I've dealt with Topeak in the past, and do not remember it working this way.

I have a broken Road Morph, and left info on the broken part... and either they have been unable to respond to all my attempts to reach them... OR they sent the part, and neglected to let me know.

Either way, I am in limbo, and not to happy with Topeak's support, or lack thereof.

stonecrd

I'm a CO2 guy. I have a Innovations unit that is a mini pump and CO2 inflator. I carry three CO2 cartridges with me which is enough for two inflates of 100lbs and the pump will work if I really, really, really need it. I hate using any type of frame pump, I am always tired and sweaty so why do more work than you have to. The CO2 takes a couple of seconds and then your off. Used it 3-4 times with no problems.