How many licks does it take to reach the chocolatey center of a tubeless mountain bike tire? Er, maybe we mixed stories there. Regardless, popping a tubeless tire into place on your rim can be a hassle. We’ve been testing this pint-size Fanttik X8 Apex pump for a while to see how it makes the process easier.
Using this pump is laughably simple. You can use the preset PSI/BAR ratings for a car or bike, or set it to any number you want and simply push the power button to initiate inflation. That’s it. The pump will stop when it reaches the desired pressure, and the display tells you where it’s at throughout the process.
The X8 Apex pump charges via USB-C and has a USB-A charging port that you can plug lights or a phone into for a top-up. There is also an LED on the top to help locate valves in the dark. The pump includes a removable flexy tube that attaches to a Presta or Schrader valve as well as a needle inflator for sporty balls, and it all fits nicely in the included cloth bag. The whole unit weighs about 830g, so it might be best kept in the car or garage rather than a riding pack.
It only took a few hours to charge the pump’s battery, and I haven’t had to plug it back in after mounting several tires up. The brand says that it will inflate things for a total of 40 minutes per charge, and it took about two minutes to bring a new gravity tire up to 50psi and pop the bead firmly into place. I didn’t use any soap or water, as I often have to do with a floor pump. I first set the X8 Apex to inflate a tire from empty to 30psi, and I verified it did the trick. From there, I turned the pump back on at 50psi for a high pressure test, which it easily passed.
This little gadget not only saves you the hassle of hand pumping tubeless tires, but it’s also rather accurate. I checked the pressure with a trusty digital gauge from Blackburn and it read 49psi. Likely a little air was lost because I unscrewed the chuck too slowly. I like to top off my tire-wind before every ride, and this pump makes that process simple and reliable.
In addition to fitting in your toolbox and generally taking up far less space than a traditional air compressor, the X8 Apex pump is notably quieter than any compressor I’ve tried. That’s a welcome change, as the sound of those machines could have your dog hiding under the bed for a week solid.
The Fanttik X8 Apex retails for $169, available at Amazon. You can learn more about the pump on the Fanttik website.
Pros and cons of the Fanttik X8 Apex
That little gadget is a tad to expensive will keep my manual which is also much lighter so what if it takes 5 to 10 more minutes there’s always tomorrow.
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