Okay, I am nuts
#26
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Got two. First was new from the Recyclery back in Portland in the early 2000s.
P1040757 on Flickr
Second one was off eBay because the first wasn't C&V enough!
P1040744 on Flickr
Have 2 frame pumps too.
I use the compressor to get to 110ish then finish it off with the white one.
P1040757 on Flickr
Second one was off eBay because the first wasn't C&V enough!
P1040744 on Flickr
Have 2 frame pumps too.
I use the compressor to get to 110ish then finish it off with the white one.
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#27
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Sadly, my workhorse floor pump is a specialized. Got it a few weeks before I read about that company's ethics. Have a Medai from the mid '80s but the chuck was such a hassle for this guy who's been using the oh-so-easy Zephal HP,now HPX for 50 years. Never fell in love with the Medai. The soul-less Specialized is a very good, very easy to use pump.
I didn't know about the Hiro chucks until just now. Maybe it's time.
But first I need to continue the work on a easy to make and bullet/fool proof "Damsel in Distress" adapter. (My knowledge of the adopter and its name go back to 1977 when Sheldon Brown used to come to our shop near closing to hand with our mechanic. The adopters were so we could assist other riders with flats in a world where bike racers rode presta and all the rest of the cycling world was Schraeder. We carried them in the hope that we could assist a young lady.) My floor pump also gets used to pump up the wheelbarrow tire and on rare occasions, a car tire. So with Silca, that adopter would be needed. And I want to start carrying them in all my tool bags simply because taking pumps apart to flip the gasket to Schraeder and back involves small parts that crave the return to the wild.
Sadly the construction of those DID adopters was lost to me after my head injury a month after I left that shop. If anyone knows how to make them, preferably with easy to get parts, please let me know! (They consist of a presta inner tube valve permanently mated to a brass presta to Shraeder adopter. Screw the adopter to the tire valve to be inflated. Slide your presta pump chuck over the adopter's valve. Pump as usual. That mating was one piece and simple. What was it? My current has a piece of plastic chemset hose. Works but bigger, clumsier, more space in the toolbag, harder to make and not as trustworthy. I wish Sheldon was still here. He'd remember and get a kick out of being reminded of the name.
Time to go to the shop, stick on a couple of tubbies to brand new wheels, inflate! and tool around the block and get them good and stuck. Modern Vittoria tires but a ritual as C & V as you can get. (And the tires - totally modern materials but ancient construction techniques.)
I didn't know about the Hiro chucks until just now. Maybe it's time.
But first I need to continue the work on a easy to make and bullet/fool proof "Damsel in Distress" adapter. (My knowledge of the adopter and its name go back to 1977 when Sheldon Brown used to come to our shop near closing to hand with our mechanic. The adopters were so we could assist other riders with flats in a world where bike racers rode presta and all the rest of the cycling world was Schraeder. We carried them in the hope that we could assist a young lady.) My floor pump also gets used to pump up the wheelbarrow tire and on rare occasions, a car tire. So with Silca, that adopter would be needed. And I want to start carrying them in all my tool bags simply because taking pumps apart to flip the gasket to Schraeder and back involves small parts that crave the return to the wild.
Sadly the construction of those DID adopters was lost to me after my head injury a month after I left that shop. If anyone knows how to make them, preferably with easy to get parts, please let me know! (They consist of a presta inner tube valve permanently mated to a brass presta to Shraeder adopter. Screw the adopter to the tire valve to be inflated. Slide your presta pump chuck over the adopter's valve. Pump as usual. That mating was one piece and simple. What was it? My current has a piece of plastic chemset hose. Works but bigger, clumsier, more space in the toolbag, harder to make and not as trustworthy. I wish Sheldon was still here. He'd remember and get a kick out of being reminded of the name.
Time to go to the shop, stick on a couple of tubbies to brand new wheels, inflate! and tool around the block and get them good and stuck. Modern Vittoria tires but a ritual as C & V as you can get. (And the tires - totally modern materials but ancient construction techniques.)
#29
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The Silca hoses have a threaded Shrader valve on the end. Their presta valve adapters--either the "bell" chuck or the Hiro--have ends that screw into the Shrader valve. So the pumps can easily be used for both valves.
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#32
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#33
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Don't knock it if you haven't tried it.
The Vittoria tires like 130 and 125. Rides better than less pressure, both sew ups and clinchers in 23.
P1050321 on Flickr
The Vittoria tires like 130 and 125. Rides better than less pressure, both sew ups and clinchers in 23.
P1050321 on Flickr
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Bikes don't stand alone. They are two tired.
Bikes don't stand alone. They are two tired.
Last edited by SJX426; 06-20-22 at 05:08 PM.
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#34
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I think is what the OP wants to do:
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#35
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Went for a ride just now on 110 psi. 23c Rubino Pro tubulars. Same pressure I rode 40 years ago on similar size tires. Never occurred to me while riding that I might want less pressure. Everything simply felt right.
I bet if you Google "Specialized ethics" you will see others have issues with their practices. It's not part of this thread so I won't go in to it.
I bet if you Google "Specialized ethics" you will see others have issues with their practices. It's not part of this thread so I won't go in to it.
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My "Cycle Pro" pump is frustrating to operate and I am so done with it!
So this thread has convinced me to acquire a new floor pump and it will be a Silca! Bike Tires Direct has them on sale today but they are back order thru late July. I love the vintage pumps but no time for another project if you know what I mean.
Thank you for the education!
So this thread has convinced me to acquire a new floor pump and it will be a Silca! Bike Tires Direct has them on sale today but they are back order thru late July. I love the vintage pumps but no time for another project if you know what I mean.
Thank you for the education!
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#38
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My "Cycle Pro" pump is frustrating to operate and I am so done with it!
So this thread has convinced me to acquire a new floor pump and it will be a Silca! Bike Tires Direct has them on sale today but they are back order thru late July. I love the vintage pumps but no time for another project if you know what I mean.
Thank you for the education!
So this thread has convinced me to acquire a new floor pump and it will be a Silca! Bike Tires Direct has them on sale today but they are back order thru late July. I love the vintage pumps but no time for another project if you know what I mean.
Thank you for the education!
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They do seem to multiply….I purchased the blue one back in the late 70s when I was sixteen and it has faithfully served as my main pump for that entire time. It amazes me how often it was borrowed at races, etc. over the years to pinch hit for the pumps of others that had failed. These pumps are the embodiment of what a reliable tool should be. The orange pump and yellow pump were gifts from cycling friends who were veteran riders when we met and subsequently aged out of the sport. I recently changed the leather plunger as well as the chuck gasket on the yellow pump which should hold it for another ten years.
I keep a stock of small parts….
I keep a stock of small parts….
#41
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The presta chuck took a couple times using to break in, then was super reliable. It's nice to have the Shrader option as well. Every single part in these pumps is replaceable, as shown above.
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#44
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So I acquired a '78 Raleigh Super Course a few weeks ago - It was REALLY Dirty so a car wash was in order. The Craig's find came with a rear rack, a brake lever rear view mirror and a chrome pump. I guess now I have "one more" pump! Yes! A Silca Impero to be exact - the great thing is I never gave it a thought on WHAT it was until I started cleaning it up this evening. Part of the head bracket is broken but looks to be in good working order.
#45
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I have a few older floor pumps. This thread seems to embrace Silca, so here is my Superpista:
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I.C.
I.C.
#46
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Anyone know if the pressure gauge can be reset?
There are two small screws on the underside of the dial gauge.
Mine reads at 15 psi, probably because I knocked it over once too often.
Replacement gauges are $20, or just do the math every time it's used.
There are two small screws on the underside of the dial gauge.
Mine reads at 15 psi, probably because I knocked it over once too often.
Replacement gauges are $20, or just do the math every time it's used.
Last edited by leftthread; 06-24-22 at 11:49 AM.
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#49
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The two screws hold the gage case and inner workings together. There isn't any way to adjust them.
#50
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As luck would have it, the nut holding the leather gasket fell off today and I had to take apart my $10 Silca pump. In the process of taking it apart, I notice that the black plastic piece on top has one of the 2 threaded holes stripped out. The screw is just barely hanging on.
And guess what, that is the one part that Silca doesn't sell. They'll sell you the generic nut and washer for $9, but they won't sell you the plastic cap held on by two tiny self tapping screws.
And guess what, that is the one part that Silca doesn't sell. They'll sell you the generic nut and washer for $9, but they won't sell you the plastic cap held on by two tiny self tapping screws.