SPECIALIZED AIR TOOL SWITCH COMP

£22

SPECIFICATION Weight: 145g • Contact: specialized.com

In terms of construction, the Specialized Air Tool Switch

Comp is very similar to the Park Tool PMP-4.2. It has the same plastic/alloy build, similar-shaped thumb-lock, and is also the same length. Where it differs is that the Airtool gets a gauge that you can pivot round to any angle. Unfortunately it’s just not that precise – the markings are too far apart to be of any use on a mountain bike. This displays pressures up to 120psi, which suggests this is a crossover road/mountain bike pump. That’s borne out by the readings, because it took quite a while to fill our test tyre – the gauge barely registered for the first 50 strokes. The pump also doesn’t extend very far, and if we went hell for leather we’d often catch the handle in the locking mechanism – this is there to keep it closed when mounted to the bike.

The thumb-lock doesn’t rattle like the PMP-4.2, and it is easy to switch valve types with the Switchhitter head by just flipping over some internal components. The Air Tool is better value than the PMP-4.2, but with its short stroke, it’s slow to get any meaningful pressure. The handle is also not that comfortable and we found this clamp-on design can really stress the valve if you pump too hard. We also don’t think the gauge is worth the money and we’d actually recommend the Specialized Switch Sport for £16 without it.