BBB Doubleshot Pump

At just 120mm long the BBB Doubleshot must be a contender for the smallest manual pump?

Just released is the BBB Doubleshot, already a Red Dot and iF design awards winner. It’s a minipump that is so much more. How much? Well in its stowed condition it’s only 120mm long. 120mm? Surely that’s way too small to be effective? I’d have to agree with you on that one, you’d be stood pumping like a maniac to get enough pressure back in your tyre.

The designers of the BBB Doubleshot would also agree with you on that. Which is why they approached the minipump issue from a new direction. The problem with minipumps is the same thing that makes them so useful; their size.

A minipump has to be small enough that it’s easy to carry, usually stashed away in your jersey pocket. When you do eventually get a puncture, their diminutive stature – so useful for carrying – becomes a pain. That short barrel means you have a limited amount of air you can pump. This means you’ll go through a major upper-body aerobic work-out in the quest to reach a useful pressure. So BBB thought about how they could make the minipump better.

The BBB Doubleshot design

Their idea was to take a longer pump and split it in half. This original two-piece design keeps the small size, but has a large stroke volume. How large? According to BBB the four-cylinder design delivers 35cc per stroke. I’m not sure how that compares to other minipumps, but will get one and do a comparison. Claimed maximum pressure for the BBB Double shot is 116 PSI/8 Bar.

The two-piece design screws together, with handles at either end to hold on to. I like having something to hold on to at the valve, protecting it from bending. The two handles also double up to prevent debris entering the pump when dismantled. To use the pump you just push it onto the valve, rather than by a lever or screw-on method. I’m not a big fand of screw-on valves after using one and removing the valve-core when unscrewing the pump. And on some minipumps that use levers to clamp on, the lever is so small it’s difficult to operate. So, nice touch BBB, keep it simple.

Sebastiaan Bowier, BBB’s Design Lead said of the Doubleshot: “We were inspired by the small size of CO2 canister systems and challenged ourselves to create a manual pump that could rival their size without compromising on performance. The result is something we believe to be the first of its kind and a true development in mini pump technology.”

Why carry a pump?

Carrying a pump on your bike is a must; full stop! While I know some riders never carry a pump, believing they are somehow puncture immune. Punctures will happen, no matter how good your tyres and smooth the road. Unless of course you’re riding solid tyres, in which case, stop reading this article!

For most riders a puncture is the little niggle that is always there in the back of your mind. The sky is blue, your legs are diamond, but still there’s that what if? So we carry pumps and spares, just in case. Over time the traditional full-length frame pump shrunk and became a minipump. The minipump was then replaced by the CO2 cannister; I carry both.

While CO2 cannisters are for horrible wet days or races, I always feel I’m being wasteful when using them. That’s despite the fact that the cannisters are steel, so they are recyclable. CO2 can also be a bit hit and miss in action, many times I’ve lost more gas than I’ve put in the tyre. A minipump however, while it can be a chore to use, is reliable. The BBB Doubleshot could make the onerous task of dealing with a puncture, a little more bearable. Find out more on the BBB website and look out for a review soon.