Beto Surge Tubeless Floor Pump

The Beto Surge Tubeless Floor Pump makes popping stubborn tubeless tyres onto your rims a simple and quick operation, although I did find it a little flimsy in operation against others I've recently tested.

• Pros: Easy to switch between main pump and burst tank, inflates tubeless tyres easily
• Cons: Narrow, uncomfortable handle

The number of tubeless tyres I've been fitting to various wheels over the last few months has increased dramatically, with more and more models being released and sent in for testing. While the majority of them inflate quickly and easily, engaging the bead against the rim of the wheel, there are always a few that can refuse to seal no matter how hard you pump. For these I have found the Surge a godsend.

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By the flick of a foot lever, you convert the Surge from a standard pump to an air storage device by way of what is known as its burst tank.

Connect the dual-fitting (Schrader and Presta) pump head to the valve and charge the burst tank up to a maximum 160psi, which takes around 10 strokes. Then flick the lever up with your toe. The tank empties the compressed air into the tyre at such a speed that it pops the beads of the tyre out to the edge of the rim. Job done.

With the lever left up, the Surge works like a standard pump so you can adjust the pressure in the tyre by way of the 4-inch analogue dial. Even though the gauge is situated on the base, the numbers are large enough to be read easily when standing up.

The base is made from steel, and with a leg under the gauge and one sticking out either side you get a solid footing for when you need to inflate to high pressures.

The handle is plastic and isn't the most comfortable to use thanks to the grooves cut into the underneath of the grips, which dig into your palms. The handle is quite narrow, too – I prefer something wider for stability when pumping up tyres hard.

At either end of the handle you get plastic plugs inserted, one of which holds various valves for pumping up footballs and the like. It's a clever idea but they aren't the most secure, and when I was pumping they slid out a few times.

Although the pump is stable on the ground, the whole action of using it does feel a little flimsy compared to something more solid such as the Giant Control Tower 0 floor pump.

When it comes to getting air into the tyres, the Surge isn't overly laborious, with a 28mm tyre inflating to 60psi in 17 strokes, 80psi in 23 strokes, and 29 strokes if you are going up to 100psi.

Value

Price-wise, £59.99 doesn't look too bad for a twin-style pump when you consider that the Giant I mentioned above – a standard track pump – costs the same.

Something similar to the Beto Surge is the Lezyne Digital Pressure Overdrive pump, which will set you back £140.

> Buyer's Guide: 11 of the best track pumps

The Birzman Pump Tubeless Tyre pump costs £49.99, but that is simply a burst tank on its own, without the added pump option.

On the whole there is little to knock the Surge for, apart from that uncomfortable handle. If you want a track pump that can double up as a tubeless tyre inflator than it's a very good option for the money.

Verdict

A simple solution for those who want both a track pump and tubeless tyre inflator for not a lot of money