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Jul 20, 2023

Topeak Tubi 2Stage pump review

A solid, efficient yet short-hosed track pump This competition is now closed

A solid, efficient yet short-hosed track pump

This competition is now closed

By Nick Clark

Published: May 10, 2023 at 3:00 pm

The Topeak Tubi 2Stage is designed for both road and mountain bike tyres, with a high-volume setting for pumping up to 30psi and a high-pressure setting for up to 160psi.

The track pump has a flip switch on the collar of the cylinder, enabling you to switch between the two settings.

Topeak says the high-volume first stage setting opens two barrels in the pump that give a high air-volume exhaust. The brand claims this setting takes 30 per cent less effort to reach 30psi than the high-pressure setting.

I found the pump to be highly efficient, requiring only 13 strokes to inflate a 29×2.4in mountain bike tyre up to 25psi.

The pump also excelled on high-pressure tyres, with the second stage setting being more efficient over 30psi.

The face of the 3in analogue gauge is separated into two halves, denoting the high-volume and high-pressure stages.

The 5psi increments for the first stage of the dial were helpful when inflating mountain bike tyres, because they allowed for more accurate readings. After 30psi, the gauge increases to 20psi increments

The collar switch operates in a solid manner and denotes which stage is best for achieving your desired tyre pressure by displaying each stage's most efficient pressure ranges.

The pump features Topeak's Tubi head, that only works with Presta valves, though Topeak supplies a Schrader adaptor that can be stored on the hose clip.

I found the Tubi head worked well, but initially, I struggled with the valve core remover function and found it difficult to put the valve core back in once it was removed.

I did get used to the valve core remover, with the translucent plastic helping to see what's going on inside. However, it takes some time to get a knack for it, which I find detracts from the user experience.

The Tubi head is over-sized and sits deep onto the stem, making a solid connection. I found removing it sometimes troublesome, requiring two hands to pop it off the stem, one holding the body of the head and another pressing down on the thumb lever.

On the first use, this led to me punching the spokes as I exerted too much force into the head. I later found the point where the head released from the stem and this didn't happen again.

The button on the head of the pump allows for variable pressure release, making it easy to reduce pressure in the tyres.

The stand feels very stable, with my test sample featuring no flex between the baseplate and cylinder. This gives you the confidence to pump hard and fast.

The speed at which you can pump is also helped by the tight tolerance of the plunger and cylinder, which had very little play even when fully extended.

The sense of quality makes its way up to the handle. It's long and flat with a rubberised texture, which makes for a good grip and adds to the premium feel of the pump.

I found the 750mm hose a little short compared to the other pumps I tested, which had hose lengths well over 1,000mm.

While the hose doesn't start at the base of the pump, the head still only measures 1,040mm off the floor, making it difficult to pump bikes that are in high bike repair stands.

The hose loops over the handle to secure it, though the clips at the top of the cylinder were too tight for the hose, making it difficult to clip in.

Overall, the Topeak Tube 2Stage is one of the best bike pumps we’ve tested.

It's highly efficient, well built and robust, with the 2Stage system adding versatility for all types of tyres.

Digital Writer

Nick Clark is a digital writer for BikeRadar, focusing on all things mountain bikes. Having raced XC for most of his youth, he has a deep understanding of the sport and loves bounding around the UK to spectate at events. A mountain biker at heart, Nick helped create a community of trail builders in his local forest in North Wales. Nick also loves road cycling, where he has completed the holy trinity of spectating at all three grand tours in their host countries. Described as having a good engine in his racing days, it's now common to see Nick wheel-sucking on club rides and sprinting for town signs. He also enjoys bike touring and has completed numerous travels on the west coast of Europe, most recently riding from Lisbon to Roscoff. Nick has built many of his bikes from the frame up and has a keen eye for technical detail. He is currently riding a YT Capra on the trails and a Focus Izalco Max for the road.