Lowdown: Topeak JoeBlow Booster Floor Pump
With all due respect to dropper posts, carbon everything, and 50-tooth sprockets, I still say the No. 1 mountain biking innovation of the last decade is tubeless tires. Ditching those pesky tubes ushered in a (mostly) flat free era blessed with lower rolling resistance and supreme traction. There's just one problem. Even today, set up can be a total pain in the ass depending on your wheel-tire combo of choice. So does the Topeak JoeBlow Booster floor pump solve these issues? Read our full review to find out.
Stat Box
Review: Topeak JoeBlow Booster Floor Pump
The premise is simple. Instead of blowing out your eardrums using a noisy garage compressor, or popping veins in your neck trying to seat tubeless tires with standard floor pump, the Topeak JoeBlow Booster lets you blast 160psi into your tires with one silent turn of a dial. And guess what? It works.
The T-handle is comfortable in your hands, while the top mounted gauge and dial are easy to read and reach.
While I cant say it has a perfect 100-percent record, it's pretty damn close. During several months of test use on tubeless mountain bike and road tires, the JoeBlow Booster became one of the most prized tools in my garage. In about 60 seconds (or the time it takes you to crank out 50-60 strokes of the dual density polymer grip handle) the pump is fully charged at 160psi (11bar). Then simply turn the dial from "inflate" to "charge" and listen to the sweet sound of beads popping into place. (In the rare cases when it didnt work on the first try, a little soapy water (or even spit) on the tire always did the trick.)
I seated toothy 2.4" enduro tires on Mavic Crossmax wheels, wimpy 2.2" XC tires on Giant house brand wheels, and even a set of 32mm Clement cyclocross tires on a set of American Classic tubeless road wheels. That obnoxiously loud, electricity guzzling compressor I bought from the hardware store this winter hasn't rumbled to life in 2 months. (It's for sale if anyone's interested.)
Continue to page 2 for more of our Topeak JoeBlow Booster floor pump review »
The flip-lever valve head is compatible with Presta and Schrader valves.
Highlight features of the JoeBlow Booster include a durable alloy body and wide steel base, easy-to-read top-mounted gauge, and a 5-foot long hose, meaning you can inflate tires when your bike is in a work stand. (For comparison sake, the hose on my standard floor pump is about a foot and a half shorter.)
Once you've set the beads with the initial blast, the pump seamlessly transitions to standard floor pump duty. And if you over-inflate there's a handy pressure release button so you can fine tune pressure without removing the valve head or monkeying around with a hand-held pressure gauge.
The flip-lever valve head auto-adjusts for Presta and Schrader valves, and when you go on the road this pump is essentially just as portable as any other floor pump, save for it weighs a little more (7.6 pounds to be exact.)
The wide, steady base is made of steel. The hose is a lengthy 5 feet long.
Of course perfection is fleeting, and we do have a few niggles, but they are all minor. Charging the pump takes a little want-to. Reaching 120 psi is a breeze, but it gets a little harder to max it out. In some cases 120 was enough to get the job done. But I usually erred on the side of more is better, figuring the mini-arm workout was a small price to pay. It's also a little heavy, which could make stashing it in checked luggage expensive.
It also costs $160, which is roughly $100 more than you'd spend on a decent standard floor pump, and $40 more than the Bontrager Flash Charger, the original tubeless tire inflator pump. But while we're fans of the Flash Charger, the JoeBlow Booster from Taiwanese tool maker Topeak is simply far more robust. Primary parts are alloy and steel. And the bits that are plastic are significantly overbuilt, making it likely they'll standup to rough rides in the back of your pick-up truck or car trunk. Also, unlike the Bontrager pump, you dont need to charge the chamber before using it for normal duty. Simply turn the dial to inflate mode and the pump behaves like a standard floor pump.
Bottom line, unless you really like loud noises, wasting CO2 cartridges, or getting a cross-fit workout via your standard floor pump, the Topeak JoeBlow Booster is a great addition to any bike lover's garage.
For more info please visit topeak.com.
With all due respect to dropper posts, carbon everything, and 50-tooth sprockets, I still say the No. 1 mountain biking innovation of the last decade is tubeless tires. Ditching those pesky tubes ushered in a (mostly) flat free era blessed with lower rolling resistance and supreme traction. There's just one problem. Even today, set up can be a total pain in the ass depending on your wheel-tire combo of choice. So does the Topeak JoeBlow Booster floor pump solve these issues? Read our full review to find out.
| Construction: Alloy pump body, steel base | Max air pressure: 160 psi / 11 bar |
| Hose length: 5 feet | Weight: 7.6 pounds |
| Pressure tuning: Air release button | MSRP: $160 |
| Valve head: Dual-action Presta and Schrader | Rating:
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| Handle: Dual density polymer grip |
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Review: Topeak JoeBlow Booster Floor Pump
The premise is simple. Instead of blowing out your eardrums using a noisy garage compressor, or popping veins in your neck trying to seat tubeless tires with standard floor pump, the Topeak JoeBlow Booster lets you blast 160psi into your tires with one silent turn of a dial. And guess what? It works.
The T-handle is comfortable in your hands, while the top mounted gauge and dial are easy to read and reach.
While I cant say it has a perfect 100-percent record, it's pretty damn close. During several months of test use on tubeless mountain bike and road tires, the JoeBlow Booster became one of the most prized tools in my garage. In about 60 seconds (or the time it takes you to crank out 50-60 strokes of the dual density polymer grip handle) the pump is fully charged at 160psi (11bar). Then simply turn the dial from "inflate" to "charge" and listen to the sweet sound of beads popping into place. (In the rare cases when it didnt work on the first try, a little soapy water (or even spit) on the tire always did the trick.)
I seated toothy 2.4" enduro tires on Mavic Crossmax wheels, wimpy 2.2" XC tires on Giant house brand wheels, and even a set of 32mm Clement cyclocross tires on a set of American Classic tubeless road wheels. That obnoxiously loud, electricity guzzling compressor I bought from the hardware store this winter hasn't rumbled to life in 2 months. (It's for sale if anyone's interested.)
Continue to page 2 for more of our Topeak JoeBlow Booster floor pump review »
The flip-lever valve head is compatible with Presta and Schrader valves.
Highlight features of the JoeBlow Booster include a durable alloy body and wide steel base, easy-to-read top-mounted gauge, and a 5-foot long hose, meaning you can inflate tires when your bike is in a work stand. (For comparison sake, the hose on my standard floor pump is about a foot and a half shorter.)
Once you've set the beads with the initial blast, the pump seamlessly transitions to standard floor pump duty. And if you over-inflate there's a handy pressure release button so you can fine tune pressure without removing the valve head or monkeying around with a hand-held pressure gauge.
The flip-lever valve head auto-adjusts for Presta and Schrader valves, and when you go on the road this pump is essentially just as portable as any other floor pump, save for it weighs a little more (7.6 pounds to be exact.)
The wide, steady base is made of steel. The hose is a lengthy 5 feet long.
Of course perfection is fleeting, and we do have a few niggles, but they are all minor. Charging the pump takes a little want-to. Reaching 120 psi is a breeze, but it gets a little harder to max it out. In some cases 120 was enough to get the job done. But I usually erred on the side of more is better, figuring the mini-arm workout was a small price to pay. It's also a little heavy, which could make stashing it in checked luggage expensive.
It also costs $160, which is roughly $100 more than you'd spend on a decent standard floor pump, and $40 more than the Bontrager Flash Charger, the original tubeless tire inflator pump. But while we're fans of the Flash Charger, the JoeBlow Booster from Taiwanese tool maker Topeak is simply far more robust. Primary parts are alloy and steel. And the bits that are plastic are significantly overbuilt, making it likely they'll standup to rough rides in the back of your pick-up truck or car trunk. Also, unlike the Bontrager pump, you dont need to charge the chamber before using it for normal duty. Simply turn the dial to inflate mode and the pump behaves like a standard floor pump.
Bottom line, unless you really like loud noises, wasting CO2 cartridges, or getting a cross-fit workout via your standard floor pump, the Topeak JoeBlow Booster is a great addition to any bike lover's garage.
For more info please visit topeak.com.
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