Serfas is a brand that offers a ton of product options, everything from pumps to saddles, to shoes, their catalog runs deep. After introducing their new high end floor pumps and Gladiator glasses at Sea Otter, they sent a few things over for us to check out. Along with the top tier FMP-969 floor pump and Gladiator shades, Serfas also sent out their nicely compact ST-131 multi tool.
At $120 retail, the 969 certainly qualifies as high end – so what does that money get you? The pump starts with a CNC’d design and mostly aluminum construction. A large aluminum base keeps things stable as you’re pumping your way up to 240 psi. Yes, it goes that high. In order to get to those crazy high pressures there is a large barrel that allow air to be pushed with one of the longest pump strokes I’ve ever seen. The rubber coated stainless braided hose on the pump is also one of the longest, which makes inflating tires easier while the bike is in the stand. This model gets a large aluminum handle while the $100 900 pump gets the wooded handle.
Like a few other pumps currently on the market, the 969 uses an aluminum chuck that threads onto the valve. Simply rotating the black bezel to line S or P up with the V on the lower bezel will change the pump from shraeder to presta. I’ve used quite a few similar styles of chucks that have caused presta valve cores to unthread themselves, and am happy to report that I have had no issues with that on the Serfas pump. I’ve used the pump on both road and mountain tubeless wheels, without any problems.
At the base, the hose clips into a CNC keeper just behind the large gauge.
Really the only issue I have with the pump comes from the gauge. It’s great that the pump goes up to 240 psi, but since I’m not a track racer I am pretty sure I will never pump a tire that high. Because the gauge goes so high, the gradients are quite small, which makes it hard to accurately inflate mountain tires where 1-2 psi can make a pretty big difference. Personally, I would like to see maybe two different pumps – one with 0-120 on the gauge, and the other as the super high pressure model.
With that said, this is one of the most impressive pumps I’ve used in terms of total volume of air pushed through the hose. The large handle and plunger make quick work of standard road tires with a lot less effort.
On the multi tool side, the $36 Serfas ST-131 is a well equipped tool with a micro package. Inside you will find a 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8mm allen key, with the 8mm actually built into the tool and not some silly cap over the 5mm that you will inevitably lose. Additionally there is a T25, T30, phillips and standard screwdriver, and of course a bottle opener. Thanks to the compact shape, the tool is easy to get into tight spaces and provides adequate leverage. Roadies and racers will love the diminutive size since it can easily be stashed in a jersey pocket, or small bag.
The last function is a c02 inflator for threaded cartridges. The cartridge is threaded into one side of the tool, and the other side is placed over the valve, with the tool’s body acting as a handle. It functions as any other threaded co2 inflator by threading it all the way in to puncture, then unthreading the cartridge controls the flow.
The Gladiator sunglasses are part of Serfas’ Multi Lens Interchangeable line and include quite a few accessories in the box.
Inside you will find the glasses in a hard case with a soft bag, with 4 different interchangeable lenses, the RX adapter, and an additional nose pad, all for $60.
The nose piece is adjustable to customize the fit, but the rubber ear pieces are not. Lens changes can be a bit tricky at first, but they include decent instructions to get it done. Just make sure to hold onto the bottom of the lenses when you pop them out to keep them from jettisoning across the room.
