Test: You probably don't have to say too many words about Topeak - it is certainly one of the manufacturers in the field of bicycle tools and accessories. The Joe Blow floor pumps have also been a fixture in their field for many years. The Joe Blow Ace perched at the top of our Leaderboard - it's not cheap either. Today we are looking at a cheaper version with the Joe Blow Sport II.
Visually, the Topeak Joe Blow Sport is kept in Topeak's typical yellow. When it comes to the material, the US manufacturer uses a combination of metal and plastic. While the steel cylinder sits in a metal housing and the solid base is made of black steel, there is otherwise a lot of plastic on the Joe Blow Sport. However, anyone who expects processing weaknesses is wrong: Even if the plastic on the handle and on the top and bottom does not feel on the level of competitors made entirely of metal, there is absolutely nothing to complain about in terms of workmanship. Nothing creaks or wobbles, there are no unclean edges and the use of plastic makes no difference in terms of function anyway.
Back to the solid base: As mentioned, this is made entirely of heavy black steel and, with its high dead weight and large tread, ensures a good level of stability. We find it a pity that there is no rubber on both the top and bottom, so there is a bit of a risk of slipping on smooth floors or with slippery shoe soles. Topeak shows all of its experience when it comes to the handle: It is covered with rubber in the right places and is ergonomically shaped overall and feels great in the hand.
Unlike most other floor pumps, the pressure gauge is not in the base, but is attached to the cylinder itself. This brings it closer to the eyes of the person pumping, which makes it much easier to read. However, the upward placement is also urgently needed, because the pressure gauge itself is quite small and unfortunately not always easy to read. The pump hose, which is very long at 110 cm, is attached to the manometer with a 360° rotatable outlet. This makes pumping much easier in practice, since the pump does not always have to be moved.
Topeak's TwinHead is used as the pump head. This reliably clamps all types of valves with a thumb lever, but it takes a lot of force to turn the lever. Two hands are needed here, especially at the beginning. Once put on, however, it sits very securely and we could not detect any escaping air.
The pumping feeling of the Topeak Joe Blow Sport II is really good. The cylinder slides up and down almost noiselessly and without wobbling or hooking. The hand forces increase noticeably from 8 bar, but we also reach the maximum pressure of 11 bar without too much effort. The pump is also impressive when it comes to volume: We can even mount 29″ tubeless tires with the Joe Blow Sport II without any problems – we wish for two thumbs up!
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