While tubeless tires offer a variety of advantages for road and mountain biking, installing them presents some unique challenges. Tubeless tires require a high rate of air flow to properly seat as they have stiff beads. Topeak’s latest JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage floor pump not only offers the reliability and quality the JoeBlow lineup is known for, but it also incorporates their clever new TubiHead for tubeless tire applications. At $139.95, the Tubi 2Stage is priced near the top of the JoeBlow floor pump lineup and features a 2 stage setup with a high-volume 0-30 psi stage along with a 30-160 psi high-pressure stage.

Combining the high-volume stage with the TubiHead that allows you to remove Presta valve cores without losing any air pressure in the process. That means tubeless tires can be seated and inflated upto the desired riding pressure without having to remove the pump from the valve. The Tubi 2Stage also features a 3” analog display and a simple friction-fit chuck head that can slide onto Presta valves or Shrader valves with an included adapter. Topeak also offers the TubiHead separately for $32.95 as an upgrade kit for existing JoeBlow pumps.

The Topeak Tubi 2Stage combines the quality JoeBlow pumps are known for with a clever TubiHead for quick tubeless tire seating and inflation.

Retail Price$139.95
Rating9.2 / 10
Likes+ Ergonomic handle
+ TubiHead makes tubeless tire installations quick and easy
+ Black and bronze finish has a premium look
Dislikes– Premium price
– Friction fit head can be hard to remove from some valves
– Can be difficult to read the psi values on analog gauge
Where to Buy (US) Topeak

UNBOXING

The Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage simply comes in a large plastic bag with cardboard info sheets attached directly to the pump. Inside the bag you’ll find:

  • Tubi 2Stage Pump
  • Schrader valve adapter

Setting up the pump is as simple as cutting the zip ties and removing the protective plastic wrapping. The only real assembly is threading on the Schrader adapter onto the hold on the hose.

FIT & FINISH

With a black and bronze color finish, the Tubi 2Stage is an attractive looking floor pump. The two stage design means it’s also a fairly large pump with a larger diameter barrel than the JoeBlow Sport Digital or the JoeBlow Pro pumps. Starting from the bottom, you’ll find a wide black metal base that provides a stable platform for using the pump. There is a bottom mounted analog gauge (more on that later) attached to the moderately sized steel barrel. Bronze coloring is used for the branding on the sides of the barrel and a sleek thin stripe down the front. It’s a great looking combination that really gives the Tubi 2Stage a premium appearance.

Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage Pump Review - Tubi Head
What sets the Tubi 2Stage apart from the other JoeBlow pumps is the Tubi head which has a clever presta core removal tool integrated into the head for one-stage tubeless tire setup and inflation.

Instead of using a digital gauge like the JoeBlow Sport Digital, the Tubi 2Stage uses a low mounted analog gauge. While we are proponents of analog gauges for the reliability and simplicity, the gauge here is a bit of a disappointment. Along the exterior of the gauge you’ll find PSI values in large lettering while the bar markings are printed inside the gauge. Values between 0-30 psi are finished in bronze coloring while 30-160 psi are white. The combination of the short needle and bronze coloring make it difficult to associate the needle position and the psi value. We prefer the JoeBlow Pro’s gauge design which has better legibility and color contrast. Even the diamond indicator to mark a position on the gauge is easy to miss as it uses the same bronze coloring and doesn’t have enough contrast.

On top of the pump you’ll find a wide rubberized handle that tapers for an ergonomic feel. The handles lack the rounded finger cutouts some of the previous Topeak pumps used but still works well as the rubber compresses under your grip. To switch between the high-volume and high-pressure modes there is a toggle switch with the same bronze and white color scheme. Although the positions are easy to switch between, we did find ourselves accidentally between stages occasionally. Finally, the most important noteworthy part of the Tubi 2Stage is the new TubiHead.

Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage Pump Review - Gauge
One of the main downsides of the pump is the analog gauge which can be a bit hard to read as the needle is inset with less contrast than we’d prefer.

It’s a T-shaped head with bronze coloring and a see-through design. One side of the head has a friction fit chuck that allows you to simply slide it onto a valve. Unlike the Topeak SmartHead chucks which seamlessly work for both Presta and Schrader valves, the TubiHead requires an included adapter for Schrader valve use. The clever part about the TubiHead is the Presta valve core remover which is a round knob on the other size of the chuck. Once the valve core remover is aligned with your Presta valve core, you simply rotate it to unthread it from the valve and pull back. The sealed head design means you don’t lose any air while the valve core is removed. This allows you to use the high-volume stage to seat the tire and then thread the valve core back on and use the high-pressure stage to inflate the tire to the desired pressure.

USABILITY

In terms of pumping efficiency, the Tubi 2Stage is quite impressive with a smooth stroke and satisfying whoosh noise as you use it. Even the high-pressure stage with its 258 cc volume per stroke, less than the 715 cc the stage one mode offers, can quickly inflate tires upto 100 psi or higher. The tall size of the 2Tubi 2Stage makes it easy to use as you don’t have to lean over and can leverage your core muscles. While the TubiHead is quite clever and works great on removable Presta valve cores, we did find that it makes it easy to attach the chuck too far onto valves which makes removing the friction head difficult although the pump still works well. We found that holding the valve core side while placing the chuck helped avoid that issue. During inflation, the valve core side also tends to pop out, something Topeak could have avoided with a simple locking mechanism.

Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage Pump Review - Base
The JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage has a wide metal base that helps keep the pump in place as you inflate your tires.

THE VERDICT

Overall, we found the Topeak JoeBlow Tubi 2Stage floor pump to be a well designed and clever floor pump. The pump combines a two stage setup for high-volume inflation between 0-30psi and a high-pressure 30-160psi stage to accommodate tubeless tire seating and normal tire pressure adjustments. We particularly were impressed with the premium metal construction and the black and bronze color scheme which exceeded our expectations for the price point. Even if you don’t have tubeless tires, the TubiHead’s friction fit chuck with air release button is one of the best on the market. It’s not a perfect pump as the friction head can be difficult to remove for some valves and the analog gauge lacks the readability of other JoeBlow pumps. That said, the Tubi 2Stage really shines for tubeless tire applications and makes an otherwise tedious tubeless tire setup quick and easy.

Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Topeak. 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.

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