Electric mini pump test: CYCPLUS AS2 Ultra vs. AS2 Pro Max

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

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.

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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