Skip to main content

Fabric Stratosphere Sport track pump


At just over $45, this new track pump from Fabric looks and feels like it should cost a lot more. Although the dual-valve head doesn’t stow in the base of the pump, as on its pricier counterparts, it’s still attached to the same usefully long hose, which will reach a bike hung in a workstand. There’s also a clip to secure the hose to itself to keep things tidy when it’s not in use. The valve head clamps securely in place with very little effort to keep things leak free, and the pressure gauge is large, easy to read and accurate too. The Stratosphere Sport uses the same footplate as the other pumps in Fabric’s line-up, which, although quite wide, isn’t particularly deep. This means it works fine on a flat workshop floor but on uneven ground it isn’t the most stable pump out there. Still, considering the price tag, it’s hard to argue with the sturdy body, decent gauge and general quality on offer here.

Price $48

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.

ENVE M50 29" Wheels

Utah based company ENVE have been making drool-worthy carbon components for some years now. Despite the fact that carbon rims are becoming more and more common on mountain bikes these days, you can guarantee that ENVE wheels will be a talking point when someone is eyeing off a steed. Instantly, the big bold logos on each rim scream "fast", "light" and to some extent, "expensive" The kids call this 'bling'.

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.

NS Bikes Metropolis bike

There aren’t many companies like NS Bikes, whose entire product range is designed around getting rad, ripping corners and boosting jumps. The Polish brand are passionate about freeride and have gained a reputation for building heavy-hitting,wellspecced and reasonably-priced bikes. This latest incarnation of their Metropolis dirt jump rig follows in this vein, with a doublebutted 4130 chromoly frame and an array of reliable kit. The frame mixes MTB and BMXtechnology, using a threaded bottom bracket and Race Face AEfect two-piece crankset in combination with horizontal dropouts and an integrated headset and seat clamp. A Manitou Circus Elite fork gives 100mm of air-sprung travel, with a 20mm front axle to maintain stifness. The Metropolis rolls on 26in NS Fundamental rims, fitted with Kenda Small Block 8 tyres. We reckon the combo of chrome frame and tan-wall rubber looks pretty rad too! The full build weighs a fairly robust 12.13kg , but it should have no problem shrugging of s...

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.