Schwalbe’s Airmax Pro pressure sensor and the search for ideal bars
18/7/2023
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Pictures: Manuel Wenk
How much air is there in my bike tyres? A simple question, but one that isn’t always easy to answer. I wanted to go deeper, so I tested the Airmax Pro pressure sensor from Schwalbe.
Recently, the age-old question came up once again. «How many bars are there usually in your gravel bike?», a colleague wanted to know. No, he wasn’t talking about how many pubs were hidden in my bicycle, he was actually wondering about the air in my tyres. Tyre pressure: among bikers an often hotly discussed topic.
Depending on the type of bike (be it racing, gravel or mountain bike) and type of terrain you ride on (asphalt, gravel or trails), your tyres will require different levels of pressure. The width of your tyres as well as your body weight and personal biking preferences also play a role. Plenty of factors to consider, all leading, as is so often the case, to a compromise. And I’m no different. The website of tyre manufacturer Schwalbe even contains an air pressure calculator. Only for mountain bikes, however.
Source: Manuel Wenk
One product, two differing opinions
Somewhere between 2 and 2.5 bars front and back, that’s how I responded to my colleague’s question. «And how do you measure that?», he went on. Well, using a Bontrager bike pump with its integrated pressure gauge, of course. My buddy then explained that many common bike pumps don’t provide an accurate estimation and instead he recommended the Airmax Pro pressure sensor from Schwalbe.
Opinions in our community diverged heavily when I went to check out the product. Some find it fantastic, others think it’s complete garbage (reviews in German, English product site contains automatically translated versions):
Schwalbe Airmax Pro: better than the competition or derivative?
The digital pressure gauge from Schwalbe measures pressure up to a maximum of 11 bars and is suitable for Auto (AV) and Sclaverand (SV) valves, according to the manufacturer. Air pressure measurement also works with the classic bicycle valve (BV), but only in conjunction with the Schwalbe valve insert, which comes included.
As previously mentioned, my Bontrager bike pump has an integrated manometer, which I previously used to check the pressure in my bike tyres. While useful, I wasn’t able to compare values. Time to change that.
Source: Manuel Wenk
Source: Manuel Wenk
Verdict: not great, not terrible
My opinion on Schwalbe’s Airmax Pro is quickly formed. Is the air pressure sensor better than its competition or useless trash? Neither. The thing spits out almost the exact same values as my Bontrager bike pump’s integrated pressure gauge. That one costs just over 30 francs in the manufacturer’s web store at time of writing. The Airmax Pro will run you 17 bucks in our shop. Adding a cheap Dunlop standing pump brings the final cost to 28 francs.
Header image: Manuel Wenk
Patrick Bardelli
Senior Editor
Patrick.Bardelli@digitecgalaxus.chFrom radio journalist to product tester and storyteller, jogger to gravel bike novice and fitness enthusiast with barbells and dumbbells. I'm excited to see where the journey'll take me next.
