Hi all:
It’s time to replace my beloved floor pump. I am looking for a new one with the following features:
Can easily reach 150 psi (or more)
Pressure gauge is located near the top of the pump to compensate for my failing eyesight
Sturdy, and steady when in use
Can change to the crack pipe adapter for inflating disc wheels
Doesn’t cost more than one leg and two arms
Anyone care to play?
Thanks
There is only one pump on earth…Silca.
We use the Topeak Joe Blow but I might suggest (although kind of pricey @ ~$75) the new Topeak Twister™Digital Floor Pump: http://www.topeak.com/2004/products/pump_018.html
Easy to read top-mount gauge. Digital display screen for accurate, easy-to-read pressure. Pressure gauge preset alarm. Pressure release button for adjusting to accurate pressure. SmartHead automatically adjusts to both Presta and Schrader valves. HandleLock prevents pump handle from being extended while in transport. Padded handle and padded aluminum base. Extra long hose with 360 degree rotation pivot offers maximum extension and versatility.
If your current pump is a Silca, just rebuild it. Every part is replaceable. . .As Record said. . .in floor pumps. . .there is only one name. . . Silca. Everything else is a crap-shoot. . .
I’ve had my Silca for 14 years! I’ve rebuilt it twice. It costs a few dollars to replace the stuff inside!
parkito,
Take a look at the Blackburn Track Pro 4. About $50.00, but usually can find on sale for $40.00 or less. Gauge reads to 160 psi and is located at top of pump. In Performance catalog, pump rating indicated fewest strokes required to pump to pressure of all but one other pump, a Performance Hurricane, of course.
The crack pipe adapter is an issue. You could make an adapter for the Blackburn. I solved the problem by getting a Blackburn and a Silca, at different times when the need for higher pressures arose.
FYI, inflating with the crack pipe is not the easiest thing to do. Almost requires three hands, two to pump and one to hold crack pipe on valve stem. Changing pump head attachments is not something one wants to do every time they need to pump up a tire. If you need a crack pipe adapter for a disc wheel, then you will quickly learn that you pretty much have to have a pump dedicated to pumping disc wheels and another for all other wheels.
If you need to pump more than 160 psi, then Record10ti is correct. There is no other pump than Silca Pista.
Silca super pista that has outlived many other pumps.
Bigger and meaner than the pista.
Craig
I’m in the Silca camp too, since 1988… Amazing!
Second vote for the Blackburn Track Pro. Used one at our shop quite a bit and now have one at home. Affordable and bombproof. Silca are nice as well…but one thought, who would ever need 160 psi?? Much above 110-120 psi the hard ride leads to reduced road contact = slower (unless you’re riding track).
jsivvy,
Look at the label on a Continantal Grand Prix Supersonic 20 mm. It says inflate to 170 psi max. Some tubulars require 170 psi or more.
These higher pressures generally come into play when racing and as tires get more narrow and lighter. Otherwise, the pressures required are generally much lower.
Good point. I pretty much have forgotten about tubies, haven’t known anyone who’s ridden them for over 10 years (though I know many tri-guys like tubies, and many wheels are only available in that form). However, the max inflation for the Conti’s is 170 psi…doesn’t necessarily mean you have to use it. For my use, I probably wouldn’t inflate a 20c tire over 145-150…I find the harshness too much of a trade off for road riding but people have differing opinions (i.e YMMV). FYI, some info I poached off the Zipp website:
“Rolling resistance. Modern tires are designed around certain temperature, air pressure and load conditions expected to be experienced in the real world. Just as VCLC allows the tire contact patch to remain consistent over uneven pavement, VCLC technology helps decrease rolling resistance over imperfect surfaces allowing the tire to remain in a narrower load range. We have known for years that tire pressures over 120 psi can actually increase rolling resistance as the tire treads are pushed past their elastic limit and high local input stresses can lead to higher than allowable strains which begin to actually fail the rubber in shear. High tire pressures only feels fast, as an increase in pressure will increase the frequency at which the tire vibrates, and in turn transfers more vibration into the hub and rider. This results not only in increased rolling resistance as the rubber begins to build heat, but also to increased tire degradation and wear, not to mention wear and tear on the rider. The VCLC rim allows decreased rolling resistance and tire wear not only from improved contact patch consistency, but from decreased maximum loads as well as decreased tire casing deformation experienced on rough road surfaces.”
Here’s another one from Zinn:
"Fueling this race to higher and higher-pressure tires is the generally held notion that higher pressures translate into lower rolling resistance. However, this is not the case. Lowering rolling resistance through extremely high pressure assumes a perfectly smooth surface, which is not something I find on any of the roads I ride these days. Under real-world conditions with the road surfaces a rider is likely to encounter, clincher tires, even those rated at higher maximum pressures, will have a lower rolling energy expenditure at 110 to 130psi, will handle better, puncture less and last longer. "
Yeah you know I had a silca and maybe i got a dud, but wasnt impressed. I replaced it with a cheap “Wrench Force” with a built in gauge and it has outlived many of my cycling buddy’s more expensive floor pumps.
You probably cant find it anymore and maybe you wouldnt want to—but ive been amazed its lasted the last 5 years without an issue and i only paid like $22 in my LBS.
jeremyb
Uhh. . .pista = track. . .which is where you will definitely see folks going north of 160psi in their tires. . .That said. . .I run tubulars at about 160-170 for most smooth roads. . .less on surfaces like chip-seal.
Clarifications. I ride races typically at 130 psi on tubies. New 650c tires on new P3, and I would like to experiment at 140-145 psi. At a weight of 140 pounds I think this is manageable (i.e. not to harsh of a ride). My old pump (not a Silca) doesn’t get up over 130 (on its good days). Also, if I attach a disc adapter tot eh pump hose, say with a hose clamp, shouldn’t that be good for regular wheels as well. One more last thing, the Topeak Twister floor pump with the digital dial is on sale at performance bike for about $45, a good deal cheaper than $75. Thanks for all the great responses.
I’ve got a Silca Super Pista too, and I love it. It’ll be the last pump you ever buy. They are rebuildable.
Joel
Quote: “Also, if I attach a disc adapter tot eh pump hose, say with a hose clamp, shouldn’t that be good for regular wheels as well.”
parkito,
Yes, you can do this. But you will still need a third hand to hold the crack pipe adapter on the valve stem.
On many disc wheels you can find something to wedge into the valve stem cut out that will block and stabilize the crack pipe so it will not blow off the valve stem when pumping up the disc wheel tire. On a traditional wheel, it is not possible to similarly wedge something into the space above the valve stem to keep the crack pipe on the valve stem. Hence, you will be forced to find that third hand whenever you try to pump up a tire on a traditional type wheel.
I’m not trying to dissuade you, just trying to inform you ahead of time.
What about an H3 rear? What does anyone use for that. I always have to recruit my wife, much to her chagrin.
I disagree…I’ve used a crack pipe for many moons on all my wheels. Discs, HED3, cane creek, velocity, etc etc…with only 2 hands. One on the crack pipe and one on the pump. I ride at 160 PSI…all the time!
Cuz I have beam bikes…harshness and road bumps are non-existant!
The Silca meets all but the gauge location. You may have to pre-set the little orange arrow. They are also quite solid. Whenever I’m camping or staying at a sketchy motel, I like to keep mine handy for self-defense. You never know when some crack-addict might be tempted by the “crack-pipe” feature.
When someone said “pump”, I couldn’t resist.
From one of the all time best movies, “This Is Spinal Tap”:
Marty: It’s pretty.
Nigel: Yeah, I like it, just been fooling about with it for a few
months now, very delicate…
Marty: It’s a, it’s a bit of a departure from the kind of thing
you normally play.
Nigel: Yeah, it’s part of a…trilogy really, a musical trilogy
I’m doing… in… D minor, which I always find is really
the saddest of all keys really. I don’t know why, but it
makes people weep instantly, you play a…baaaaa…baaaaaa
it’s a horn part.
Marty: It’s very pretty.
Nigel: …baaaa, baaaaa, yeah, just simple lines intertwining,
you know very much like, I’m really influenced by Mozart
and Bach, it’s sort of in between those, really, it’s
like a Mach piece really, it’s…
Marty: What do you call this?
Nigel: Well, this piece is called “Lick My Love Pump”.
Train On,
Jeff