The new SKS Spaero Alu is a solid mini pump that works efficiently to get a decent amount of pressure into your tyres. This pump from SKS is around 21cm long and it weighs 160g, which is a little heavier than some, but the crucial thing is that it does the job.

Flip the plastic end cap up and a flexible hose comes out of the handle – yes, a hose, like out of the olden days, that reaches about 13cm. The valve connector screws into place on Presta, Dunlop and Schrader (car-type) valves. It’s a long thread and a firm seal so no air leaks out – none at all – so all of your effort goes into inflating the tube rather than getting wasted.

The pump is a solid piece of work, the handle, barrel and piston all being made from aluminium. In use, nothing flexes; you don’t have to pump gingerly in order to avoid snapping anything.