300 pump sales in three days after paper’s plug

The £15.95 pump won a Spirit of Innovation Award in 2001 but it has taken until this year to get it into production.

Peck is the inventor of the VacuVin WineMaster corkscrew (as used by Master Sommelier Joseph Spellman) and director of product development company Innoverce Products Ltd., based in Newcastle upon Tyne.

"It’s taken a long time to get this pump right because it contains new technology," said Peck.

"The delays have been expensive and frustrating, but I’ve refused to let the product out until I’m satisfied with the quality, the performance and the durability."

The pump is manufactured in Taiwan. It can inflate to 120 psi. The integral gauge is to prevent blow-outs, said Peck.

"With most pumps, people wouldn’t be able to over-inflate their tyres but the Cyclaire pump makes it really easy to get high pressures, so the gauge is necessary to prevent people over-inflating their tyres."

Holding it in place with your foot, you stand up straight to use the Cyclaire pump.

"I wanted to overcome the trade-off between full-sized pumps that are quick and easy to use and mini pumps that are more portable," said Peck.

"I’ve turned the whole concept of the bike pump back to front so you don’t push on anything, instead you pull on a handle, just like starting a lawnmower.

"Every time you pull on the handle, this turns a shaft which moves two tiny pistons inside two tiny cylinders. The pistons move so fast that you can pump a lot of air both quickly and easily, even at high pressures. It’s like having a massive floor-pump inside a six-inch case."

As well as the sales-boosting plug in The Sunday Times, the Cyclaire pump has been reviewed in Cycling Plus and other reviews are forthcoming. With no route to the market in the UK, Peck sells his pump through the Cyclaire website.

http://www.cyclaire.com/

Tel: 0191 275 5027

Email: info@cyclaire.com