Review: Blackburn Core Slim Mini-Pump

Blackburn describes the Core Slim mini pump as ‘Slim, trim and wickedly powerful’. It’s certainly the first two, and it’s powerful enough to be genuinely useful, although it’s not quite as quick to inflate a tyre as its size might suggest.

With an all-alloy construction, the Core Slim pump feels like a good quality unit, and like much of Blackburn’s range it’s backed by a lifetime warranty. The Presta-only screw-on head is attached to an extendable hose about 15cm long, which makes pumping without putting any stress on the valve a lot easier.

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If you’re running tubeless and fixing a hole with sealant or a tubeless repair noodle, the pump has a handy tubeless valve core tool built in so you can add more sealant before you start pumping without unseating the tyre. It’s really good, too: it’s actually the best valve core tool I own.

Start pumping and there’s no leakage from the head, and the pump feels solid. It takes a while: I used the Core Slim to inflate a 28mm Mavic tubeless tyre and 250 strokes got me to about 65psi, which would be plenty to roll home on if you had a mid-ride incident.

I normally run the tyres at 85psi, and it took me another 150 strokes to get there, by which time my forearms were starting to burn a bit. The matt finish of the pump is pretty easy to grip but the hollow top of the pump – where the head locates – leaves a narrow rim which digs into your hand after a while.

Blackburn rates the pump to 120psi, which is more than I’d put into any tyre. I tested it on a 25mm tyre up to 100psi and it got there, but it gets to be a bit of a struggle near the end and the pump gets reasonably warm.

> How to choose the right tyre pressure

For £29.99 you get the pump and a decent plastic mount that sits under a bottle cage. The pump itself has a rubber stopper to keep rattles to a minimum and it’s silent on the bike. As far as value goes it’s reasonably expensive for a mini-pump but it’s well made and comes backed up by a lifetime warranty.

> Buyer’s Guide: 6 of the best mini-pumps

It’s possibly not as complete an on-bike solution as the £32.99 Topeak Race Rocket HP, which will inflate both Presta and Schrader valves and uses a telescopic body to keep the size to a minimum. Not is it as quick to inflate as the Topeak Pocket Rocket, which is a tenner cheaper but doesn’t have a hose. But it’s very good, and will especially be of interest if you’re running tubeless and want the ability to add sealant for mid-ride repairs.

Verdict

Good quality Presta-only mini-pump, especially for riders running tubeless tyres