The Blackburn Mammoth Flip Is a Mini-Pump That Doubles as a Floor Pump
Price: $45
Weight: 227g (with frame attachment), 197g (without)
The right pump for: Riders who want a portable pump with floor-pump features, and don’t mind carrying the extra weight.
The Mammoth Flip Pump is small enough to carry in a backpack or attach to a frame and comes with features that you don’t often see on a portable pump. A fold-out base turns the Mammoth into a small, stable floor pump. Knurling on the fold-out T-handle is easy to grip and prevents slipping. The hose lets you find a comfortable position when pumping and reduces the chances of the valve disconnecting from the pump head. It’s compatible with Schrader, presta, and the less common dunlop valves up to 90 psi, and there is an air-bleed button to easily remove air if you add too much.
The Hose
The hose prevents lateral pressure when pumping so as not to damage the valve stem. It’s a great feature on any pump and is often left off to reduce price or weight. Having one means the connection to the valve stem is less likely to leak and creates better ergonomics when pumping. It’s great when using as a regular travel pump and plays a major role in making this a floor pump when the base is folded out.
T-Handle with Knurling
The fold-out T-handle clips into place and makes it easy to apply more pressure when getting your psi in the higher ranges of road tires. It allows for a good hand position and strong grip, and I had no problems pushing with one hand or getting two hands on it when using it as a floor pump. The knurling makes it easy to grip with sweaty hands and didn’t give me any blisters when pumping up multiple tires consecutively.
Flip-Out Foot Peg
The fold-out base makes pumping easier by turning it into a mini floor pump. Pushing against the ground instead of your own resistance reduces the wobbly arm and sore triceps that you can sometimes get when inflating to higher pressures.
User Impressions
Initial inflation is quick, as the pump has a large air chamber. And as the pressure increased, I found myself flipping out the base and using it as a floor pump. Once I was pushing against the floor and not my own strength, I was able to get the extra air in quickly. After a few trials, I found that I always preferred to use it with the base deployed-I could inflate my tires faster and easier, without tiring out my arms.
For all the cool features that make the Mammoth Flip a great user experience, size and weight are the only downside. It’s almost 10 inches long, 3/4 of an inch wide, and about twice as heavy as a minimalist mini-pump. For adventure rides, this pump would be a great companion, but on short rides, I prefer something a little smaller and less noticeable on the frame or in my jersey pocket. If I was riding with a backpack or with panniers, the Mammoth Flip Pump would be my go-to travel pump.
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