Reviews

Birzman Maha Apogee III

Superb bike pump with clever Snap-It head for minimal pumping effort

It’s difficult to get too excited about a track pump. All things considered, pumping up your bike’s tyres is a pretty mundane job.

But, needless to say, it’s an essential one and a good track pump can be the difference between a one-minute job and wrangling with nozzles, hoses, valves and anything else that’s preventing you from getting out to ride.

As pumps go, the Birzman Maha Apogee III may be a bit of a mouthful, but it’s very good. The Apogee takes over from the excellent Zacoo and the key to its success is the clever Snap-It head.

Pull the collar on the connector back, slide the Snap-It head onto the inner tube valve, give it a short twist, then push the collar back up and you’ll get a secure, reliable connection to the valve for minimal effort, with no blow-offs (stop laughing at the back) and no air leakage (come on now…). It works with a Schrader valve, too, by threading the Snap-It head onto the valve.

As pumps go, the Birzman Maha Apogee III may be a bit of a mouthful, but it’s very good

The pump has a long barrel which makes it easy to get a tyre up to pressure in double quick time. Birzman claim the Apogee III can deliver up to 220psi, though we can’t imagine you’ll ever push it that far. If you do get a bit carried away then there’s a bleed button below the Snap-It head to fine-tune pressure.

The barrel has a five-degree angle, which tilts the pump towards you and places it at a more natural position when pumping. The three-legged alloy base provides a wide, secure stance and at 125cm the hose is plenty long enough to use the Apogee when your bike’s in a workstand.

Price: £54.99
Website: Birzman
UK distributor: i-ride

The gauge forms part of one of the legs and the combination of its size and the white on black writing make it easy to read.

As is the case with the vast majority of Birzman products, the Apogee is a looker, too. Who thought we’d ever say that about a track pump? It’s made from CNC-machined aluminium with a polished finish, and topped with a varnished wooden handle.

The Apogee III is an investment at £54.99 – that’s fairly punchy as track pumps go – but it’s a first-class bit of kit and one of the best track pumps we’ve tried, going some way to justify its price tag thanks to a clever, user-friendly design and beautiful finish.