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Enve’s new $750 Air Pressure Station - the most expensive bicycle pump in the world?

The Air Pressure Station is claimed to be accurate and makes tubeless installation a breeze

Not content with making some of the most expensive bicycle wheels in the world, Enve has launched what we think must be the most expensive bicycle pump in the world.

Called the Air Pressure Station and costing a staggering $750, it’s intended to be super accurate and precise to .5% PSI, make tubeless inflation easier and be quick and convenient to use. In reality, it’s really targeted at bike shops but we don’t doubt a few well-heeled cyclists will be clearing space in their garages for one. Just don't forget you'll need an air compressor as well because that isn't included in the price.

- How do you choose the right tubeless tyre pressure? We speak to Hunt and Continental to find out

AirPressureStation_4

- 16 of the best cycling tyre pumps and CO2 inflators

The Air Pressure System does though require a supply of compressed air and a power supply, which is going to limit it largely to bike shops who might be able to justify such an expensive outlay and obviously inflate a lot of bicycle tyres.

Ensuring accurate tyre pressure has been a key goal with the product, with Enve recognising that it may make some of the best wheels in the market, but something as simple as an over- or under-inflated tyre can ruin the ride experience. It’s especially important on gravel bikes with big tyres and low pressures.

AirPressureStation_1

Enve claims its is accurate to within .5% of psi/bar and results from the units ability to measure back pressure from the tyre it’s connected to. To use the Air Pressure Station is very much the same as any car petrol station forecast pump - input the desired pressure, connect the chuck to the valve stem, and the unit will then beep when the pressure has been achieved.

The unit can retain three air pressure resets for regular use and it can inflate tyres between three and 145psi. When inflating a new tyre, particularly a tubeless tyre, the unit provides an override button which delivers five blasts of air “optimised for seating tubeless tyres,” before then inflating to the desired tyre pressure.

It has an adjustable presta valve with a 15ft coiled air hose. Other features include smartphone scannable NFC tag to take users to Enve’s tyre pressure charts. Its’s weatherproof to IP66 standard and can be hardwired into mobile service trucks, vans and trailers.

The Air Pressure Station was originally developed as an in-house inflation system at Enve and for its demo events but says it faced so many enquiries about the system that it decided to put it into production.

AirPressureStation_20

“Initially, the inflation units were created for deployment at ENVE headquarters and at events we attend to help streamline the wheel demo experience and to educate riders on the benefits of tubeless while helping them to find their optimal tire pressures. What we found was that not only did the units instigate many conversations around tubeless tire and wheel setup, but these same consumers often asked if we had the units available for sale. This helped us validate our belief that despite all the great inflation devices on the market, there was still an opportunity for a halo level inflation product from ENVE,” commented ENVE’s VP of Commercial, Brandt Furgerson.

"At ENVE, we are constantly looking for ways to improve the ride experience both on and off the bike, and historically speaking, we best achieve this by refining our carbon rim designs. What we’ve come to realize is that no matter how advanced or refined the carbon wheel becomes, something as simple as running too high or too low tire pressure will negatively impact a rider’s efficiency, traction, safety, confidence, and therefore the entire ride experience. For this reason, we are treating inflation as seriously as we take rim design, and the Air Pressure Station is proof of this commitment,” stated VP of Product and Consumer Experience, Jake Pantone.

Currently, the Air Pressure Station is only available in North America with UK availability expected by the end of the year. We’ve asked for a UK price but expect it to be close to the dollar price.

How much would you pay to inflate your tyres? It's a bit pricier than the £50 BTwin Mini air compressor we reviewed a couple of years ago.

David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes

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26 comments

Avatar
Philh68 | 4 years ago
1 like

Presta valve adapters are simple. Buy a length of 3/16” ID clear plastic tubing from your hardware store. Cut into pieces that fit over the valve stem. I’ve been using this for over 30 years, works for Dunlop/Woods valves as well.

Avatar
Dingaling | 4 years ago
1 like

I only have racing/French/Presta valves on my bike which the compressor attachment doesn't fit so I'll stick with my SKS 75th Anniversary floor pump in British Racing Green ta very much.

Avatar
Rik Mayals unde... | 4 years ago
1 like

I have a fairly large compressor in my garage, however I have never used it to blow my bike tyres up. What's wrong with using a simple track pump? Cyclists are a fairly fit bunch, can they not push down on a track pump a few times?

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Rik Mayals underpants | 4 years ago
3 likes

biker phil wrote:

I have a fairly large compressor in my garage, however I have never used it to blow my bike tyres up. What's wrong with using a simple track pump? Cyclists are a fairly fit bunch, can they not push down on a track pump a few times?

Don't forget that there are cyclists with limited arm/shoulder mobility. But yeah, I use a track pump.

biker phil wrote:

Mungecrundle wrote:

For that price, I'd be wanting my tyres inflated with magical unicorn farts. Or at the very least the exhaled breath of St Chris Boardman. (Patron saint of cyclists)

Yeah but the first thing he said on Question Time was that we should have a second referendum. He went down in my estimation after that comment.

Well, if St Chris says it, maybe you should re-think your opinion.

Avatar
CyclingInBeastMode | 4 years ago
0 likes

You can buy a 240v rechargeable compressor with a digital read out and preset pressure cut out for £60 from Halfords, it also has a 12v power inpout and output facility plus USB socket and 120psi upper limit.

Bothered about absolute accuracy, buy a Schwalbe digital guage for an extra £10 and a few quid for a quality head unit

I'm sure this is a great bit of kit but for £400 less you can have more flexibility in use and portability due to the internal battery and a power source for your gadgets/electricals on the move.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Halfords-Rechargeable-Multi-Purpose-Car-Tyre-...

Avatar
TheBillder | 4 years ago
2 likes

Accurate to within 0.5% you say? I'll take one, my platinum sit bones and Tom Pidcock level bike handling skills need it. Especially this winter - with 50 psi in the 36 mm tyres, I'm simply not going to ride if there's a risk of 49.74 or 50.26.

I take it that this thing checks the weather too? I'd really hate it if thermal expansion ruined my pressures.

And how do I display to Jacob Rees-Mogg that I had the common sense to buy this if it's bolted to the wall of my air-conditioned humidity-regulated bike maintenance suite at home where my ex pro team mechanic looks after the 102 bikes?

Avatar
RobD | 4 years ago
0 likes

I wish they'd bothered to change the buttons from the ones on the supermarket tyre inflator stations though.

Avatar
Philh68 | 4 years ago
2 likes

You’d rather they moan about the price of expensive kit they didn’t need but bought anyway? Or worse still, try to justify it? 

Avatar
Miller | 4 years ago
6 likes

Cheapskate cyclists moan about expensive kit they don't need to buy. 

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to Miller | 4 years ago
1 like
Miller wrote:

Cheapskate cyclists moan about expensive kit they don't need to buy. 

Curious use of 'cheapskate'. I don't think many people would consider it 'cheapskate' to not want to pay $750 on a bicycle pump. Are you trying to subtly hint that you are one of those "1%ers" we hear so much about? Is this a thinly-veiled brag?

Still, as the article says, I would assume this is aimed at bike shops or other such commercial businesses where a device would get a lot of use, including from people who don't have reason to treat it carefully because it isn't theirs (so you'd want something reliable and robust, I assume). The economics of that must be different from owning something as an individual, I would guess.

(I guess there's also a sort of 'prestige' effect for the maker, in having such a thing in their product range? even if nobody actually buys one)

Avatar
Rick_Rude replied to FluffyKittenofTindalos | 4 years ago
3 likes

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:
Miller wrote:

Cheapskate cyclists moan about expensive kit they don't need to buy. 

Curious use of 'cheapskate'. I don't think many people would consider it 'cheapskate' to not want to pay $750 on a bicycle pump. Are you trying to subtly hint that you are one of those "1%ers" we hear so much about? Is this a thinly-veiled brag?)

He was obviously being sarcastic. Or not so obviously it seems. In your mind he probably posted that whilst driving his Morgan around Shoreditch and throwing pound coins at poor people.

Avatar
FluffyKittenofT... replied to Rick_Rude | 4 years ago
1 like
Rick_Rude wrote:

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:
Miller wrote:

Cheapskate cyclists moan about expensive kit they don't need to buy. 

Curious use of 'cheapskate'. I don't think many people would consider it 'cheapskate' to not want to pay $750 on a bicycle pump. Are you trying to subtly hint that you are one of those "1%ers" we hear so much about? Is this a thinly-veiled brag?)

He was obviously being sarcastic. Or not so obviously it seems. In your mind he probably posted that whilst driving his Morgan around Shoreditch and throwing pound coins at poor people.

Nah, that doesn't work as an interpretation - explain how that 'cheapskate' is sarcastic, given the rest of the post. Seems like either you or the previous poster know what sarcasm is (does nobody round here speak English good like what I do?).

Also, it's not in my mind that he's doing that, rather it's that in my mind he might be doing that in his mind. It's what I'm imagining that he might be imagining. Reality doesn't enter into it.

Avatar
Grahamd replied to Rick_Rude | 4 years ago
0 likes

Rick_Rude wrote:

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:
Miller wrote:

Cheapskate cyclists moan about expensive kit they don't need to buy. 

Curious use of 'cheapskate'. I don't think many people would consider it 'cheapskate' to not want to pay $750 on a bicycle pump. Are you trying to subtly hint that you are one of those "1%ers" we hear so much about? Is this a thinly-veiled brag?)

He was obviously being sarcastic. Or not so obviously it seems. In your mind he probably posted that whilst driving his Morgan around Shoreditch and throwing pound coins at poor people.

Surely you mean throwing shillings if he was driving a Morgan. 
 

Avatar
Stratman replied to Grahamd | 4 years ago
0 likes

Grahamd wrote:

Rick_Rude wrote:

FluffyKittenofTindalos wrote:
Miller wrote:

Cheapskate cyclists moan about expensive kit they don't need to buy. 

Curious use of 'cheapskate'. I don't think many people would consider it 'cheapskate' to not want to pay $750 on a bicycle pump. Are you trying to subtly hint that you are one of those "1%ers" we hear so much about? Is this a thinly-veiled brag?)

He was obviously being sarcastic. Or not so obviously it seems. In your mind he probably posted that whilst driving his Morgan around Shoreditch and throwing pound coins at poor people.

Surely you mean throwing shillings if he was driving a Morgan. 
 

 

Guineas I'd imagine

Avatar
RNTRMP | 4 years ago
0 likes

To be fair on Enve, they will also sell the chuck on its own for $50 — it looks like one hell of a chuck too, and will fit most floor pumps.  

Avatar
Philh68 | 4 years ago
0 likes

By the look of it they have just rebranded an Airtec 89MXA inflator. Chances are you’ll find one very similar on the wall at your local car tyre fitter, there’s several brands sold here in Australia that are accurate to 0.3psi. They’re not offering anything unique that I can see.

Avatar
RNTRMP replied to Philh68 | 4 years ago
1 like

Philh68 wrote:

By the look of it they have just rebranded an Airtec 89MXA inflator. Chances are you’ll find one very similar on the wall at your local car tyre fitter, there’s several brands sold here in Australia that are accurate to 0.3psi. They’re not offering anything unique that I can see.

 

And those Airtec inflators ain't cheap — €900 or so...in which case this Enve one is a bargain  1

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to RNTRMP | 4 years ago
3 likes

RNTRMP wrote:

Philh68 wrote:

By the look of it they have just rebranded an Airtec 89MXA inflator. Chances are you’ll find one very similar on the wall at your local car tyre fitter, there’s several brands sold here in Australia that are accurate to 0.3psi. They’re not offering anything unique that I can see.

And those Airtec inflators ain't cheap — €900 or so...in which case this Enve one is a bargain  1

That sounds like the opposite of inflation

 

Avatar
Philh68 replied to RNTRMP | 4 years ago
0 likes

RNTRMP wrote:

And those Airtec inflators ain't cheap — €900 or so...in which case this Enve one is a bargain  1

Pretty sure the VAT will even it out.

Not that I would bother, the local auto parts chain sells a digital air regulator for $45. Good enough for me.

as for the chuck, what’s a presta/shrader adapter cost, a quid?

Avatar
peted76 | 4 years ago
2 likes

Stop the world, I wanna get off.

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
2 likes

Absurd - this uses ordinary air. I want the next model up that uses pristine nitrogen.

Avatar
Mungecrundle replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
5 likes
hawkinspeter wrote:

Absurd - this uses ordinary air. I want the next model up that uses pristine nitrogen.

For that price, I'd be wanting my tyres inflated with magical unicorn farts.

Or at the very least the exhaled breath of St Chris Boardman. (Patron saint of cyclists)

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to Mungecrundle | 4 years ago
5 likes

Mungecrundle wrote:
hawkinspeter wrote:

Absurd - this uses ordinary air. I want the next model up that uses pristine nitrogen.

For that price, I'd be wanting my tyres inflated with magical unicorn farts. Or at the very least the exhaled breath of St Chris Boardman. (Patron saint of cyclists)

I tried that, but it made my tyres too holey.

 

Avatar
Rik Mayals unde... replied to Mungecrundle | 4 years ago
0 likes

Mungecrundle wrote:
hawkinspeter wrote:

Absurd - this uses ordinary air. I want the next model up that uses pristine nitrogen.

For that price, I'd be wanting my tyres inflated with magical unicorn farts. Or at the very least the exhaled breath of St Chris Boardman. (Patron saint of cyclists)

Yeah but the first thing he said on Question Time was that we should have a second referendum. He went down in my estimation after that comment.

Avatar
CXR94Di2 replied to hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
1 like
hawkinspeter wrote:

Absurd - this uses ordinary air. I want the next model up that uses pristine nitrogen.

Ill sell you one with 78% nitrogen content for the modest sum of half the Enve model

Avatar
hawkinspeter replied to CXR94Di2 | 4 years ago
2 likes

CXR94Di2 wrote:
hawkinspeter wrote:

Absurd - this uses ordinary air. I want the next model up that uses pristine nitrogen.

Ill sell you one with 78% nitrogen content for the modest sum of half the Enve model

Pffft - there's no way I'm going to fill my tyres with only 78% nitrogen.

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