GlennR

So i'm an issues with my 9 year old Bontrager floor pump. When I pump up the tires the head either leaks or pops off the valve. Not I am using Zipp tubes which have smooth valve stems but this has not been an issue for years until recently.

I took the head apart and there's a rubber disc that hold the valve stem in and it must of enlarged over the past years so not it slips.

Trek/Bontrager does make a replacement but it's out of stock. I called a number of sites that had it listed but no luck. I decided to call Trek and ask when it will be available or possibly replacing the head.. After waiting on hold for my turn (17 minutes) I got a very friendly support person. He looked into it and said there is no expected availability date for the part. He then offered a new head/hose assembly and an option. When i asked about the cost, he said he'll send it for free..

I thanked him and at that point I mentioned that I have a Emonda SLR and have been happy with Trek products and support.

So my wife's motto is true... if you don't ask then the answer is no.

Juan Foote

That's pretty cool of them. Good customer service goes a long way.

I have a Specialized floor pump and it actually started popping the end off the hose right as the tires were getting to proper pressure. I contacted Specialized and got a whole new hose assy for it...and it does the exact same thing, lol. What I find particularly funny about the situation is the Specialized model is "rebuildable", I have a new washer for it, all this....I had a Schwinn one I got at Wally which was far far older. It had the head you need the adapter for instead of the all fits one. I gave it to a friend to use at home before we ride. Still working great. Just have to giggle.

Tacoenthusiast

That is great customer service by trek/bontrager

Imagine just spending the$30-40 on a new pump and getting that hour of your life back though

We all balance the value of our time vs the value of money

tkamd73 

9 years, WOW! I’ve gotten used to replacing them every 5 years. I like the pumps, but just figured for what I paid that’s all they last. Then again I have a 25 year old Blackburn pump that works fine, but I paid more for that one.
Tim

Litespud

That's a pretty sad way to look at life, IMO. Not every waking hour has to be monetized. I put in 40-ish hours/week - sometimes more, sometimes less, depending on the prevailing workload. I get paid a salary, so I suppose I could calculate what I earn per hour, but any dollars/hour calculation ceases when I close my laptop at the end of the workday. After that, my time is not measured in dollars, but by what I can achieve, benefiting myself and others and deriving some enjoyment and satisfaction along the way. The couple of hours I spend working on my bike on a Saturday afternoon is worth more to me than the theoretical dollars I could have earned if I had worked that time instead.

RiceAWay

I have a Silca Track pump and have to replace the grommet every year or so. They're dirt cheap so who cares?

Litespud

My rather rusty Silca has been on the go for ~25 years. I use those reddish synthetic rubber seals that last for years (I try to use only unthreaded valve stems, which are easier on the seals) and I've replaced the leather plunger washer once. I suspect that I'll be using this pump up until the day I hang up the bike

Nyah

Wow, I'm surprised to hear that pumps made now by supposed quality brands have such short lifespans. The Nashbar-branded pump that I got 20+ years ago still works great. I better take extra care of it so that I don't have to buy one of these crap new ones.

bruce19

Nice. I have had support like that from several places....Webber (grills) and Competitive Cyclist stand out.

canklecat

After disassembling the chuck on my Nashbar Earl Grey pump to clean the innards it appears I could replace the seals with something from the plumbing supply aisle. It would just take awhile to find the right match.

And there are entire replacement heads that should fit if I couldn't find a seal.

I just recently switched one bike to Silca latex tubes, the first time I've had tubes with smooth stems, no threads. Appears to be plastic. I was a little worried about whether my clamp-on chuck would hold but no problems so far. The valve ends are still threaded for my mini-pumps, which all have threaded chucks with hoses. But I'm carrying CO2 as well now.

SethAZ 

I'll have to have a look at my pump head. I recently got some tubes that had a very slick metal unthreaded valve stem and my pump was slipping on these. I just took a small strip of sandpaper and roughed up the valve stem a little and it works fine now, but if I could cheaply replace some grommet or whatever in my pump and not have to do that with each tube from this set of tubes that would be nice. On the other hand, the sandpaper thing to scuff up the stem a little took me maybe 30 seconds including ripping the strip of sandpaper.

indyfabz

BF heresy!😀

DrIsotope

I'm just happy to see that folks are still pushing down on pump handles before heading out on a ride. Balances the scales a bit, because I haven't touched a floor pump in years (my 30gal compressor predates me taking up cycling by over 2 decades.)

GlennR

I'm afraid of using my compressor that it might burst the tube. I like 90/100psi and when it's down as little as 10psi... i can feel it. So i pump the tires even if i rode the previous day.

polymorphself 

Must be nice That’s a lot of money for an hour!

Back in high school I had a similar motto for how interacted with teachers and other authority figures except it was “If you don’t ask, they can’t say no.”

I didn’t graduate high school. I did manage college somehow though.

GlennR

I'm retired and constantly balance my time vs money.

I'll buy something on the internet and pay for shipping simply because I don't want to have to spend an hour or 2 to drive, shop and drive home.

On the other hand, I still do my own lawn work and not pay someone else since I feel it's idiot work and i'm just the idiot to do it.

I pay to have the oil changed in my 2 daily drivers, but restore old VWs and build engines for them as a hobby.

I hate throwing something away that can be fixed and be just as good as a new item.

GlennR

So this morning It was impossible to get air in my tires. I tried to put tape on the stem and it still leaked and slipped off. I was about to give up when he postman showed up with a small box that said Trek on the side. 30 seconds later the new part was in the pump and it worked like new.

I just got back from a 62 mile ride and it was great to have the "correct" air pressure.

unterhausen

That was nice of them. I need a new hose and they sell one for $30, which is about what I paid for the pump.

GlennR

FYI...
New .185" (Left) and used .203" (right)

skidder

A few years back I had an FX7.3, needed to replace the square taper crank on it, emailed Trek to see if they could tell me the shaft length and I didn't expect to get a reply. What-do-ya-know, there was an email reply the next day with the crank length, type, and model #. That's quick AND complete!

As for floor pumps. I have one from Serfas that's at least 15 years old and its never had a problem. I use it on (at least) the three bicycles that I ride regularly each week. Only maintenance I do is unscrew the main body of the pump and regrease the seals once a year.

Sy Reene

This is BF.. whatever you may think, it was not the correct air pressure.

FiftySix

It depends on the situation.

Whenever I repair something myself, one of my motivations is the money I want to save. Which is my time to do the job versus paying someone else to do the job. For example, the lower control arm I replaced in my wife's car a couple weeks ago. I sure didn't do that for enjoyment or satisfaction, but I sure did trade my time for the money I saved not having to pay the repair shop down the street a couple hundred dollars.

FiftySix

Same here. In fact when I buy lawn equipment I figure how many weeks the return on investment is compared to paying a lawn crew to come by every week. Plus, I really just need the exercise.

fietsbob

I have a Silca Pump too, Bell shaped pump head for 35 years now..

RE gasket, not pushing it on too far, It stopped wearing out ,, smooth band is where the air seal is best.

GlennR

90/100, on my pump, works for me