Cycplus AS2 Pro Mini Bicycle Tire Inflator

The Cycplus AS2 Pro mini pump is an excellent roadside option for getting going as quickly as possible with the minimum of fuss. With an accurate digital gauge, auto cut-off and a bigger battery than some, it's definitely staying in the tool bottle.

> Buy now: Cycplus AS2 Pro mini pump for £87.28 from Cycplus

Not long ago I reviewed the Cycplus Cube, which I liked a lot. It had a couple of niggles, and this pump addresses those, as well as adding some features that make the whole experience a lot better. (For more options, check out our guide to the best bike pumps.)

So what is it? Well, it's a small alloy-bodied electric pump, measuring 70x49x28mm and weighing in at 138g. Inside there's a 420mAh battery which drives a pump that can inflate to a maximum pressure of 120psi. On the side there's an LED display which gives you a real-time pressure read-out, and also a three-bar battery state indicator. There are three buttons to adjust the target pressure and to turn the pump on and off.

You get a bunch of accessories too: a silicone cover, a waterproof bag, an extension hose, some bits to convert to Schrader, a football valve and a USB-C cable for charging.

This pump is slightly bigger than the Cube I reviewed previously, but it's simple enough to fit it into my tool bottle with the rest of the tools and spares. There's also a bigger Pro Max version of this pump that I'll touch on in this review, which although similar is a slightly different beast, to my mind.

Using the AS2 Pro couldn't really be simpler. Hold down the power button to fire it up, then use the +/- buttons to select a target pressure. Shove the pump on the valve, hit the power button again and it'll inflate the tyre, stopping automatically when it hits the target.

For a 30mm tyre running 60psi this took about 50 seconds, and I was able to do it four times on one charge. It was about the same for a slightly bigger 32mm tyre running at 50psi.

> How to choose the best bike tyre pressure

Checking a range of pressures against my SKS Rennkompressor track pump, I'd surmise that the gauge is fairly accurate; certainly it's accurate enough.

The pump is a push fit, but because there's no real force involved there's no danger of damaging the valve. The only real issue is heat: this little thing gets proper hot at high pressures, and if you're running TPU tubes that could cause issues as TPU has quite a low melting point.

Because of this, the AS2 Pro comes bundled with a short hose, which is good for a number of reasons. Firstly, you won't melt your tubes, but also it's a Schrader fitting with a screw-in Presta insert, meaning you don't have to take the pump apart and fiddle with some tiny components in order to pump up Schrader tyres; you do still get those bits, but I'd never use them. The hose also makes it possible to inflate tricky-to-access valves on kids' bikes, scooters and the like. And you can do your football, because it comes with a needle adapter too.

Having used mini pumps, and maxi pumps, and frame pumps, and CO2 inflators, I'd argue that this is probably as quick a way as any to get going again on a ride. In theory a CO2 canister is quicker, sure. But it's a one-shot solution you *have* to get right; that means double checking the valve is off before you start, and being careful screwing in the canister, and making doubly sure you have a good seal on the valve. Even then I don't always nail it. With a pump like this it's almost impossible to get wrong, and even if you do there's no real penalty save for a bit of wasted battery. Also, this is a great thing to have to hand if you have a slow puncture – you can just top the tyre up and carry on in literally seconds, meaning you can make it to your next planned stop or your destination instead of having to deal with the issue by the side of the road. That's more time-consuming with a standard pump, and not really an option with CO2.

Now of course, you may well be thinking, why do I need one of these? I can fit a mini pump in my jersey and pump up as many tyres as I like! Well, you don't need one, in the same way that you don't *need* a GPS computer, or a carbon frame, or electronic gears. Or gears at all. Or whatever. There are plenty of arguments for having one, though: it's compact, and efficient, and about the simplest and quickest way to get going again on the roadside that I've tried. I'd certainly trust it to be my one inflation option on a day ride, and on a longer or multi-day adventure I'd take the tiny weight hit for the convenience, even if I was also packing a regular pump of some kind as well. Of course, it could fail. But over the course of my riding life I've had plenty of pumps fail on me out on the road, so it's not like any solution is foolproof.

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I've enjoyed using the larger AS2 Pro Max, too. It's sufficiently more bulky (81x54x32mm, 232g) that I'd pick the smaller pump as a day companion; as the rides get longer and the kit you're carrying more extensive that's going to be less of an issue, and the 600mAh battery is almost half as big again, meaning more inflations on one charge.

If I was more of a tourer I'd probably pick that size, but for me it's been a super useful thing to have on the worktop to top up tyres before rolling the bike out of the shed. You can just set your number and hold it on the valve until it stops, and you're good to go, and when you're just topping up tyres to riding pressure the battery lasts for ages. It's slightly more expensive, at just over £100.

Value and conclusion

At £87.28 (currently, the price fluctuates with the exchange rate) the AS2 Pro Mini is in the same ballpark as the other options out there, a little more than the Flextail and a little less than the Fumpa. We've reviewed the Cycplus Cube Mini which is cheaper, but the AS2 Pro is easily worth the extra – the battery is bigger, the gauge is valuable and the accessories are useful. All in all, this is the best of the new breed of electric pumps that I've tried, and it's easy to recommend.

> Buy now: Cycplus AS2 Pro mini pump for £87.28 from Cycplus

Verdict

Excellent portable rechargeable inflator for quick roadside stops