Both CYCPLUS pumps reach 120 psi, show the pressure on a display and stop automatically at the set value. The AS2 Ultra weighs 109 g with its silicone cover, barely more than a light hand pump (94 g) or a CO2 cartridge with adapter (105 g), and manages about two road tyres per charge, which makes it the recommendation for almost every ride. The AS2 Pro Max weighs 232 g, inflates about four road tyres per charge and a 700×28 to 100 psi in around 58 seconds, so it is the choice for home, the car, long rides and bikepacking. With latex or TPU tubes the extension hose keeps the heat away from the valve, and with the Schwalbe Clik Valve it is needed anyway.
It is a bit like switching from a mechanical to an electronic groupset. You don’t really need it. But once you have it, the floor pump only leaves the basement in exceptional cases.
For the past few weeks I have been using two electric mini pumps from CYCPLUS side by side: the AS2 Ultra and the AS2 Pro Max. One is tiny and light and fits even small saddlebags. The other pumps noticeably faster and longer. Here is my comparison.
Up front: this is not a test lab. I weighed both pumps, used them for weeks in everyday riding and at home, in the car and out on the road. A hobby tester, not a measurement lab.
Two electric mini pumps from CYCPLUS
The CYCPLUS electric mini pump comes in several versions. I took the two ends of the range. The AS2 Ultra is the small one. Tiny, light, compact, and it still works surprisingly well. The AS2 Pro Max is the big one: more battery, more speed, more reserve. Both reach 120 psi, both have a display, you set both to your target pressure and they stop automatically once it is reached. So both are a pump and a pressure gauge in one.
The weight, and why it might tip the scales
This is where it gets interesting. Both pumps do their job very well, meaning they inflate your tyre. But the weight! I weighed not only the two e-pumps, but also a light hand pump and a CO2 cartridge with adapter. Exactly what used to sit in the saddlebag.
- AS2 Ultra (with silicone cover): 109 g
- Light hand pump: 94 g
- CO2 cartridge plus adapter: 105 g
- AS2 Pro Max (with silicone cover): 232 g
The punchline: the AS2 Ultra weighs 109 g with the cover. A light hand pump tips the scale at 94 g, the CO2 solution at 105 g. So you carry practically the same grams as before, but you get an electric compressor in your bag for it. That is exactly why the Ultra is a full recommendation for me. It costs you no extra weight, it just replaces what was already coming along.
The hard facts head to head
| Hard fact | AS2 Ultra | AS2 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Weight (manufacturer, bare) | 87 g | 205 g |
| Weight measured (with silicone cover) | 109 g | 232 g |
| Dimensions | 65 × 47.5 × 28 mm | 81 × 60 × 32 mm |
| Max. pressure | 120 psi (approx. 8.3 bar) | 120 psi (approx. 8.3 bar) |
| Battery | 400 mAh | 600 mAh (11.1 V) |
| Charge time | approx. 25 min | approx. 60 min |
| Inflations per charge | approx. 2 road tyres | approx. 4 road tyres |
| Speed | 700×28 in approx. 1 to 2 minutes | 700×28 to 100 psi in approx. 58 seconds |
| Valves | Presta, Schrader (adapter), Clik (adapter plus hose) | Presta, Schrader (adapter), Clik (adapter plus hose) |
Valves, hose and heat
Both pumps come with plenty of accessories: a silicone cover, an extension hose, a screw-on Presta head, a ball needle, a Presta-Schrader adapter, a USB-C cable and a splash-proof pouch. Out of the box they are set up for Presta. Schrader runs via the included adapter. So far, so unremarkable.
Now the part most spec sheets leave out: the pump gets warm while pumping. That is completely normal for a mini compressor, but it matters if you run latex or TPU tubes, like I do. Both are sensitive to heat. That is exactly what the extension hose is for: it keeps the pump’s heat away from the valve and the tube. With tubeless you don’t need the extension hose, there is no heat-sensitive rubber at the valve.
One more detail for everyone who, like me, has switched to the Schwalbe Clik Valve: the Clik adapter only screws into the extension hose. Which means anyone running Clik has to use the hose, even with tubeless. Good to know before you are standing at the roadside, wondering.
By the way, the silicone cover is not a decorative gimmick. It is meant as heat protection, for your hand and as a buffer in your bag. It stays on.
Tubeless makes it even easier
If you ride tubeless, the e-pumps really play to their strengths. No tube needed, no heat-sensitive valve. And the best part: even when tubeless slowly loses pressure through a small leak, you can simply top it up on the road. That even works with the small Ultra. You would hardly unpack a hand pump or CO2 for that every time.
Which one when?
The Pro Max is my pump for home. Especially when the bikes are hanging on the wall or standing in the car, that is worth gold: no cranking, no floor-pump fumbling, just set the pressure, attach, done. And for long rides or bikepacking it is the better choice, simply because it has more reserve. Around four road tyres to full pressure per charge, that is enough even for a long day.
The Ultra is the one that almost always comes along. For the small saddlebag, the quick spin, everyday riding, everywhere weight and space matter. It naturally has less battery, roughly two road tyres to pressure per charge. With a slow puncture that you have to top up several times, it gets tight. For that, rather the Pro Max.
Two honest downsides for both: they are loud, that is the nature of a mini compressor. And the battery does not like sitting unused for months. My tip: charge it fully once before a big trip, then you are set.
Frequently asked questions about the CYCPLUS AS2
The Ultra is smaller and lighter: 87 g according to the manufacturer, 109 g measured with the silicone cover. It manages about two road tyres per charge. The Pro Max weighs 232 g with cover, pumps faster (700×28 to 100 psi in approx. 58 seconds) and manages about four road tyres. Both reach 120 psi and stop automatically at the pressure you set.
Barely. With the cover it weighs 109 g, a light hand pump 94 g, a CO2 cartridge with adapter 105 g. You carry practically the same grams and get an electric compressor in your bag for it.
Yes, via the Clik adapter. But the adapter only screws into the extension hose. So if you run Clik, you always need the hose, even with tubeless.
The pump gets warm while pumping, and latex and TPU are sensitive to heat. That is what the extension hose is for: it keeps the heat away from the valve and the tube. With tubeless you don’t need it.
The Ultra almost always comes along, for the small saddlebag, the quick spin and everyday riding. The Pro Max is the pump for home, the car, long rides and bikepacking, because it has more reserve.
The verdict
Both electric mini pumps do what they are supposed to, and do it well. The AS2 Ultra is the one for almost always, because it weighs nothing and takes nothing away. The AS2 Pro Max is the one for the heavy lifting: at home, in the car, on long rides and bikepacking.
And to come back to the start: it is like Di2 versus mechanical. You don’t really need it. But my floor pump has been sitting unused in the basement for weeks. It comes down to how much you value convenience. For me, convenience won.
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