Mini pumps and CO2 cartridges have been the same for about as long as I can remember. There is good reason for this. They work. If you are on the side of the trail with a flat, they are easy to use and somewhat reliable. Well…CYCPLUS is looking to change our tried and true methods with the CUBE.
What is the CYCPLUS CUBE?
The CYCPLUS Cube is basically a mini, rechargeable air pump. It operates just like you would expect any other electric tire pump but now it is small enough to pack and take with you out on the trail. It charges via USB-C and is fully charged in a quick 20 minutes. As you can see by the chart below, the amount of times you can inflate tires off of a single charge varies by tire size and pressure. The CYCPLUS Cube is also the accessory Eurobike winner for 2023…
- Weight: 97 grams
- With Full Charge: Inflates two 700*25c tires from 0 to 80 psi
- 100 psi Max Pressure
- Bushless Motor: Reaches 80 psi in 80 seconds
- Inflate Age: 200+ Tires with less than 10% Speed Degradation
- Charge Time: 20 Minutes
- Battery Indicator: Green (80-100%), Yellow (50-80%), Red (Less than 50%)
- Compatibility: Schrader and Presta
- Case: Heat Resistant Silicone
How does the CYCLPLUS CUBE perform?
For a lot of riders, the CYCPLUS Cube is going to perform differently. From what I found in testing…the higher you go in PSI…the more the Cube struggles and goes through battery life. Really high PSI road tires like to exhaust the battery faster than a lower PSI mountain bike tire. You can actually hear an audible difference as the motor starts to struggle in the higher ranges.
That said…it does work as advertised. I was able to inflate a flat road tire all the way to full pressure. I did have much better luck with gravel and mountain bike tires as those did not stress the motor as much and allowed for multiple inflations. While the motor can also be loud while inflating, I’m not sure that really matters on the side of the road or on the trail. Inflation time is pretty close to advertised which puts it much faster than a hand pump and slower than a CO2.
The overall size and weight are about the same or less than using two cartridges of CO2 which makes it very easy to throw in a jersey or pack pocket. It makes it a very convenient replacement for a CO2 setup that is also easier to use and more reliable. How many times have you gotten out a CO2 cartridge to find out it was bad? Those are those times I am glad I had a backup pump or cartridge with me.
Any Drawbacks to the CYCPLUS CUBE?
Well first…you are limited to the amount of times that you can use the Cube. Especially with road tires, this will not be a product that is going to fix multiple flats. That makes this unit more of a CO2 replacement rather than a complete replacement for CO2 and a pump. But if you are having multiple flats on a single ride then you are having more issues than just not having enough charge.
Then there is also the price. At $90, you can buy 55 CO2 cartridges on Amazon. That is a lot of flat tires! The ease of use and compact design does play into the value but it is something to keep in mind when you pick one up.
It is also a good thing that they include the silicone cover as the motor can get warm as it gets stressed. With the compact form factor that isn’t surprising but something worth mentioning.
The only other downside I can find is that you do have to remember to charge one more thing before you hit the trail. The 20 minutes to full recharge does make it so that charging it in the car on the way to the trail head is very easy. If you forget right before your road or gravel ride out of your driveway, you need to have a backup. It will be interesting to see how future versions improve on battery life as that technology is progressing at a really fast rate.
Overall Thoughts / CYCPLUS CUBE Tire Inflator
The CYCPLUS Cub is one of those products that I wish I would have thought about earlier. I am not a huge fan of CO2 even though it is MUCH better than sitting on the side for 5 minutes frantically stroking a pump. This is easier to pack, more user friendly and gets the job done without a lot of drama. It is not a mini pump replacement but it should make that occasional flat a lot easier to manage.
So yes…it is expensive in comparison to other options…you do have to charge it before rides…but it is much easier to use and is more reliable than CO2 for gravel and mountain bike applications. Even for really high PSI road bikes, it will work but you will have the pump as a backup for sure.