Topeak Airbooster Race Pod X

A puncture in a long distance time trial or triathlon can be the difference between a placing or a long walk home. You don't have a whole lot of storage in a pair of Speedos or a skinsuit, so the Topeak Airbooster Race Pod X makes a lot of sense, especially considering how well it suits an aero seatpost – a very niche marketplace.

Intitial thoughts were that the Pod X is rather expensive for what are off-the-shelf parts. Closer inspection shows that it's only going to cost you 2p less if you buy everything individually, and that doesn't get you the seatpost bracket, which you do want because it's actually really good.

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The Topeak mount is designed to work with both aero and round seatposts thanks to its flexibility, with its Velcro strap keeping things tight and secure. You aren't going to feel this thing moving around.

The strap feeds through and back over itself to tighten, which means it's quick and easy to get into position and, just as importantly, to remove, use and reattach. There is enough length in the strap to wrap it around an inner tube too.

So, what do you get in the kit? Two 16g threaded CO2 canisters (one of which will get a 700x23 tyre up to around 115psi), two tyre levers and an inflator head.

That aluminium alloy inflator head is CNC machined, which gives it an excellent feel and finish, with rounded edges and clean threads. It's shaped like a T-piece with the valve connector at the bottom and two threaded ends above. One is just threaded for storage of the CO2 cartridge, keeping everything together, the other side behind the dust cap is the end that you use to inflate. It has a pin inside to break the seal of the cartridge and as you push the head against the valve it dispenses.

For attachment to Presta valves all you do is push it against the valve, while with the Schrader alternative you need to screw the head on.

It's a really quick and easy operation. You can add a little bit of gas, release hand pressure on the head to make sure the tyre is seated, and then push again to fully inflate. The only thing to keep in mind is that the cartridge gets very cold – cold enough to stick to your skin if you aren't wearing gloves.

> Check out our guide to the best pumps and CO2 inflators

The tyre levers are strong and I've had no issue with any breakages even on some tight tyre/wheel combinations. The pronounced clip on the back fits snuggly around both aero and round spokes to aid tyre removal.

Overall, the Airbooster Race Pod X is a neat piece of kit, ideal for any rider but especially those who tend to race. It's quick and simple to use, which is exactly what you want when time is of the essence.

Verdict

Great idea for long distance time trials or triathlons like the Ironman, where things like pockets are at a premium