Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage floor pump

The Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage features the new TubiHead valve coupler, and it's a revelation for anyone using tubeless tyres. The two-stage chambers save time and effort when inflating tyres too, although I'm not a big fan of the non-linear gauge or shortish hose.

With track pumps there's usually a compromise to be made; get something capable of getting the skinny rubber up to 160psi, and have it take forever on big tyres, or choose one that pumps large amounts of air per stroke – but struggles to reach high pressures. This can get a little inconvenient for people running all kinds of bikes and tyres.

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For example, I race on 25mm (up to 85psi) tyres, commute on 32mm (55psi), gravel ride on 45mm (20-35psi) and occasionally dabble in mountain bikes (30psi or less). Handily, Topeak has overcome the whole volume vs pressure issue here by using two barrels, and adding a switch at the top of the pump.

Stage one gives 715cc per stroke via both barrels, and gets the first 30psi in your tyres as quickly as possible. It's ideal for the high-volume tyres used for mountain biking and gravel. Stage two then gives 258cc per stroke, and can take skinnier tyres up to 160psi.

The volumes per stroke are identical to the JoeBlow Sport 2Stage that Stu tested, and like him I found that system greatly reduces the time and effort needed. For reference, the single-chamber JoeBlow Sport pump has a more typical stroke of 318cc.

In the real world, the Stage 2 (high pressure) setting took 24 strokes to inflate my 25mm tyres to 80psi, against 20 for the standard JoeBlow and 22 for a Lezyne Sport Floor Drive. Using Stage 1 for the first 30psi reduced that to 19 strokes.

Tubeless tyres need a high volume of air to get their tight beads seated, which is something high-pressure pumps can't generally provide – hence the appearance of pumps with separate chambers specifically for this purpose, such as the Merida tubeless floor pump.

With the JoeBlow 2Stage I didn't reach for a dedicated tubeless air chamber once, even while fitting a wide variety of tyres from road to gravel.

It's here the Topeak has the real ace up its sleeve, though – the new TubiHead is simply a must for riders interested in tubeless (if you've already got a good pump it's available separately at £26.99 including hose).

Firstly, the TubiHead works extremely well as a regular head, simply pushing onto Presta valves and relying on friction and pressure to stay there (an adapter for Schrader valves is included too). I found the fitting idiotproof – it's extremely quick and simple, and though the rubber O-ring will presumably wear out, Topeak offers a replacement at very low cost.

The main highlight of the TubiHead is that it can remove valve cores WHILST keeping air in the tyre. This is a revelation for tubeless tyre users. Removing the valve allows you to get far more air into the tyre, more quickly.

Usually having seated the tyre you then remove the pump or compressor and all you can do is hope the tyre reinflates when the valve core is reinstalled. This system allows you to reinstall the core whilst retaining pressure in the tyre, it works brilliantly and whoever invented it is an absolute genius!

It should be noted that the TubiHead requires a valve stem (not including core) longer than 16mm to stay securely attached. This is more than most pumps that screw on, but fairly average for a push-on type.

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The pump feels solid and well made. It is quite weighty at nearly 2.4kg on our scales, but the main thing is that it's stable thanks to a sizeable base and footplate.

The large, dual-compound handle is comfortable, but the hose isn't actually that long – 80cm – despite being advertised as 'extra-long'. It's fine when everything is on the floor, but can struggle if the bike's in a stand.

The gauge is an interesting design, split into two halves. The first has a higher degree of accuracy up to 30psi, while the second half covers up to 160psi. It's not something I really ever got used to after five weeks of testing... I find linear gauges or digital designs much easier to read.

It does have a moveable marker on the bezel, at least, which I found myself using more often than usual. You may love it, of course.

Value

£109.99 is a lot of money for a track pump, but it's a joy to use and just as successful as pumps with dedicated tubeless chambers. If you don't run tubeless then the non 'Tubi' version will do the job just as well for £20 less.

Other tubeless solutions are similarly expensive, though, such as the Bontrager TLR Flash Charger at £99.99 or the Blackburn Chamber tubeless floor pump for £149.99 – and they're limited by the valve core still being in place. They're also bulkier units in general.

Overall

The Tubi 2Stage is a great pump if you're setting up tubeless tyres and/or working with a wide variety of tyres. It's really stable, very well made and feels built to last – it should earn its keep for a long time.

Verdict

High quality and cleverly-designed track pump that excels with tubeless tyres of all kinds