SKS Airchecker – Duo Head

March 18, 2009 by Bill Lobe
Filed under Gear, Gear

At first I thought there wouldn’t be much to say about the SKS Airchecker Duo Head Air pressure gauge, but I liked it more than I originally thought. Not a trail tool in my opinion–perhaps for the compulsives and anal-retentives among us that just have to know the exact pressure in their tires in both BAR and PSI (the Airchecker does both!) before a quick ride. You know the ones, the guy wearing a 3000 cubic-inch hydration pack on the local 5-mile loop, with 6,000 calories of carbs (just in case!), a pedal wrench, spare chain, torque wrench, flare gun, and one of those super-shiny NASA blankets to ward off hypothermia. Well he might carry it, but I think it’s a great shop tool or one to keep in the glove box. If you’re new to the sport it might be handy to have a pressure gauge nearby, but soon you should be able to approximate pressure by feel. But when in doubt, the Airchecker with its swiveling Duo Head design is built specifically for cycling. The head supports both Presta and Schrader valves (as it should), swivels ninety degrees for easy placement between spokes, has a digital readout for both PSI and BAR, and a deflation button for bringing down the pressure to exact specifications.

The good news is that SKS has satisfied both the most streamlined minimalist and the chunky-bagged draft horse. Even though I won’t be carrying it on the trail with me, the sleek little beauty has earned a very respectable placement on the top shelf of my shop toolbox. I don’t want to bag on the gearheads too much, afterall the importance of tire pressure has come to light in the last few years with the advent of tubeless tires. I like to know how low I can go, if you catch my drift. It will cost you about $20 more than a cheap tire gauge from Auto Zone, but the Airchecker has all the qualities of a great bike tool: small, light, tough, and simple.