Bike Perfect Verdict
An efficient and smooth mountain and gravel pump although its length will put some pump-in-pocket preferring riders off.
Pros
- +
Secure fitment to the valve
- +
Low weight
- +
Pressure gauge
- +
Well priced
Cons
- -
Long length limits it to framebag, backpack, or frame-mounted storage
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Crankbrothers offers three versions of their Klic HV (high volume) pump, the cheapest model is a little shorter in length, while the other two add a pressure gauge and the most expensive version also features a concealed CO2 inflator.
I have been testing the Crankbrothers Klic HV Gauge which like many of the best mountain bike pumps features a hose and pressure gauge. The pump has some well-thought-out features including its unique magnetic hose attachment, however, the length is going to put some riders off.
Design and build
The construction uses an alloy body with plastic fixtures and is available in either black or silver. The handle clicks in place when not in use and when unfolded it releases the hose that is neatly stored within the pump shaft.
The head of the pump has a twist cover to keep the dirt out and ensures a close fit with the magnetic hose attachment. The hose is 18cm long and 6.5cm of that is made from flexible rubber and 7cm of pressure gauge.
The gauge is a simple slide design with a blue indicator and basic numbering in both PSI and Bar. The pump is rated to 110psi / 7.6 bar so it will happily cover mountain bike, gravel, and lower-pressure wide road tires too. The pump head can be flipped to accommodate both Presta and Schrader valves.
Performance
The pump puts out a decent amount of air, taking roughly 200 strokes to inflate a 2.6in tire to between 20 and 25psi. The strokes are smooth and easy as well until you start getting to the higher pressure ranges when there is more air to fight against. The gauge is reasonably easy to read although with 10psi increments it's more of a rough guide than pressure pinpointing. That said, it's still better than trying to gauge your pressure by giving the tire a squeeze, but not by much.
While the hose is quite long, less than half of it is actually flexible. It wasn’t much of an issue in use, although I think the gauge would be better positioned on the pump end rather than the valve end.
The screw-on fitment to the valve threaded smoothly onto valves and unlike some other screw-on hoses, it didn’t threaten to undo my hard work pumping by unscrewing the valve core on removal. I was a little skeptical of the magnetic hose attachment breaking free, but in use it was airtight and secure no matter how furiously I pumped.
The pump is quite a bit longer than most other pumps so it's not going to suit riders who want to go pack-less unless you use the bottle cage bracket mount. Otherwise, it's definitely backpack or larger framebag only due to its 260mm length. Although the pump is longer than most other portable MTB pumps, it's actually pretty light at 135g.
Verdict
It's not pocket-able but the length and volume make it an easy and efficient inflator for mountain bike and gravel tires. The hose is neatly and securely stored away and the pressure gauge is a useful addition, even if it's only an educated guess.
Although the pump uses plastic for some of the construction, everything feels well put together and durable. There is the concern that if you lose the hose then the pump is rendered useless however Crankbrothers say they are happy to cover any lost hoses, they also offer a five-year warranty if anything goes wrong.
Tech specs: Crankbrothers Klic HV Gauge pump
- Price: $49.99 / £46.99
- Weight: 135g
- Length: 260cm
- Max pressure: 110 psi
