Portable inflation on the road

Topeak’s known for the bike pumps whether it’s the JoeBlow floor series or portable mini pumps. In this review we’ll be looking at one of their mini pumps specifically designed for road cyclists. The $47.95 Roadie 2Stage Mini pump is a compact bike pump that’s only compatible with Presta valves. What sets this pump apart from other mini pumps is the two stage inflation that offers a high volume mode (0-75 psi) and high pressure (75-160 psi) mode. At only 6.4” in length the Roadie 2Stage easily fits in jersey pockets or saddle bags for inflation on the road. The pump has an aluminum construction and an easy to use thumb lock lever to secure the pump to valves.

The Topeak Roadie 2Stage is a compact two-stage mini pump that can prevent you from getting stranded on the road.

Rating	8.0 / 10
Retail Price	$44.95
Measured Weight (in g)	90 (pump), 12 (bottle cage mount)
Likes	+ Well designed aluminum construction + Thumb lever is easy to use and secure + Two stage inflation help filling up initial volume
Dislikes	– Requires hundreds of strokes to reach higher pressures
Where to Buy	Topeak

UNBOXING

The Topeak Roadie 2Stage comes attached to a compact cardboard backing with Topeak’s distinctive white and yellow color scheme. Topeak has attached the pump directly to the mount, and bolted the mount onto the cardboard backing which allows you to interact with the pump. Once you remove the pump you’ll find:

• Roadie 2Stage pump
• Bottle cage mount
• Long bolts for mounting

Surprisingly there are no printed instructions included with the pump. Instead the instructions are printed on the backside of the cardboard backing. The included bottle cage mount is a simple plastic design that works well and lets you leave the pump on the bike instead of carrying it in a jersey.

FIT & FINISH

With the Topeak Roadie 2Stage, Topeak has combined a compact mini pump with an efficient dual stage design. That means you can efficiently inflate high volume or high pressure with a twist of a knob. This is an aluminum pump with a compact size that’s highly portable at only 6.4” x 1.26” x 1”. It’s designed to easily stash in a jersey pocket or mount against a water bottle bracket using the included side bracket. The pump has a simple matte black finish with simple white branding and Roadie 2Stage printed on the side. Rather than use a smart head, like those included on the JoeBlow floor pumps, the 2Stage is only compatible with Presta valves which are very common on road bikes. A rubber cover over the nozzle prevents dirt or water from getting in.

Attaching the pump to Presta valves is very straight-forward with a thumb lock. Unlike many thumb locks which can easily trap your fingers under them as you close them, the Roadie 2Stage is user friendly and pain-free. We were impressed with how secure the locking mechanism is, there are no air leaks which allows you to use both hands to pump air instead of holding the pump against the valve. There is no pressure gauge on the Roadie 2Stage, a feature commonly only found on larger pumps, so you’ll have to guesstimate the air pressure. A rotating dial on the bottom of the pump lets you select between “HP” (high pressure) or “HV” (high volume) with a bronze line indicator to show the active position.

INFLATION

Topeak claims the high volume mode is sufficient for 0-75 psi (40.8 cc per stroke) while the high pressure is capable of up to 160 psi (11.2 cc per stroke). At almost four times the volume, the high volume mode feels significantly stronger per stroke but becomes very difficult as soon as you approach 20 psi. Unless you’re the world’s strongest man you’ll need to switch over to high pressure mode to achieve any rideable pressure. The high pressure mode has almost no resistance but also has a very low air volume which makes it very slow to inflate a tire. We found that it took hundreds of strokes and ~5 minutes to even reach a ~30-40psi tire pressure that would be sufficient to ride home on. You’d run out of time or energy before ever reaching 160 psi or your desired pressure. Instead, the Roadie 2Stage is best as a compact pump for simply getting you back home. We’d highly recommend carrying CO2 or a frame pump like the SILCA Impero to achieve a proper tire inflation level.

THE VERDICT

Overall, we found the Topeak Roadie 2Stage to be a compact and well designed pump. At only 6.4” in length with a smooth aluminum cylindrical body it’s an attractive mini pump that’s easy to stash in a pocket or saddle bag. While the two stage design with a high volume and a high pressure mode is easy to use and toggle between helps reduce inflation time, it’s still a struggle to reach any reasonable pressure with the Roadie 2Stage. We found the high volume mode to be too difficult to use at around 20 psi while the high pressure mode has almost no resistance and a very low volume per stroke. The Roadie 2Stage is best used as a backup, or even consider the Gravel 2Stage instead, to other CO2 or other methods to simply get enough inflation to make the tires rideable instead of achieving the proper pressures. That said, if you’re in the market for a light and compact mini pump to prevent you from getting stranded on the road the Roadie 2Stage is a decent option.

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.