On the CycPlus AS2

The Cycplus AS2 is a pocket sized inflator that can easily be taken while cycling with a group or alone. It doesn't have a display and it doesn't tell you how much battery but it does inflate a tyre within seconds with minimal effort.

I tested it at home first, to get used to its use. You press it against the valve and then you press again and it starts to inflate. It will do most of the tyre's inflation within seconds but to get a higher pressure will take longer. I used it to inflate the tyre more than once, when changing the tyre.

Yesterday I was out on a group ride and the roads were gritty and wet. Just as we were turning from a secondary road to an agricultural road I heard the tyre make a different noise and the ride feel much rougher. I had to stop and saw that my tyre was completely deflated.

That's when I had to stop, get off the bike, remove the wheel, unseat the tyre, remove the faulty inner tube and put a new one in. I really struggled to get the new tyre in. Finally I could inflate the tyre with the Cycplus AS 2 and it's fast up to a certain pressure, and then it really struggles if you want a hard tyre.

The advantage of this device is that it doesn't take more space than 2 co2 canisters and the inflator nozzle, and it can be recharged, rather than recycled. It is also much faster than a hand pump, especially the small hand pumps that fit in our light cycling gear.

When riding again I noticed a tell-tall tack, tack, tack when I sped up. In the past when I had that it was because the inner tube had twisted within the wheel.

I stopped again by a sports centre and this time I took my time to do things better. I left the group because I didn't want them to suffer with the cold again. When it was fixed properly I rode home.

A Quick Puncture Find

When I was home I took the inflator and the damaged inner tube and I decided to inflate the inner tube to find the puncture. It took seconds. If you're riding alone, in the middle of summer, and you have a puncture you can diagnose the inner tube, apply a patch to the leak, and put the inner tube back on, without using a new one.

I was able to find the hole, block it with a finger, see if there was a second leak, establish that there wasn't. If I had been in the mood I could have fixed the inner tube at home and practice a skill that we have forgotten.

And Finally

I chose either the cheapest, or second cheapest electric pump and it's fine for re-inflating tyres at least twice after a puncture. It's simple and intuitive to use and it's more environmentally friendly and effective than cartridges. Specifically, I found that with cartridges you don't need a full canister to fill a tyre, so some of that gas is wasted.

With a hand pump it can take a while to inflate a tyre, and with a CO2 canister it's fast but it's wasteful. With these pumps it is quick and convenient, especially when a group is waiting for you.