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Cycplus AS2 Pro Mini Bicycle Tire Inflator

9
£87.28

VERDICT:

9
10
Excellent portable rechargeable inflator for quick roadside stops
Tiny
Easy to use
Accurate gauge
Extras make it more versatile
There's a limit to how many tyres you can do
Weight: 
138g
Contact: 
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The Cycplus AS2 Pro mini pump is an excellent roadside option for getting going as quickly as possible with the minimum of fuss. With an accurate digital gauge, auto cut-off and a bigger battery than some, it's definitely staying in the tool bottle.

> Buy now: Cycplus AS2 Pro mini pump for £87.28 from Cycplus

Not long ago I reviewed the Cycplus Cube, which I liked a lot. It had a couple of niggles, and this pump addresses those, as well as adding some features that make the whole experience a lot better. (For more options, check out our guide to the best bike pumps.)

So what is it? Well, it's a small alloy-bodied electric pump, measuring 70x49x28mm and weighing in at 138g. Inside there's a 420mAh battery which drives a pump that can inflate to a maximum pressure of 120psi. On the side there's an LED display which gives you a real-time pressure read-out, and also a three-bar battery state indicator. There are three buttons to adjust the target pressure and to turn the pump on and off.

2024 Cycplus AS2 Pro Mini Bicycle Tire Inflator - back.jpg

You get a bunch of accessories too: a silicone cover, a waterproof bag, an extension hose, some bits to convert to Schrader, a football valve and a USB-C cable for charging.

2024 Cycplus AS2 Pro Mini Bicycle Tire Inflator - contents.jpg

This pump is slightly bigger than the Cube I reviewed previously, but it's simple enough to fit it into my tool bottle with the rest of the tools and spares. There's also a bigger Pro Max version of this pump that I'll touch on in this review, which although similar is a slightly different beast, to my mind.

Using the AS2 Pro couldn't really be simpler. Hold down the power button to fire it up, then use the +/- buttons to select a target pressure. Shove the pump on the valve, hit the power button again and it'll inflate the tyre, stopping automatically when it hits the target.

2024 Cycplus AS2 Pro Mini Bicycle Tire Inflator - display and buttons.jpg

For a 30mm tyre running 60psi this took about 50 seconds, and I was able to do it four times on one charge. It was about the same for a slightly bigger 32mm tyre running at 50psi.

> How to choose the best bike tyre pressure

Checking a range of pressures against my SKS Rennkompressor track pump, I'd surmise that the gauge is fairly accurate; certainly it's accurate enough.

The pump is a push fit, but because there's no real force involved there's no danger of damaging the valve. The only real issue is heat: this little thing gets proper hot at high pressures, and if you're running TPU tubes that could cause issues as TPU has quite a low melting point.

Because of this, the AS2 Pro comes bundled with a short hose, which is good for a number of reasons. Firstly, you won't melt your tubes, but also it's a Schrader fitting with a screw-in Presta insert, meaning you don't have to take the pump apart and fiddle with some tiny components in order to pump up Schrader tyres; you do still get those bits, but I'd never use them. The hose also makes it possible to inflate tricky-to-access valves on kids' bikes, scooters and the like. And you can do your football, because it comes with a needle adapter too.

2024 Cycplus AS2 Pro Mini Bicycle Tire Inflator - valve accessories.jpg

Having used mini pumps, and maxi pumps, and frame pumps, and CO2 inflators, I'd argue that this is probably as quick a way as any to get going again on a ride. In theory a CO2 canister is quicker, sure. But it's a one-shot solution you *have* to get right; that means double checking the valve is off before you start, and being careful screwing in the canister, and making doubly sure you have a good seal on the valve. Even then I don't always nail it. With a pump like this it's almost impossible to get wrong, and even if you do there's no real penalty save for a bit of wasted battery. Also, this is a great thing to have to hand if you have a slow puncture – you can just top the tyre up and carry on in literally seconds, meaning you can make it to your next planned stop or your destination instead of having to deal with the issue by the side of the road. That's more time-consuming with a standard pump, and not really an option with CO2.

Now of course, you may well be thinking, why do I need one of these? I can fit a mini pump in my jersey and pump up as many tyres as I like! Well, you don't need one, in the same way that you don't *need* a GPS computer, or a carbon frame, or electronic gears. Or gears at all. Or whatever. There are plenty of arguments for having one, though: it's compact, and efficient, and about the simplest and quickest way to get going again on the roadside that I've tried. I'd certainly trust it to be my one inflation option on a day ride, and on a longer or multi-day adventure I'd take the tiny weight hit for the convenience, even if I was also packing a regular pump of some kind as well. Of course, it could fail. But over the course of my riding life I've had plenty of pumps fail on me out on the road, so it's not like any solution is foolproof.

> Cycling emergency essentials: the 10 things you should take with you on every ride

I've enjoyed using the larger AS2 Pro Max, too. It's sufficiently more bulky (81x54x32mm, 232g) that I'd pick the smaller pump as a day companion; as the rides get longer and the kit you're carrying more extensive that's going to be less of an issue, and the 600mAh battery is almost half as big again, meaning more inflations on one charge.

If I was more of a tourer I'd probably pick that size, but for me it's been a super useful thing to have on the worktop to top up tyres before rolling the bike out of the shed. You can just set your number and hold it on the valve until it stops, and you're good to go, and when you're just topping up tyres to riding pressure the battery lasts for ages. It's slightly more expensive, at just over £100.

2024 Cycplus AS2 Pro Max Bicycle Tire Inflator - next to Cycplus AS2 Pro Mini Bicycle Tire Inflator.jpg

Value and conclusion

At £87.28 (currently, the price fluctuates with the exchange rate) the AS2 Pro Mini is in the same ballpark as the other options out there, a little more than the Flextail and a little less than the Fumpa. We've reviewed the Cycplus Cube Mini which is cheaper, but the AS2 Pro is easily worth the extra – the battery is bigger, the gauge is valuable and the accessories are useful. All in all, this is the best of the new breed of electric pumps that I've tried, and it's easy to recommend.

> Buy now: Cycplus AS2 Pro mini pump for £87.28 from Cycplus

Verdict

Excellent portable rechargeable inflator for quick roadside stops

road.cc test report

Make and model: Cycplus AS2 Pro Mini Bicycle Tire Inflator

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

From Cycplus:

A Powerful Move Forward.

AS2 Pro utilizes CVCPLUS™ patented design technology and an upgraded, sophisticated brushless motor, maintaining its incredibly compact form while significantly enhancing its performance, which results in increased speed and a higher upper limit.

Everything at A Glance.

Featuring a new LED screen display, providing real-time air pressure, adjustable units, and remaining battery life, making everything clear and straightforward.

One Press, No Stress.

With an integrated +1 PSI high-precision gauge, it stops when your preset pressure's reached, displaying real-time levels. A modern take on manual pumps and gauges, it's your hands-free solution with a single press.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Cycplus:

Size:70*49*28mm

Weight: 120g

Battery: 420mAh 7.4V 3.11Wh

Charging Port: Type-C 5V 1.5A

Current: 2.55A

Max Pressure: 120 PSI

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
10/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
7/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for comfort (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Better value than some similar ones, but not by much.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Excellently.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Tiny, easy to use, the accurate gauge, and the extras make it more versatile.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

There's a limit to how many tyres you can do.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

Mid table price-wise, but pretty good value thanks to the extras you get.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

Overall: excellent. The best electric mini pump I've tried so far in terms of ease of use and performance.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 50  Height: 189cm  Weight: 98kg

I usually ride: whatever I'm testing...  My best bike is: Kinesis Tripster ATR, Merida Scultura, Dward Design fixed

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, commuting, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, Mountain Bike Bog Snorkelling, track

Dave is a founding father of road.cc, having previously worked on Cycling Plus and What Mountain Bike magazines back in the day. He also writes about e-bikes for our sister publication ebiketips. He's won three mountain bike bog snorkelling World Championships, and races at the back of the third cats.

Add new comment

4 comments

Avatar
Tom Simpson | 5 months ago
0 likes

Probably an excellent choice if you fly with your bike and can not take CO2 with you

Avatar
wtjs | 5 months ago
3 likes

A very wise and balanced review! I have no intention of abandoning my mini-pumps, but I can now see why many people do.

Avatar
Losd | 5 months ago
2 likes

"and about the simplest and quickest way to get going again on the roadside that I've tried"
At 50 seconds, I'd argue that a CO2 pump is quite a bit quicker. May of course be more fiddly depending on the pump, though. Mine is a simple push down to inflate, and I keep the cartridge halfway screwed in, so no real faff when I need it. So a few seconds to make ready, and a few more to inflate.

I don't get the pressure reading, which would be very nice, but I can compare to the other tire, which is accurate enough to get me home.

With the price, but of course the caveat that I haven't actually tried this one, I'd say a CO2 pump still seems to be the winner on the road to me.

Avatar
arckuk replied to Losd | 5 months ago
2 likes

Agreed. There are so many variants out there that attempt to solve this issue but don't measure up to a CO2 inflator. They're slower, heavier than 2 CO2 cylinders, far more expensive, and likely to be at < 100% charge when the day comes that you actually need them. I don't like using excess raw materials when I can avoid it, but CO2 cylinders are recyclable, and on the few occasions a year I need them seem to be a much better solution.

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