Although bike technology has come a long way, nearly all bikes still use air tires which need to be maintained regularly. The Flextail Tiny Bike Pump is a portable electronic pump that has the compact form factor of a CO2 canister but has a rechargeable design. Despite the small size, the Tiny Bike Pump is capable of 100 psi pressure and compatible with Presta, Schrader and even inflatable balls. Flextail offers the pump for a retail price of $99.99 which is similarly priced as other compact electric pumps. Inside the Tiny Bike Pump you’ll find a 350mAh battery which can be charged in 25 minutes using USB-C. Runtimes depend on the size of tire and desired pressure which means you can pump one 700×25 to 100psi or four times at 60psi.
The Flextail Tiny Bike Pump is an ultra compact electronic bike pump that lets you inflate tires quickly and efficiently.
| Rating | 8.0/10 |
| Retail Price | $99.99 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 133 |
| Likes | + Compact and highly portable size + Works with Presta, Schrader and inflatable balls + Quick charging with USB-C |
| Dislikes | – Premium price – No multi-level battery status indicator – Strong vibrations when being used |
| Where to Buy (US) | Flextail |
UNBOXING
The Flextail Tiny Bike Pump comes in a small cardboard box with a glossy graphic of the pump printed on it and specs printed on the rear. Inside the box you’ll find:
- Flextail Tiny Bike Pump
- Removable silicone cover
- USB-C charging cable
- Parts for Schrader conversion
- Needle cap for inflatable balls
- Velcro strap for attaching pump to bike
- Instruction manual
Although the silicone cover isn’t particularly pretty, we’d recommend using it as it does reduce the heat and vibrations when using the pump.
FIT & FINISH
The Flextail Tiny Bike Pump lives up to its name with its compact 2.7 x 1.6 x 1.1 inch size that can easily fit in a pocket. It’s a miniature electronic pump with an aluminum housing that conceals an internal battery and compressor to quickly inflate tires. The pump has a glossy black finish with a textured rounded upper and a protruding nozzle on one side. Flextail branding is printed onto the sides of the pump while the USC-C charging port is located on the bottom. The recharging port also doubles as an air vent so you’ll want to keep it clear when using the pump.
Using the pump is easy as there is a single illuminated power button on the side. This illuminates red when the pump is on and switches to green when it is connected to power and fully charged. When you turn the pump on you get fun startup beeps with a long press to turn the pump on or off. A single press toggles the inflation once the pump is powered on. It’s fairly loud when the pump is on and it produces quite a bit of vibrations so it can be uncomfortable for extended use. That isn’t a big problem as the runtimes for the 350mAh battery are fairly limited. For 700x25c tires it takes 50-60 seconds to reach 60 psi and can be done four times in a single change. To achieve 100 psi for the same tire size it takes 150-160 seconds and it can only be done once.
ON THE BIKE
With its compact size, the Flextail Tiny Pump is easy to tuck into a jersey pocket or saddlebag for road side repairs. As with CO2 cannisters, you’ll still want to bring a backup handpump like a Topeak Roadie or a full size frame pump like the SILCA Impero just in case. Turning on the Flextail Tiny Pump greets you with a nice startup jingle and red illuminated power button. It’s easy to hold and slide on to Presta valves particularly with the Silicone cover. For lower pressures around 80 psi we were able to use the pump on multiple tires from completely empty and quickly bring them up to pressure. Our biggest usability issue is that lack of a battery status indicator which means you’ll want to just this regularly to ensure it’s always fully charged when you need it. Also we’re skeptical about the claimed SOS taillight feature as the illuminated power button isn’t particularly bright but can be used as a backup if your taillight battery were to die.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Flextail Tiny Bike Pump to be a compact and portable electronic bike pump. The tiny pump can easily fit into a jersey pocket or bag yet is still capable of 100 psi. Flextail even includes multiple adapter to accommodate Schrader, Presta and even inflatable balls. The pump also has a USB-C charging port and attractive black glossy aluminum finish. We also appreciated the startup jingle and ergonomic design. It’s similar to other electronic pumps like the CYCPLUS Cube and makes an excellent alternative to one-time-use CO2 cannisters. The main downsides of the Flextail is the premium price and lack of a multi-level battery status indicator. That said, if you’re looking for a compact and portable electronic pump then the Flextail Tiny Bike Pump is definitely worth checking out.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Flextail. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.