Topeak Road Morph G: 9.0 / 10

Advantages:

• Light
• Efficient
• Comfortable T-handle
• Flexible, expandable hose with inline gauge
• Fold-out foot pad

Disadvantages:

• None

Dealing with too many flats lately? Or maybe you’re searching for a decent pump to top off your tires before each ride? Either way, a frame pump like the Topeak Road Morph G is more dependable than a mini pump. It’s also a lot more efficient. Which means you’ll spend more time riding and less time pumping!

And now, let’s make sure that Topeak’s Road Morph is the right pump for you. Do you agree with the following statements?

• The efficiency of a pump is more important to you than its size.
• You want to spend your time riding instead of pumping.
• You want to inflate your tires without worrying about damaging the inner tube’s valve.
• You want a gauge.

It’s clear from the first statement that the Road Morph is not a mini pump. It’s 13.8 inches long, but really slim. You’ll be able to mount it on almost any frame. And its efficiency makes up for all the disadvantages you can think of regarding its size. And you might find that Topeak’s Road Morph G pumps air so fast that you won’t need that floor pump after all. So if you were thinking of also buying a floor pump, wait until you test the Road Morph first. You will be impressed, especially if you’re used to mini pumps!

There’s one more advantage the Road Morph has over other pumps. It has a flexible air hose. After using this pump, you will never want to go back to using “hoseless” pumps! Why? Because with this hose, you don’t put a strain on the valve while pumping. This system also makes pumping a lot easier, because you don’t operate the pump between your two hands. Instead, you put it on the floor and pump using your body weight. And the hose expands 2.8 inches, like you see in these photos:

The Road Morph G has an in-line gauge. It’s built into the rubber hose. It reads up to 140 psi / 9.6 bar. The pump’s capacity (maximum pressure), though, is 160 psi / 11 bar. The majority of us don’t even go up to 140, so don’t worry about the gauge not showing 160 psi! The numbers on the gauge are easy  enough to read for a gauge this size. This means that if you have perfect vision, you might be able to read it without leaning toward it. Otherwise, you’ll have to get closer to the gauge to see it clearly.

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Topeak Road Morph G (Gauge) Specifications:

• Capacity : 160 psi / 11 bar
• Size LxWxH : 13.8 x 2.2 x 1.1 in | 35 x 5.7 x 2.8 cm
  
• Gauge : In-line gauge, up to 140 psi / 9.6 bar
• MSRP : $39.99
  
• Head: Presta/Schrader
• Weight: 0.49 lb / 220 g
  

It seems Topeak listened to customers and improved the foot pad’s design. It feels sturdy. I use it often, and it hasn’t broken. At first it was tough to fold it out, but that’s a bit easier to do now. There are some negative feedback on Amazon regarding the foot pad, but I guess those reviews are obsolete now. Anyway, given the choice, I’d buy it again without even thinking about it! It’s available at Amazon for less than $30.

Topeak Turbo Morph G: 9.4 / 10

Advantages:

• Efficient
• Light
• Ergonomic T-handle
• Flexible hose
• Fold-out foot pad
• Nice design

Disadvantages:

• Foot pad feels flimsy

Is Topeak Turbo Morph G the right pump for you? It is, if you agree with the following statements:

• You need a full size frame pump, not a mini pump.
• You want a gauge.
• You want to be able to inflate your tires fast…
• …without too much effort, using your body weight against the ground.

When I was in the process of buying myself a new pump, I also wanted it to be my only one. That’s mainly because my apartment is small and even a floor pump would take too much space. So I got the Turbo Morph, and the only space it takes is on my bike’s seat tube.

The package contains the following items:

1. Topeak Turbo Morph G pump
2. Mounting bracket
3. 2x Screws
4. 2x Rubber pads
5. 2x Zip ties
6. Basic instructions

Mounting the pump can be done in two ways. You can use the mounting screws located on your bike’s frame. But your bike might not have such screws. Or maybe you’ve already used them to mount bottle cages. In this case, don’t worry. Topeak Turbo Morph can be mounted using zip ties (included). I mounted mine using zip ties, and it’s been holding up really well. It didn’t even budge when I rode down a cobblestone street the other day, though my arms almost fell off at the end of that road.

The Turbo Morph G is light, weighs only 280g. But it feels really sturdy. The flip-out analog gauge is accurate. I compared the readings it gave me with a digital manometer and it was spot on. The pressure gauge is easy to read, unless your eyesight isn’t perfect and you’re not wearing your eyeglasses. In that case, our friend the Red Arrow comes to the rescue. It can be rotated and positioned on your goal pressure, so you don’t have to squint and strain your eyes to be able to see the numbers.

A close-up of Turbo Morph’s gauge.

Like other owners of the Topeak Morph series, you’ll like the flexible hose system. Other frame pumps have to be directly connected to the valve while pumping. The stress on the valve associated with this causes valve stem damage. Connecting a pump through a flexible air hose prevents damaging the valve. And it also allows us to use the Turbo Morph as a floor pump.

The Turbo Morph G pump can be used to inflate tubes with either Schrader or Presta valves. There’s a drawing on the back of the pump’s box that instructs us on how to switch between the two. Doing this takes about 15 seconds, and is needed only if you have bikes with different valve types.

The T-handle is a great idea, and lets you push harder against the ground.  Its width is 2.5 inches (6.5 cm). Unless you have really big hands, you’ll be comfortable using it.

Click on a thumbnail for a larger view. Press arrow keys or click on the left/right of the picture to see previous/next one.

Topeak Turbo Morph G (Gauge) Specifications:

• Capacity : 160 psi / 11 bar
• Size LxWxH : 12.7 x 2.3 x 1.2 in | 32.2 x 5.8 x 3 cm
• Gauge : Flip-out analog
• MSRP : $41.99
• Head: Presta/Schrader
• Weight: 0.62lb/280g

For a quality pump with such an original design, Topeak Turbo Morph’s price isn’t bad at all. At the time of writing, you can buy it on Amazon for 17% cheaper than the MSRP. And with Topeak’s amazing customer service, you can’t go wrong!

The plastic foot pad hasn’t broken in months of use. A metal one would give the Turbo Morph G a more solid look and feel, though. Having said that, I wouldn’t think twice about getting another one, if I needed it. Good job Topeak!