Topeak Road Morph G Pump Review
Topping off tire pressure is smooth and easy I decided to replace my old tried and true Park Tool frame pump on my touring bike to accommodate a frame bag and to more efficiently top off tire pressures while touring.
Many folks think of a packable or mini pump to be used solely to repair flats or just get enough air in the tire after repairing a flat to get to a gas station or bike shop where they can more easily get the tire up to recommended tire pressures. Or they opt for the CO2 cartridges which can effortlessly inflate a tire but again that's intended only for flat repair.
Maintaining proper tire pressure while touring is important for maintaining good puncture protection and load bearing capabilities for bike touring specific tires. In fact, I have heard of folks claiming that a particular bicycle tire company wouldn't honor their warranty as the manufacturer had determined that the recommended tire pressure was not maintained during the customer's bike tour. Whether or not the customer had actually maintained proper air pressure is besides the point but serves to emphasize the importance of manufacturers providing proper psi for their tire's design specifications.
Many folks think of a packable or mini pump to be used solely to repair flats or just get enough air in the tire after repairing a flat to get to a gas station or bike shop where they can more easily get the tire up to recommended tire pressures. Or they opt for the CO2 cartridges which can effortlessly inflate a tire but again that's intended only for flat repair.
Maintaining proper tire pressure while touring is important for maintaining good puncture protection and load bearing capabilities for bike touring specific tires. In fact, I have heard of folks claiming that a particular bicycle tire company wouldn't honor their warranty as the manufacturer had determined that the recommended tire pressure was not maintained during the customer's bike tour. Whether or not the customer had actually maintained proper air pressure is besides the point but serves to emphasize the importance of manufacturers providing proper psi for their tire's design specifications.
Older Topeak mounting bracket Anyone who has ever tried repairing a flat with a handheld mini pump knows how difficult it can be to get a touring up to eighty or ninety psi. Most folks opt for getting the tire inflated "good enough" to ride on while some folks curse the poor design and lack of the pump's efficiency. Forget about topping off a tire day in and day out while touring as most standard mini pumps would wind up being thrown in the bushes.
It's for those reasons that the good folks at companies like Topeak and Lezyne have designed some user friendly pumps with a folding foot peg (photo above) for stabilizing the pump while being able to use more efficient downward force of one's body onto the pump. Although there are and have been some excellent frame pumps they lack a gauge for proper tire inflation. Introducing the Topeak Road Morph G with all the solid performing features described including a rubberized fold out handle and the "G" of model description indicating an in line gauge on the retractable pump hose. There are a few pumps designed like the Road Morph G in a variety of lengths and sizes with or without gauges for road and mountain use that perform like a standard floor pump. Lezyne makes a very nice model in the Micro Drive HP which with the all metal design looks like a fancy piece of art work.
It's for those reasons that the good folks at companies like Topeak and Lezyne have designed some user friendly pumps with a folding foot peg (photo above) for stabilizing the pump while being able to use more efficient downward force of one's body onto the pump. Although there are and have been some excellent frame pumps they lack a gauge for proper tire inflation. Introducing the Topeak Road Morph G with all the solid performing features described including a rubberized fold out handle and the "G" of model description indicating an in line gauge on the retractable pump hose. There are a few pumps designed like the Road Morph G in a variety of lengths and sizes with or without gauges for road and mountain use that perform like a standard floor pump. Lezyne makes a very nice model in the Micro Drive HP which with the all metal design looks like a fancy piece of art work.
Included mounting bracket of Road Morph G One of the most important considerations for most touring bike folks is the ability to pack or somehow install their portable pump in an efficient bike traveling manner. I used an old Topeak mini pump bracket to install the Road Morph G along side the frame's downtube bottle cage mounts as shown in photo above. However, the included mounting bracket as shown in photo at left requires either removing the bottle cage and mounting the bracket to the bottle cage's mounting threads or using the included zip ties and fastening the bracket to the frame similar to the photo at left where velcro was used in place of the zip ties. Note that Lezyne provides a mounting bracket that can be installed with the bottle cage remaining on the frame. If I didn't have a spare pump bracket mount as mentioned then I would have preferred the Lezyne Micro Drive HP.
As mentioned previously there are other models from Topeak which include these same floor pump design features so consider for example the Mini Morph, Mountain Morph or Turbo Morph for your personal needs and preferences. Each model from Topeak with the exception of the Mountain Morph includes an optional gauge so here's a link to compare features of the Topeak line of pumps.
Any of the pumps mentioned in this post will keep you from having to suffer any more than necessary while performing a roadside flat repair and can be used to maintain proper tire pressure so important for getting the best performance from your touring tires without suffering over the difficulty of doing so. Use any of the links provided underlined in bold for information or to purchase.
Links related to this topic
Tough, Versatile Pump for Touring and Commuting
As mentioned previously there are other models from Topeak which include these same floor pump design features so consider for example the Mini Morph, Mountain Morph or Turbo Morph for your personal needs and preferences. Each model from Topeak with the exception of the Mountain Morph includes an optional gauge so here's a link to compare features of the Topeak line of pumps.
Any of the pumps mentioned in this post will keep you from having to suffer any more than necessary while performing a roadside flat repair and can be used to maintain proper tire pressure so important for getting the best performance from your touring tires without suffering over the difficulty of doing so. Use any of the links provided underlined in bold for information or to purchase.
Links related to this topic
Tough, Versatile Pump for Touring and Commuting
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