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Joeblow Mountain EX - Data and price
- Material Steel cylinder, fibreglass composite handle and base
- Maximum pressure 4 bar / 60 psi
- Volume per stroke 683 cm3
- Hose length 100 cm
- Pressure gauge 44.4 cm diameter
- Valve head Twinhead for Presta, Shrader and Dunlop valves
- Weight 1.32 kg
- Price 44,95 Euro >> available here
With the Mountain EX, Topeak has recently launched an affordable air pump especially for mountain bikers. Despite its somewhat slimmed-down features, the Joeblow is designed to inflate fat tyres reliably and comfortably. The maximum pressure of 4 bar should be enough for even the most hardened pumpers - even though the optimum pressure for mountain bike tyres should generally be somewhere between 1.4 and 2 bar.
Bicycle pump with large pressure gauge and voluminous cylinder
At first glance, the particularly large 3.5 inch (44.4 mm) pressure gauge of the bicycle pump immediately catches the eye. Here, the scale is widely fanned out up to 4 bar and is easy to read even in dim light. The tenths markings are also easy to recognise, which should allow the pressure to be set precisely. When cross-checking with the air pressure gauge, the Joeblow Mountain EX ends up with a deviation of 0.1 bar, which is reasonable compared to many other inexpensive pumps.
The voluminous steel cylinder presses around 0.1 bar per stroke into the tyre on 2.4 inch wide 29ers. Accordingly, the tyre is quickly inflated to a rideable 1.6 bar. The fact that pumping is also easy for taller riders is due in particular to the relatively high tyre height. Even at a height of 1.88 metres (in my case), the Topeak floor pump is still reasonably gentle on the spinal discs.
Practical: long hose and TwinHead valve head
The 1 metre long hose ensures sufficient distance to the bike during pumping, and even when the bike is hanging in the assembly stand, the grooves can still be filled easily.
The practical TwinHead head, a classic in the Topeak range, also impresses with its ease of use: attach, flip the lever and start pumping. The valve head can be connected absolutely tightly to both Presta and Shrader valves.
Joeblow air pump: high manual force required for pumping
So everything is fine? Almost, at least. Although the rounded composite handle sits comfortably in the hand without causing pressure points, it doesn't look too high-quality. In combination with the base, which is also made of composite material, the Joeblow air pump is a little wobbly overall and twists slightly at higher pressures. Higher quality bicycle pumps can do this better.
However, it is a little more annoying that you have to push the air through the valve with a lot of force even at low pressure. We hadn't expected that. If some tubeless milk also clogs the valve, you have to push hard to get the air into the tyre. Despite the large volume, we couldn't fit every tubeless tyre.
Conclusion on the Joeblow Mountain EX air pump
The inexpensive Joeblow Mountain EX impresses above all with its top pressure gauge, its large volume and its great valve head. The measuring accuracy is also fine. On the other hand, we found the high forces that have to be applied to pump to be annoying. If you are looking for an inexpensive air pump for mountain bikes and city bikes, the Topeak is still a good choice. The Joeblow is only the wrong choice for roadies.
Plus
- long hose
- Easy to read, fairly accurate pressure gauge
- creates a lot of volume per stroke; inexpensive
Minus
- High manual force
- not optimal for tubeless setup despite large volume
Stefan Frey
Editor
