SKS Spaero Sport Alu Pump

The new SKS Spaero Sport Alu is a solid mini pump that works efficiently to get a decent amount of pressure into your tyres.

I've had it with lightweight plastic mini pumps that mount directly onto the valve. Yes, they weigh nothing and they take up very little space in your pocket but most of them don't actually work very well.

This pump from SKS is 21cm long and it weighs 111g, which is a little heavier than some, but the crucial thing is that it does the job.

Flip the plastic end cap up and a flexible hose comes out of the handle – yes, a hose, like out of the olden days, that reaches 13cm. The valve connector screws into place on Presta and Dunlop valves but not onto Schrader (car-type). It's a long thread and a firm seal so no air leaks out – none at all – so all of your effort goes into inflating the tube rather than getting wasted.

The pump is a solid piece of work, the handle, barrel and piston all being made from aluminium. In use, nothing flexes; you don't have to pump gingerly in order to avoid snapping anything.

Each stroke is 14cm which isn't massive, but I got a useable 80psi into a 700 x 23 tyre in 250 strokes. SKS reckon the maximum pressure the Spaero can deliver is 115psi. I actually measured it at 120psi but that did take an age. I'd lost enthusiasm long before that.

The handle locks down when it's not in use and you get a quick and easy-to-use holder that attaches to your water bottle mounts if you want to store the pump on your bike rather than carrying it in a rear pocket.

Verdict

Solid performance from a mini-pump with a hose that screws on to Presta valves.