Road Morph vs. Mountain Morph ?
 

Since the search function is not working I'll have to risk asking a well-discussed question:

Do any of you use a Topeak Road Morph or Mountain Morph pump while touring? What's the difference between them?

Thanks!

I have the Road Morph. Road Morph has the dual-tube stem functionality (presta and schraeder), mine has an air pressure gauge, and the 2005 version has a non-removable plastic piece around the mid-barrel for hanging on a frame (I don't like this bit, but you don't have to hang it on the frame if you don't want to). I can use the Road Morph to pump any tire, including my mtn bike tires.

Road Morph G (G = with gauge, I recommend):
http://www.topeak.com/2006/products/...roadmorphg.php

Mtn Morph: doesn't come w/ a gauge:
http://www.topeak.com/2006/products/...ntainmorph.php

So it's ok to use a road morph on a mtb/tourer?

yes it is. I use road morph for every bike I own - tandem, mtb's and roadie. best minipump made in my opinion

The Road Morph is slightly longer and has a narrower barrel for low volume/higher pressure applications. The Mountain Morph is slightly shorter with a wide barrel for high volume/low pressure applications. The Road Morphs have an inline gauge (some of the older Mountain Morphs had this feature also). Both will work to get a high pressure touring tire to around 90 psi (both will even blow the tire off the rim:mad: ). I'd use the Road Morph for touring just because it has a gauge. If I had a mountain bike that I was touring on, I'd use the Mtn Morph because of the higher volume. The RM is kind of slow in that application.

I'm very excited to see another person going towards the Morphs. These things revolutionized my biking. Before, my tire-changing-kit consisted of spare change and a sheet of phone numbers to call someone to pick me up if I got a flat outside of walking distance, simply because I couldn't pump enough air into a tire using the pre-Morph frame pump. Seriously! Whichever one you choose, you will be happy! Enjoy the long distances away from home!

That about sums it up! Great pump, I've got both.

It's the hose!
 

Having owned other mini pumps before, I can add another endorsement of the Morph pumps. I have owned a Topeak road morph for several years. Having a hose to attach to the valve just makes pumping up a tire way easier--much less energy spent holding the pump, while jerking the entire bike or wheel back & forth with the pumping motion caused by hose-less pumps. They are easy to service if they start showing problems. The head on mine recently developed a leak; Topeak customer service sent me a new hose promptly, at no charge. Unfortunately the pump clip they make for this pump really stinks. I use a pump clip from an old Blackburn/Bell airstick pump which died. The barrel size is the same for both pumps, so the blackburn clip works fine with the topeak, without looking so clunky & awkward.

Rich

Thanks to everyone for the replies. Since there is no huge bike-specific difference, I'll toss a coin and let you know which one I end up with. KNOCK ON WOOD, I haven't had a flat in over 1300 miles this season, so I've not had to deal with my small frame pump tucked under the bottle cage. But I just converted a mid-90's mtb to a tourer and want to get some kind of morph for the "kewl factor." I like the look of them on a bike, and know they're highly recommended.

Thanks again!

I've collected about 4 pumps from different companies that are useless. I can't sell them on Ebay for 1 cent even if I wanted! For a while, I didn't think there were any portable pumps out there that would work. Then I purchased the Road Morph and inflated all my tires at home. I'm a believer.

has no one ever used a frame pump? whats all this talk about everything but morphs being worthless? the silca imperio is lighter, much nicer looking, and has a huge barrel to inject massive amounts of air with. it also has minimal moving parts, and is completely rebuildable. and its cheaper. and its not made in taiwan. or if you want something to clout dogs with, the zefal hpx is heavier, with a metal barrel, and super easy to pump. i dont want a miniture floor pump strapped to my bike. talk about ruining the look...

I have the road morph--I bought it because it was highly reccomended. I've had a lot of problems with the gauge in it though. It is very sticky. It will read 60psi for something like 20 pumps and then suddenly jump up to 90! I have not been able to get it to read above 90 (although I'm pretty sure I've gotten more like 110-120 in my wheels.

..Just my two cents! The "morph" feature is great though!

My gauge hasn't stuck like this.

I didn't know that they replace parts...my first generation Morph (no gauge) is leaking...I'm going to call them! Now I have a pump for two of three bikes!

My gauge is somewhat the same, where it will "stick" for 10lbs or so, but once it gets moving, it keeps moving for me. It's not a replacement for your floor pump, it's not a dedicated gauge, and it's not a real expensive piece. It gets the job done and makes inflating on the go as easy as it gets. I don't think one should expect precision from it, especially for the price and compared to what else is out there.

Yep. Used them all. Zefal HP (before the x thing), Zefal HPX, Mt. Zefal, Mt. Zefal double shot (the only pump I intentionally did not return home with. I chuck that POS into the woods at the bottom of Kenosha Pass here in Colorado and I hope it is rotting there still! :mad: ), Blackburn Mammouth Mointain, some other Blackburn and even, gasp:eek: , CO2! Like all of them...except the Mt. Zefal double shot and the CO2...used all of them...ran over a few of them;)...never even came close to hitting a dog with one since I know how to handle dogs;) I've even ripped off a few valve stems with them.

But the Topeaks have got all of them beat by a country mile! Imagine going out to your bike, taking the pump off, spinning the wheel around to where the valve is near the ground, putting the chuck on the valve and then pumping the pump into the ground. No more trying to balance the bike while holding the chuck on the valve while pumping back and forth and moving the bike all over while trying to hold the bike while holding the chuck while...well you know;) The Topeaks are so good that they almost make you look forward to flats...almost:D

The Mountain Morph pump with a pressure gauge is called the Turbo Morph.

I love my topeak frame pump though. 100 easy pumps to 100psi. Mini pumps are pointless on road bikes. You need a narrow barrel to easily reach the pressure so you also need a long barrel to have a sensible volume per stroke at the same time. I have never tried the morph pumps, although they would make life relaxed when touring, because I have had this frame pump for 5 years and it is still going strong!

The blackburn mammoth mountain is the standard that all mountain bike mini pumps are measured by. Volume per stroke is massive for the size and weight. And they are as durable as mini pumps come.

Topeak also make the worst pump ever made, those tiny carbon fibre rocket pumps. They are the size of a sharpie. Cycling Plus tested one and it took a mere 400 pumps to get rolling again.

My old Trek 720 came with a zefal frame pump. I hated it. Harder to use. Easier to rip off the valve stem. The road morph works great, just like a floor pump. I think I can pump up a tire faster with the morph then I can with a frame pump and be less winded doing it.

Frame pumps may work great for some, but for me, it will always be a morph.

I have about 3 different frame pumps for sale, if anyone is into "vintage" gear!!!!! ;)

:D ...and I was hoping to trade my old pump in when I buy my new morph...oh well! :D

Check wether the Road or Mountain Morph fits in that bottle cage mount because what does suck with the Morphs is the mount. It's flimsy. Mine broke and now place it in a bottle cage mount that's much better. Unless you plan on getting flats many times a day, I don't think the difference in volume between the two Morphs would be a concern. I have a Road Morph and pumping air into an empty tube is so easy I do it while singing a song to the rythm and I'm sad when it's over.

Performance sells extra water bottle cage mounts for real cheap. One of the reasons to carry the mountain morph is that it fits in these cages. It's harder to find one to fit the Road Morph. Blackburn sells a version of the clip that mounts under the top tube also. I prefer that one for the most part.

I just picked up a Road Morph this morning and am almost looking forward to my first flat. I got it based on the many dozens of good reviews I have read, many on this site.

Thanks guys!

Cheers,

Brian

Yep, I've used Silca (with Silca head and Campy head); Zefal HpX; early Blackburn FP-something with the flip-out T-handle and plastic thumblock head. The Road Morph beats them all for ease of pumping to high pressures with no risk of bending my Presta valve stems. Anyway, what's wrong with "Made in Taiwan"? They make good stuff too. If you examine low- to mid-end Italian stuff, it's often now "Made in China" or "Made in Taiwan".

Whoee, the blister just broke from using my roadmorph to pump 1.5" tires up to 100 psi 3 wks ago. Maybe that was just too ambitious.