Crankbrothers Klic HP Gauge + CO2

The Crankbrothers Klic HP With Gauge & CO2 is a really effective pump that's stuffed with clever features. The gauge is basic but fairly accurate, the fold-out handle and flexible hose make pumping easy, and build quality is excellent – bar, unfortunately, one important exception.

Hiding in this pump are a basic pressure gauge on a flexible hose, a Presta-only adaptor for screwing on a CO2 canister instead of bothering with pumping, and a fold-out T-handle that makes forcing high pressures into your tyres significantly less exhausting.

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The machined alloy connector reverses to switch between Presta and Schrader valves, and the o-rings that seal it are really chunky and effective. Despite the connector being anodised blue, and therefore twice as good as plain, the real magic is at the other end of the hose.

The hose attaches to the pump body with a magnet. Sounds hokey, but high pressures and frantic pumping fail to detach it accidentally, plus it clips on or comes off in a second.

At first, you may wonder where all this stuff is. Unfolding the black plastic T-handle reveals a hole from which you shake the hose/gauge, before poking it onto the magnetic connector at the other end. Click (or maybe Klic) and it's ready. Can't see the connector? Twist the silver cuff and it rotates to shield or expose the magnetic connector. It's all really clever.

Better still, the pump works really well to put air in your tyres. It shifts a decent volume with each stroke, and the T-handle really helps comfort and leverage. Three minutes' pumping gets my 28mm tyres to 80psi, which is impressive, and it's only at this point where the force needed per huff gets noticeably high.

The flexy hose keeps your tyre valves safe from shoves, though it's best to pump from the non-disc side – it's just the right length to put your knuckles right next to the disc.

The gauge is a basic spring type and rises rather jerkily at times, but it's accurate within around 5psi – which is about as accurate as the gauge itself anyway. I found it useful, anyway.

> How to work out the best tyre pressure

Both endcaps could be better. The one holding the CO2 adaptor in is smooth and can be hard to remove with gloves/wet hands/cold fingers – ideally the sides would be knurled for grip. Meanwhile, the other cap holds the ratcheting (Klicking?) dust cover mechanism, but can come loose. To properly snug it down you need a 14mm pin spanner and you [SPOILER ALERT] don't have one.

The Klic comes with a simple plastic frame mount with a Velcro strap. It's not as fancy as the silicone/metal one found on Crankbrothers' Sterling With Gauge (review to come), but it works just fine.

Less confidence-inspiring is the finish of the inner barrel. It's matt like brushed aluminium, but is coated to create a smooth, slippery feel. Whatever it is, this coating is soft and prone to damage – and ours had several small dull, worn spots right from the off.

These feel rough under a fingernail and are noticeable lows; the coating here has failed. There's a fair bit of play in the pump's bushes, too (enough to let the action lock at full extension), allowing flex that is only likely to accelerate wear. Exactly how it will suffer longterm I can't say, though it will only spoil smoothness, not airtightness.

To be clear, during the test I never had a problem with friction or sticking when actually inflating tyres – just when I was provoking it.

> Buyer’s Guide: 20 of the best pumps and CO2 inflators

At £54.99, the Klic is expensive. For instance, our three most recent mini-pump reviews are the Fabric Millibar at £35, the Merida Telescope at £23 and the Topeak Roadie TT Mini Pump at £29.99. Both the Fabric and Topeak scored very well – though to be fair, neither offer CO2 compatibility or a gauge.

The Birzman Sheath Apogee is a solid pump with CO2 compatibility, and costs £39.99, while the Blackburn Core CO2'Fer Mini Pump is £36.99 and comes complete with a bad pun. Again, though, the Klic beats both by including a gauge.

Overall, the Crankbrothers Klic HP With Gauge & CO2 is a clever, effective and easy pump that's had attention lavished on every aspect of its design... except the actual pumping bit. It shifts air well and attains road bike pressures easily, but the sideways play and poor finish of the mechanism mean it might not go the distance its price implies.

Verdict

Cleverly designed, efficient and mostly well made, but durability is questionable