Test: Crankbrothers has been a constant in the field of bicycle components and accessories for many years. Especially when it comes to bicycle pumps, there has been a lot of growth here in the recent past and a whole range of new and also innovative products have been brought onto the market. These new products also include the Crankbrothers Klic floor pump, which is available in two or four different (equipment) variants.
The cheapest entry is the Klic Floor Analog for €99 - if you are willing to invest a few euros more, you can also get a version with a digital pressure gauge for €125. In addition, both variants are also available with a removable burst tank, which, as a simple replacement for the compressor, is intended to make mounting tubeless tires much easier. The two floor pumps with burst tank cost a whopping €200 and €225 respectively.
Apart from the pressure gauge and the optional air pressure tank, however, the pumps are all the same. The pump cylinder delivers up to 11 bar and is therefore also ideal for racing bike tires. Thanks to its large diameter, however, it also quickly brings volume-hungry tires such as plus tires to the necessary pressure. A tripod base made of heavy metal ensures a firm footing on different surfaces and the slightly rubberized grip is easy on the hands while pumping.
All pumps also come with the eponymous click mechanism, which runs like a red thread through almost the entire pump portfolio of the Americans. The highlight: The pump hose and manometer are not permanently connected to the housing, but are placed in the appropriate place with a magnetic click mechanism and locked automatically. When not in use, the hose disappears into the housing, and the manometer finds its place in the corresponding recess in the handle. A magnet also ensures that the pump can be easily carried by the handle.
The entire construction becomes really interesting in connection with the burst tank: This is pushed over the foot of the pump and a valve with an adjustment lever is then placed where you would otherwise "click" on the pressure gauge or hose. The latter is then in turn attached to the tank. Sounds complicated, but overall it's pretty simple: If you flip the lever on the tank, you fill the burst tank with the pump strokes. Once this has reached the desired pressure, the air can be suddenly directed into the tire by moving the lever again, which should then slide quickly and reliably into the rim. That's the theory.
field test
For the test, we took on the premium version of the Crankbrothers Klic with a digital pressure gauge and burst tank. First contact: The pump looks and feels quite impressive, shiny silver metal dominates, but the few plastic parts also appear robust and of high quality - which, however, is to be expected in view of the sporty price.
The click mechanism takes some getting used to at first, but it works really well and reliably. Even in the rain and with slightly dirty connectors, we had no problems at all attaching the manometer to the pump with a magnet. A short press on the ON button on the manometer and the blue, illuminated display shows the corresponding pressure in 0,05 bar increments. The valve head is compatible with Presta and Schrader valves; High-tech has also been avoided here and a solid screw connection is used: Although this usually takes a little longer to attach, it usually holds a bit better and more reliably than other clamping mechanisms.
The first pump strokes with the noble Crankbrothers Klic are somewhat sobering: The cylinder has some play in the housing, which in and of itself is not dramatic and does not impair the function, but the resulting rattling should not actually occur in this price range. But on the positive side: not only the pump performance is convincing, but also the overall ergonomics of the pump: the base stands securely on the ground, the handle feels very good in the hand and tall people should be happy because the pump cylinder can be pulled out very far .
The pressure gauge shows the air pressure in real time and is extremely reliable. The 0,05 bar increments are accurate enough and the digital display is really comfortable; Of course, a conventional analog display is also sufficient, but once you get used to the display ... if you are willing to pay the few euros extra, you probably won't regret it.
The pump performance of the Crankbrothers Klic is then above average: It cuts a really good figure as an all-rounder: The cylinder provides a lot of volume and we can even quickly pressurize thick 29×2,6″ skins. If it has to be over 5 bar on a city or racing bike, that's no problem and the effort is always manageable. We didn't test whether the Klic really delivers the promised 11 bar - but who seriously pumps more than 8 bar into their tires these days?
But the pump itself is only part of the story: We were at least as excited about the performance of the burst tank, which is now also available in a similar form from one or the other manufacturer. Briefly on how it works: You fill the container with air using the pump (according to the table, it can withstand up to 11 bar) and then let the air escape in one fell swoop. How come? When mounting tubeless tires, a high initial pressure is sometimes required for the tire to jump properly into the rim. This is often difficult to do with a conventional floor pump and only a few bikers have a compressor in the workshop.
The handling of the Crankbrothers tank is intuitive and works straight away: when the lever is set to the appropriate position, the air does not flow into the hose, but directly into the tank. Unfortunately, the manometer does not show the pressure in the tank - a table on the outside helps, which tells us that with 30-40 strokes you should end up at around 10 bar.
When the tank is full, the pressure escapes through the hose and into the tire in one fell swoop when you flip the lever. With us, the tubeless installation worked perfectly in 10 out of 10 cases and without any problems - even with somewhat unfavorable tire/rim combinations. Incidentally, a full tank brings a 29×2,6″ tire to around 1,3 bar. You can then pump it up directly afterwards.
Also nice: The tank stays tight for a long time and only loses very little air over a few days. For example, you can store it in the trunk as an emergency reserve and have an "emergency compressor" with you if necessary. By the way, the tank can also be filled with other pumps or, for example, at the gas station via a car valve (if the devices bring enough pressure here).
A disadvantage of the pump with a mounted burst tank is the high weight - this levers out the actually elegant magnetic lock of the handle, with the help of which the pump can always be carried by the handle. Once the tank is mounted, you only pull the pump cylinder out when lifting it and you have to grab the housing to carry it - that gets a little annoying in the long run.
