Bike pump! Who'd have thought?
Posted by Daniel Thu, 22 Jun 2006 15:11:32 GMT
Not too long ago I got a new bike pump. I had the previous pump since about '89. I liked it a lot, but then things changed. What changed? I had bought the pump when I got my mountain bike. Mountain bike tires are not inflated to a high pressure for the most part. Somewhere around 35 - 45psi most of the time (for the conditions/riding I do around here). So you're not asking the pump for a great deal of pressure, just some volume. And all was well. Then I got a road bike, which is a very different beast. Tires inflated to 125 psi. Lots more pumping and difficult pumping at that. Plus some minor changes to the presta valve and I was getting a workout just pumping up the tires of my bike. And I ride my road bike far more, since, well, there's roads everywhere around here.
But that wasn't the killer. The killer was the hose clamp. That little forked doohickey that holds the hose between uses. The old pump folds up somewhat, and in making that design work, they placed the tongs of the holder so that I, in stabilizing the pump with my right foot and knee have developed a small scar on my right thigh from the sharp edge of the clamp. Naturally, the greater pressure required by the road bike required a more violent pumping stroke, and so the scratch grew larger and more annoying. Plus, I wasn't getting the tires filled properly.
So off I went to my LBS, announced that I needed a new pump and threw myself upon their tender mercies. They gave me a nice deal on this jobby right here which has been working out great. Either my old pump always sucked or pump technology has greatly improved. The new pump is a joy to use. The gauge is easy to read, it takes only a few strokes to bring the tires up to pressure, there's a built in release valve so you get the pressure spot on if you care to, and the nice wide base provides for a stable platform. I can't believe what difference it makes to have a pump that works so easily.
If you've been struggling with an old bike pump and loath to spend the money on a good one (certainly I had some kind of mental block about replacing my old pump)... it's worth every penny. Joy!
