Zéfal Profil Max FP70 track pump

Zéfal have been in the pump game for years and this Profil Max FP70 model with a rrp of £72.99 tops a range of three including the FP50 and FP30. That is heck of a lot of money for a track pump, especially for home workshop use but with claims of a 205psi maximum and an aluminium construction the features go some way to justify the cost.

The first thing you notice is the massive pressure gauge; its 100mm diameter certainly means it's easy to see when you've reached your intended pressure. Both PSI and bar are shown with a maximum reading of 200psi/14bar shown in black or red on a white background. The rotating bezel has a red arrow which you can line up with your preferred maximum pressure.

The cast aluminium base is hollowed out keeping its weight down to 1.8kg but the sheer size of it means the Zéfal is very stable in use. The footpads have a grip tape coating which is ideal if you're using it while wearing cleats, especially Speedplays.

The rubber-coated handle is comfortable and easy to grip thanks to its flat profile. The hose loops over the handle and clips into place to keep in under control during transit or storage.

Overall height is 710mm with the handle giving you a stroke length of 500mm on each pump. The barrel is aluminium and with an outer diameter of 30mm takes on average 30 strokes to get 120psi in a 700x23c tyre.

In use the FP70 feels very good quality and solid right up to the maximum 175psi I managed into a pair of tubs. The pump still had more to give but I didn't really feel the need to go any further. The 1225mm hose length means you can pump both front and rear tyres from the same position, not exactly a must-have feature but the extra flexibility is nice.

The connector is what Zéfal call their Z-Flip. This is basically just a rubber insert that fits Schrader valves one side and Presta the other. You change it by unscrewing the end of the aluminium connector. Once it's pushed on to the valve, you straighten the alloy lever to clamp it. You really do need to push the connector right down on the valve to get it to hold. On quite a few occasions it blew off at around 80psi. Once reattached though it remained in place.

Overall the FP70 is of most use for time triallists or track riders using high pressure tubs as it gets up to 140-160psi quickly. It is comfortable and easy to use thanks to that long hose and tall height but I don't think the price is really justifiable for a weekly tyre top up. Up to around 100psi, it doesn't perform any better than a thirty quid Joe Blow for instance.

Verdict

Ideal for high pressure users but overly expensive for a weekly tyre top up.