I bought the Cycplus AS2 Pro for one reason: I didn’t want to carry a large pump every time I travelled with the bike. A proper pump takes up room in the bag, and the small ones that do fit take a lot of time and effort to get a tyre back up to pressure. I wanted something small that would do the job and stay out of the way.
The AS2 Pro is about the size of a matchbox and weighs around 120 g, so it went in the bag and I forgot about it. That was the plan.
Then I actually used it, and it turned out to be a game changer. What I like most is that it tells you the exact pressure in the tyre, so I always know where I’m starting from and exactly what I’ve ended up with. You set the pressure you want on the little display, press the button and let it get on with it. It stops by itself when it gets there, so there’s no guessing and no squinting at a gauge in the dark. From flat, I can get a tyre up in about a minute. Next to a hand pump, that’s no contest.
It isn’t quiet, though. It’s a tiny compressor and it sounds like one, a high-pitched buzz that makes people turn round if you’re using it outside a café. I can live with that. A minute of noise beats five minutes of pumping by hand, especially on a cold night with a puncture and a long way still to ride.
It’s also been pretty reliable, so much so that I no longer carry a hand pump, not even as a backup. My backup now is a small battery pack, so if I ever have to use the pump enough to drain it, I can recharge it on the move.
The features
- Size and weight: 70 x 49 x 28 mm and about 120 g, small enough for a jersey pocket or saddle bag.
- Pressure: up to 120 psi (8.2 bar), enough for road, gravel and mountain bike tyres.
- Display: an LED screen showing the tyre pressure as it pumps, the battery level and a choice of units.
- Auto stop: set the pressure you want and it switches off when it gets there, with a gauge accurate to about 1 psi.
- Motor: a brushless motor in an aluminium body.
- Charging: USB-C, with a full charge in about 30 minutes, so a power bank tops it up on the road.
- Valves: Presta and Schrader, with a short hose for valves that are awkward to reach.
- In the box: Presta valve converter, silicone case, pump hose, splashproof pouch, ball needle and USB-C cable.
What started out as a travel pump is now the pump I reach for at home too, and it comes on every ride.
Related
Related rides
- Pumping My Way Home from Egerton: three roadside top-ups of a slow puncture on the way home in the dark
The bikes, clothing and kit I ride with are collected in the Kit & gear section of the Links page.