At a glance A lightweight mini-pump with integrated pressure gauge that’s an ideal ‘carry everywhere’ for use in emergencies
Tested by
Jonathan Manning
Performance
The search for a mini pump that can match a full-size pump has become something of a grail-type quest for many cyclists. Personally, I have half-a-dozen different pumps in my toolbox, each promising the same thing, and each failing to deliver. It all reminds me of the father of my school French exchange partner who had an obsession with recreating an English lawn at his house south of Paris. Convinced it was all due to watering, he had bought more than 20 different sprinklers in the hope that one would help him to recreate a lawn of English stately home baize. The soil and climate begged to differ, but still he went on buying sprinklers.
Maybe the laws of physics mean mini-pumps will never match the pressure performance of a full-size pump, but it's with the same endless optimism of my exchange partner's father that I approach the SKS Puro Alu. It's made in engineering-mad Germany, where SKS has a formidable reputation for winning awards with both road bike and mountain bike magazines, and for anyone with a passion for gadgets its first impression is wonderful. The Puro Alu is made from aluminium, weighs just 93 grammes, and measures less than 20cm. Fidel Castro has smoked cigars bigger than this!
Clips that use the bolt holes for a drinks bottle
hold the pump secure and the integrated valve head is concealed to
protect it from road grime and dirt. Alternatively, it's light
enough to slip imperceptibly into a jersey rear pocket, and it
requires just a single lipstick-style twist to release the head and
free the pump.
Designed to fit a typical road bike Presta valve, there's even a gauge that in theory should measure your tyre pressure up to a maximum of 10 bar / 144PSI.
In practice, the pump suffers from the same ills that have plagued all my other mini pumps. The inflation starts well enough, but after a certain point it feels as if it is no longer driving extra air into the inner tube. The result is a tyre that's more than adequate for getting you home after a puncture repair, but not the desired rock hard pressure required for setting out on a lengthy ride or race. I'd like to report the pressure achieved, but the gauge failed to work, and there is a tendency for the valve head to cling to the Presta valve, releasing air as the pump is wiggled free.
Overall, the Puro Alu is ideal as a 'carry everywhere' pump for use in emergencies, especially for commuters. It feels meticulously made, and achieves a decent tyre pressure, but it still won't replace a full-size pump.
Manufacturer's summary:
Pure road - Cool outside, controlled power inside. With the Puro we have given free rein to our passion of high-pressure pumps, cleverly integrating everything: the valve connection and the pressure gauge. At the very first stroke, the eye is drawn to the integrated pressure gauge thanks to our integrated concept all parts of the pump are completely dirt protected.. The Puro smoothly builds up the pressure until the scale approaches the 120 PSI mark.
- Valve: Presta
- Length: 192 mm
- Weight: 93 g
Where can I find out more? www.sks-germany.com
Where can I buy one? www.rutlandcycling.com
