BLACKBURN CHAMBER TUBELESS FLOOR PUMP REVIEW

Words by Sourpatch | Photos by Max Rhulen

Blackburn’s Chamber Tubeless Floor Pump arrived for review just in the nick of a time. We were prepping for a group bike test, which means lots of new bikes needed to get built, and tires that needed to be inflated. For many riders, the ability, or need to own an air compressor isn’t a reality, which used to mean the challenge of seating a tubeless tire was a dreadful one. Over the years, brands have been creating floor pumps to help those riders and make it easier to seat tubeless tires on the go, when an air compressor isn’t around.

So, how does the Blackburn Chamber pump work? Like other “charger” type pumps, it features a canister that can be pressurized up to a high psi before the user flips the switch to “Inflate” and releases all that pressure into the tire. It can also be used like a normal floor pump if you’re just topping off a tire or adding a few psi. For the last three years, the Bontrager TLR Flash Charger has been our go-to pump, so we were excited to see if the Blackburn would find a permanent place in our shop.

THE LAB

The Blackburn Chamber Tubeless Floor Pump aims to make tubeless tire seating a breeze. The pump features a large air chamber that can be pressurized up to 160psi. The 2.75-inch aviation style gauge offers easy readability and even has a highlighted recommended pressure marked out on the gauge between 140 and 160 psi. A single switch allows the pump to inflate the chamber when engaged, then let the air blast out after it is disengaged. With the switch disengaged, the pump can be used as any other floor pump on the market. To provide excellent ergonomics, Blackburn went with a riser handlebar style set-up clamped in a 31.8 stem clamp. With the 31.8 stem clamp, the handlebar can be customized to use any handlebar the end user wants, or even just a simple grip swap can be done. The Chamber Tubeless Floor Pump does come with a premium sized price tag at $200.

THE DIRT

Blackburn’s Chamber Tubeless Floor Pump has a robust construction and requires zero set-up before use. The large type on the switch and gauge makes using the pump simple and easy. With the switch in the charge position, 48-50 pumps would get the chamber to the optimum air pressure required for seating. Adding the highlighted green zone on the aviation gauge is a nice touch, something that the Bontrager digital charger pump lacks. Having seated about 20 tubeless tires now, the recommended zone has been spot on each time. At the recommended pressure to charge, the tires would usually have about 20psi in them once seated, requiring just a few more pumps to get them to our desired 25-28 psi.

The Blackburn Chamber Tubeless Floor Pump comes standard with a mini-31.8mm handlebar, the bar has a slight rise and is fitted with stock rubber grips. Having the bar mounted in a stem style clamp allows you to swap out the stock bar for something to suit your preference. The ergonomics of the pump are close to perfect, though a slightly higher rise bar would be beneficial for my 6’1” chassis – that said it works well for some of the shorter members of our crew. The grips on the other hand leave something to be desired, and will likely be swapped out for our favorite lock ons to boost the comfort. They feel and look like Canyon’s G5 grips, some of our least favorites that we have ever used.

The Wolf’s Last Word

The Blackburn Chamber Tubeless Floor Pump does a great job seating tubeless tire set-ups quickly and efficiently. It’s got a solid build, and the ergonomics and customizability give it a leg up on the competition. The $200 price tag is a bit steep, though not the most expensive surprisingly, making it a good purchase in our eyes for the tubeless fiends out there.

Price: $200
Website: Blackburndesign.com