Skip to main content

Bontrager TLR Flash Charger


The obvious difference here is that while the Airshot tank can be used with any pump, the Bontrager combines pump and tank in the same package. That’s a great idea in principle and potentially more convenient for transporting. It makes it a heavy, bulky piece to lug around though. Having already accidentally broken the hose attachment point once, its largely plastic construction is proving less robust than the metal fixtured Airshot too and obviously if the pump breaks you can’t use the compressor and vice versa.

The good news is that it actually works really well in terms of popping tubeless tyres onto rims and sealing them in a single hit, with only the baggiest set ups not quite sealing first time and needing a frantic pump thrash to complete the job.

There’s no way of separating compressor tank and pump though, so you have to pressurise both to the required pressure if you’re starting from zero psi, and the small volume pump means it takes a very long time.

It’s not so bad once you’ve got the tank pressurised and keep it that way, but if you forget to close the release valve again before you pop the valve head off the valve, you lose all the air in the tank so you have to start it all over again – which is really frustrating.

PRICE 150$

Popular posts from this blog

KONA SHRED

With a reputation for no-nonsense ruggedness and a background in the always progressive and punishing riding of Canada, Kona have been building hardcore hardtails for longer than almost anyone else. The Shred is the most expensive bike on test but it’s a proper trail tank.

CANYON NERVE AL 8.0

  S ince their entry into the UK market a few years ago, Canyon have made a name for themselves as purveyors of well-made bikes that exhibit often extraordinary value. The secret (or catch, depending on your point of view) is that the brand don’t have dealers – they ship bikes directly to your door.

COMMENCAL EL CAMINO 3

Commencal are going from strength to strength at the moment and they’ve taken their tough trail hardtail bang up to date with 650b wheels. With its skinny rims, crankset and fork, the El Camino certainly isn’t perfect and it’s the least hardcore bike here. The handling, smoothness, speed and all-round agility of the basic bike still make it a real blast for technical trail riding though, and it’s a great base for upgrading over time.

Cannondale Trail SL 29 SS

The fat aluminium tubes are a constrast to the skinny items seen elsewhere in the test, but this rigid Cannondale uses them to create one of the most old-school - and lightest - rides here.

GT Zaskar Evolution

While some bike models last just a couple of years, others change with the times to stay at the top of riders’ wishlists. In the second part of this series looking at the evolution of bikes that enjoy enduring popularity with UK riders, we turn to the GT Zaskar – a bike that was at the forefront of our sport for a long time and still has plenty of appeal today.