Submitted by
huffman
a Cross Country Rider
from NC
Date Reviewed: November 6, 2011
Strengths: Held up well
Weaknesses: Too hard to inflate
Holds water
Bottom Line:
Have two and now use neither. Takes too many strokes to get halfway there. Everyone joked about it when we went to fix a flat on the trail, someone got out another pump to get the job done. Water gets into the pump and stays there until you go to use it, should be sealed better. I really expected much more out of this being a Crank Brothers product.
Submitted by
ThinkBike
a Cross Country Rider
from IL
Date Reviewed: November 2, 2011
Strengths: Small, lightweight
Weaknesses: 200 strokes gets my 700c x 22 tire to only 55 lbs.
Bottom Line:
I can see the divided opinion on this pump. Those who only need to get up to 50 PSI or so are fine with it. Those who need to get to 80 PSI and above want to throw it out.
I followed the instructions per the crank bros web site and also read the instructions from one of the other reviewers. The instructions helped a lot. Before I was locking the pump by turning the plastic "wings" towards the valve stem too soon. I found out that I should place the pump on the valve stem with the wings or tabs pointing evenly to both sides of pump, THEN turn the wings towards the valve stem.
For high pressure tires, this pump doesn't cut it. After 200 + strokes (I tried it three times)if all I get is 50 PSI, I'm not about to do another 100-200 strokes to get to the 100 PSI I need.
I'll keep it for now as I've discovered the tires I've got are able to run at 50 PSI for 10-20 miles to get me home.
When I get the time to do more research, I'll buy a different pump from a local LBS. I'll try each pump before I buy by deflating and inflating my tire to 100 PSI.
I'm rating this as middle of the road since it might be fine for lower pressure tires.
Submitted by
gmarchie12
a Cross Country Rider
from Loma Linda
Date Reviewed: February 11, 2011
Strengths: you can find it for under $15 dollars. Its "crankbrothers" and its small (fits small saddle bags and jerseys well.
Weaknesses: you must be on drugs to be able to pump past 5 psi plus you lose all your pressure from fiddling with this. although i maintain my equipment well this pump is simply subpar.
Bottom Line:
although i got it for a good deal, in the end, cheap or expensive, a leaking pump will not get you home. I walked back to the parking lot because this pump simply is not up to task. an $8 Hurricane pump from performancebike (my previous pump) worked 4x better than this.
Weaknesses: My tyre has gone from needing a little air to completely and utterly flat with this thing. I've watched the instructions (posted on here, thanks for that) but to no avail. Off to buy another pump as I've missed out on my afternoon cycle ride
Submitted by
ronbo613
a Cross Country Rider
from White Salmon, WA
Date Reviewed: July 23, 2010
Strengths: Small, good design.
Weaknesses: Does not pump over 30 psi.
Bottom Line:
You can get by with this pump for low pressure MTB tires, but no way does this pump even come close to being able to pump 100psi.
After failing me while riding my road bike, I checked out the one in my Camelback that I use with my MTB; neither one could pump more than 30 psi.
Used Crank Bros. pumps for a number of years, I'm looking for something else.
Submitted by
AppalachianBiker
a Weekend Warrior
from Boone, NC, US
Date Reviewed: May 26, 2010
Strengths: Tiny, super-light, works really (ONLY IF you know how to use it)!
Weaknesses: Can be terribly confusing and frustrating if you don't know how to use it - believe me, I know.
Bottom Line:
I absolutely hated this thing for months, spent hours (embarrassing, yes) trying to figure out how the hell to use it, doing research online, to no avail. Thought it was a worthless piece of crap. Then, just recently, Crank Brothers posted a how-to video on their website, and ta-da!, those of us to whom this gadget is not intuitive can now actually use it! Go here: http://crankbrothers.com/support/video_powerpump.php (If the URL changes over time, search their site.) It makes it incredibly easy.
Basic instructions/pointers - make sure the long gray shaft is screwed into the head all the way, or leakage can occur toward the head. BEFORE you insert the valve into the hole, make sure the gray twisty neck with two "wings" on the side is in the NEUTRAL position - the two "wings" should be lined up with the two valve holes on the sides. Make sure the black twisty things are screwed on completely BEFORE you stick the valve in the hole, and then don't mess with them. Once you insert the valve into the hole as far as it will go (without pushing it hard enough to damage the valve), hold the head of the pump securely and carefully twist the gray neck (with the "wings") in the direction TOWARD the valve you are using. Make sure the bottom of the pump (mine is red) is set to "High Volume", and start pumping until the tire is full enough that it gets harder to pump, then switch to "High Pressure" toward the end. Once you are finished, be sure to turn the gray neck with wings back to the neutral position BEFORE removing the pump, to prevent leakage.
I struggled with this un-intuitive piece of junk for ages, determined to figure it out, and finally have succeeded. I am a determined and relatively fit female, but not super-strong, and ONCE I FIGURED OUT HOW TO USE IT, I had absolutely no problem filling both tires completely. Watch the video on Crank Brothers' website if you still can't figure it out.
Similar Products Used: None - I am no pump veteran - this is the first one I've owned.
Bike Setup: Cannondale F700 hardtail awesomeness
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
jvb0306
a Cross Country Rider
from NY
Date Reviewed: October 25, 2009
Strengths: High volume for a micro pump
Weaknesses: It's still a micro pump
Bottom Line:
Not sure what all the whining is about in the other reviews... I've had this pump all season, but wanted to wait until I changed a tire with it before I posted a review.
This is a micro pump that's small enough to fit in a seat bag. It's not a floor pump, and no one should expect it to be. The valve attachment is solid- it does not leak at all. I filled my 29" x 2.35 tire in much less time than with larger frame pumps.
This pump fits in a seat bag along with a multi tool and a tube, allowing me to ditch the Camelbak for any ride short enough for two water bottles. It's everything you could ask for, given the size.
Submitted by
geeride7
a Cross Country Rider
from Broomfield, CO, USA
Date Reviewed: August 31, 2008
Strengths: light, compact, inexpensive, works great for MTB
Weaknesses: low volume, a little awkward to use
Bottom Line:
A good choice for the MTB rider concerned with size and weight. 5.6", 93 grams, fits easily in a small seatpack along with tools, patch kit, spare tube, etc. Needed to use it the first week I owned it and it did the job. Sealed perfectly to presta valve by twisting collar. Perhaps those who've have problems haven't read instructions carefully or aren't using current model. You do have to be careful to support it or you can damage the valve stem. Takes some muscle above 35 psi on high volume setting, but I didn't bother to switch it over to high pressure.
Because of size, takes about 50% more strokes that the Hurricane Micro Mini telescoping pump it replaced, but worth the weight/size savings to me.
Submitted by
Auggie
a Cross Country Rider
from Sandy Eggo
Date Reviewed: July 28, 2008
Strengths: Short. Schrader and Presta heads. Dual high pressure/high volume settings. Mid-priced. Will get you out of jam when called upon.
Weaknesses: T-head makes it a little bulky. 100 psi? HAH, on crack!
Bottom Line:
I bought this two days ago when I built up a seat tool bag to attach after buying my ultra-expensive bike. I needed a dual-head pump to handle my Presta tires and Schrader air shocks.
I'm running tubeless rear, but I forgot to check the pressure before the ride and I rolled into a small dried out rivulet just enough to briefly break the tire bead seal. My cousin whips out his CO2 pump (Blackburn Airfix CO2 Multitool, FWIW) and... fizzz... Empty tank. Swaps in new cartridge and... leaks uncontrollably. Third cartridge the pump is unable to puncture tank.
Oh well, glad I just bought my CB Power Pump so my turn. Huff, puff to get volume in. Switch to high pressure. Stroke, stroke... 160 pumps. Barely 30 psi. Well its getting dark and another hour before dusk, okay, good enough to get back on the track and continue the circuit but taking it easy on my $500 CB Cobalt rim...
So, overall, this pump is good enough to just barely get you going without having to cancel the whole ride and head back immediately, albeit, handicapped.
It didn't leak at all while pumping, unlike many of the other reviews here. I ensured the twist lock was neutral first before fully seating on the stem, then twisted it towards the valve head being used.
Can I ever reach 100 psi with it? Maybe if I was on metamphetamines, or maybe on a roadie with low volume, high pressure. But on a MTB? In all fairness, I doubt any of these micro-pumps can get there without spending half a day doing the hand job.
I definitely would recommend having SOME manual pump on hand as you may run out of CO2 cartridges when you least expect it.
For my bike, I don't want to mount a frame pump for two reasons: 1) scratching the paint off the carbon fiber frame; 2) dirt and crude collecting potentially reducing reliability when need the most.
I also didn't want to have to lug a pump in a back pack as I usually ride sans back packs unless on epic rides, so I needed a pump to fit in a 75ci seat pack. And since I needed a dual head pump, that left only 2 pumps that I know of that fit my needs: 1) CB Power Pump (subject of this review), and 2) Genuine Innovations SecondWind MTB hybrid pump.
CO2 pumps definitely have their worth, but I will never carry both at the same time, and at a minimum I will always carry a manual pump. So, next time I stop at REI I'm springing for the pump #2 above (Genuine Innovations SecondWind MTB), which also has just one compact head that fits both types of valves in the same head (no switching parts or removing adapters). It has a lifetime warranty (just like the CB) so I can't go wrong. And since I have three bikes, my CB is going into my hard tail seat pack (if I can squeeze it into its 50ci size).
Overall, the CB Power Pump can get the job done in a pinch, but I doubt you can get enough pressure to ride with wild abandon until you get to a real air pump. Its a good trailside tool to get you going. That's about it in my opinion...
Similar Products Used: None. Looking for a replacement.
Bike Setup: GT Idrive 5 2.0
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
lewis litanzios
a Weekend Warrior
from leeds, uk
Date Reviewed: December 30, 2007
Strengths: looks good (in the bin... smashed) i bet
Weaknesses: everything a pump shouldn't be
Bottom Line:
just composed email thrown in the direction of crank brothers:
the worst pump i've ever had the misfortune of purchasing. i've just resisted the temptation to smash it to pieces so you can have it back. it's ridiculous how you can get away with selling these. god knows how the smaller ones in the range function?! mine is going straight back to the shop (http://www.winstanleysbmx.com/).
1) the valve head piece doesn't stay tight, so air escapes 2) the tighter i make it, to stop the air escaping, the harder it is to remove once the tire is pumped - hence i lose about 20psi minimum 3) schwarzenegger on speed would never be able to get this pumped to the stated 130psi on the packaging - i've struggled for almost an hour now trying to achieve 80psi! i'm 6, 1" and 200lbs!! 4) while using this i've also scraped the f**k out of my spokes because the valve head is too bulky. something i never would have done using my old foot pump (which i'm sticking to from here on out)
'if you want to pump for half an hour for 20psi this pump is for you' - so right (http://www.mtbr.com/reviews/Pump/product_22490.shtml)
i'll be staying away from crank brothers in future and will make a point of stating so to others. absolute CRAP! talk about form over function.
Bike Setup: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ldexterldesign/1619360768/in/set-72157602500866873/
Overall Rating:
Value Rating:
Submitted by
Dave (dskunk)
a Cross Country Rider
from Toronto, On, Canada
Date Reviewed: December 3, 2007
Strengths: Compact and it works
Weaknesses: None ( well, I wouldn't want to try to pump a road tire up to 120 psi with it but other than that....)
Bottom Line:
This pump goes with me all winter on my commute to work, goes on every mtb ride during the rest of the year and after about 4 yrs it still works great. I don't even have the faintest idea how many flats it's filled. I will be getting two more of them in the future so that I don't have to move it from bike to bike and I'm not even going to bother thinking about a different pump.
Strengths: -Looks cool -Dual head -Gauge -Very sterdy
Weaknesses: -Case is about worthless -Tough to pump at high pressures -Hard to get seal just right -Heavy
Bottom Line:
This pump is very cool looking and very sturdy, unlike a lot of pumps on the market. I have used a Topeak Mini Morph with my Mt. bike but the seal keeps getting stuck on the valve of the tires and ripping the tubes. I purchased this pump in good faith for use on my new road bike and have only been semi dissapointed. The case is nice...if you want to keep the pump in your camelback. The mountings do not seem to be very...dependable. The pump is heavy but seems to be very durable. The gauge seems to be semi-accurate but expected. When used the seals are just find, after you get the pump on just right. This is where people have issues becouse learing to get the pump on just right gets some use to. The pump pumps fine but anything over 40 psi, you need to use high pressure regardless of tube. Overall, the pump does everything I need, but just not perfectly. This pump is good for any rider who wants a pump to place in their camelback and needs a rough idea how much air their tubes have. While my Topeak is easer to use, it also feels of lesser quality and the seals have busted in my first year of ownership.
Strengths: Light, cheap and two different settings for volume and high pressure.
Weaknesses: Instructions are vague!
Bottom Line:
I've had both experiences with this pump. The instructions are a bit vague. When I first got it I tried it out and just put the pump on my valve and tried to turn the black thing to tighten!! THIS IS NOT HOW IT WORKS! Needless to say, it started leaking at around 10 psi.
So I searched the internet and found how to operate it. You don't tighten the black turny things. Leave it where it is. Put the pump on the valve and then rotate the neck, where the pressure meter is, towards the type of valve you are inflating. Bingo, a perfect seal and I was able to get up to 70 psi in no time at all. Put it on high volume until 30psi then switched over to high pressure for the rest.
This really is an awesome pump but test it on a empty tube first to learn how it works. I really believe all these reviews saying it doesn't work is for the same reason I thought it didn't. I couldn't work it!!
