At a glance Pricey outlay but a pump for life for roadies and trackies.
Tested by
Nik Cook, tester for The Bike List
Performance
The first thing that struck me about the Rennkompressor, apart from its mouthful of a name, was the sheer weight of it. This is a seriously solidly engineered piece of kit and, with all parts replaceable, should be a floor pump for life. It comes with an impressive heritage and, pay a trip to any international track meet, and you’ll see the lion’s share of mechanics armed with one. As well as its near legendary reliability, the reason it’s so popular amongst trackies is the high tyre pressures it is capable of delivering. With a maximum output of 230 PSI, if you’re after rock solid tubs for riding the boards this is the pump for you. Taking my tubs on my time trial bike to their stated max of 225 PSI was a breeze, with the action of Rennkompressor remaining silky smooth and the wooden handle super comfortable in my hands. The narrow metal fold down feet were stable enough when standing on them and made storage easier but the pump was a bit on the wobbly side when stood alone. Working at the more normal operating pressures of a standard 23C road clincher, the Rennkompressor delivered 120 PSI from flat in under thirty sweat free pumps. The extra long hose was a joy to use and the valve head engaged very positively and never blew off or leaked air. Getting it back off required a firm pull but not excessively so.
Because of the high pressures the Rennkompressor can achieve, the first digit on the dial is 40 PSI and the 10 PSI increments are very close to each other. This made accurately inflating mountain bike tyres at ultra low pressures a bit hit and miss and, if you only ride the rough stuff, this probably isn’t the pump for you. I guess the main reason for not buying a Rennkompressor would be the price but I’ve got no doubts, now I own one, that I’m never going to have to fork out for a new floor pump again, unless I lose it. Considering I’ve managed to destroy at least three £30-£35 pumps in as many years, I wish I’d forked out for one years ago.
Buy from www.chainreactioncycles.com
SKS says:
For close to 40 years, the Rennkompressor has been the most popular pump in international cycling and the sole legitimate ancestor of all floor pumps. This version stands proud under the authentic orange finish of the original. As a concession to modern valve technology, the Rennkompressor will be equipped with our E.V.A. valve head, guaranteeing the perfect connection for Dunlop, Presta and Schrader.
- Valve: E.V.A. for Dunlop, Presta, Schrader
- Length: 650 mm
- Ouput max: 16 bar / 230 PSI
For more info www.sks-germany.com
