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Topeak Road Morph Review

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topeak road morph frame pump review
Topeak Road Morph G
Price:  $45 List
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Manufacturer:   Topeak
By Emily Zell ⋅   ⋅  Jul 23, 2013

Our Verdict

The Road Morph G absolutely wins for our "Best in Theory" award, and it is too bad that the reality falls a bit short of this theory. Incorporating aspects of a floor pump, the Morph G is an excellent pump if you need pumping to be made easier than with a traditional hand pump, but it's a trade off, as the Road Morph is quite heavy and not the best contender for portability or design.
REASONS TO BUY
Hose design decreases pressure on valves. Footpad design allows for easier pumping
REASONS TO AVOID
Bulky and heavy. Hard to get a good seal. Inaccurate gauge

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Road Morph G has a fold out footpad, allowing you to use your body weight with each pump, and a flexible air hose, just like the Lezyne Pressure Drive. It even features a gauge to see your psi. However, all of these combined make for a heavy, cumbersome pump to have attached to your bike and serious riders logging tons of miles and trying to stay streamlined will probably want to avoid it.

Unfortunately, it was difficult to get a good seal on the valve with the Road Morph G, and the gauge seemed to be "somewhat-inaccurate" to "not-even-close". This is unfortunate, as in theory, these are all cool ideas for someone who prefers ease over streamline. (It might be a great pump to take on a multi-day bicycle trip when you can afford to have some patience when getting a secure seal, and have planned for numerous maintenance stops.) Also, one of the methods of attaching it is to the top tube and incorporates zip-ties….not the best looking of options and perhaps not the most long-lasting. We preferred to use the mount involving the bottle cage holes and ended up feeling a bit crowded around the bottom bracket.

Again, this pump is great in its concept, but needs some fine-tuning. If you don't mind the weight, the awkward style, and the relatively huge size compared to other frame pumps, this might be the one for you. We could see this being one to choose for those epic, multi-state rides when you need the convenience of a floor pump and you aren't trying to break any land speed records.

Emily Zell