Silca... Classic is back.

[Charles M]

Silca will roll out a couple of new products shortly... One of em being an exceptional little Co2 topper (and cylinders).

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/silca2.jpg

Nice machining...

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/silca7.jpg

cool little detail... A bit of functional extra grip in the form of O-rings..

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/silca1.jpg

... that are interchangeable and come in multiple colors.

And Like most Silca stuff, virtually everything is serviceable / replaceable.

The materials list is over the top... the body, the spring... Ex: The internal cylinder puncturing part on a lot of cheap heads is a cheaper carbon steel pin that sits next to a hole. That spike easily dulls and the hole that sits next to it can get clogged or blocked where you have to back off (unscrew) the cylinder and waste gas (sometimes all of it).

Silca's unit is a 17/4 stainless fitting / syringe that will pierce enough cylinders before dulling that it should out-live you...

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/silca4.jpg

They're even having the dang O-rings made for them in the US...

More later, but this thing is the first example from the new Silca that I've seen and it's pretty much what I thought would be coming from them...



I had older Silca pumps that outlasted all the bikes that I had when I got them but none of that kit goes with any of the modern stuff...

This part is a "today" type product built at the level of the rest of my bits...

http://www.pezcyclingnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/silca3.jpg

[thirdgenbird]

Darn it, quite teasing me and spill info on the frame and mini pumps before I go elsewhere.

:)

[rnhood]

Very nice. Good to see Silca coming up to age. CO2 is one of the best cycling innovations the past century. Dealing with a flat on the road has never been easier.

[Keith A]

Nice, but I assume it only takes threaded cartridges...correct?

[Charles M]

I think all "head only" Co2 toppers are threaded.

Press fit head only would probably make a better weapon than gas transfer :)

[witcombusa]

Screw the CO2, I want the full size frame pump back...

[bikinchris]

None of the frame pumps currently on the market scratch my itch. I hope they make a nice frame pump one day. Until then, I will use my old pump.

[charliedid]

I'm counting on new frame and floor pumps from them.

!!!

[OtayBW]

I've used the same Silca floor pump for the last ~20+ years. I really appreciate their stuff and glad to see they're back and in the US. That said, I've also carried the same/similar kind of CO2 'topper' for a LONG time as well with problem-free service. Not sure that I see enough of a benefit here to make me want to switch. Just saying...

[avalonracing]

I want that cartridge head NOW!

[FlashUNC]

Gonna be a high bar to pass to outdo what Lezyne has for their mini pump.

Curious to see what else they've got in store.

[Charles M]

They have frame and floor pumps in the que...

There's only one bike right now that I have that I would run a frame pump on but pretty much all of em will take the Co2...


Quickie note,

This thing doesn't waste any gas...

I used one today just to see what it was like and I swear the tire felt so hard I was concerned and let some out... and there was plenty to spare.

I had another head that worked like that a couple times but it now uses a full 16 gram cylinder and the tire just feels normal.

I'm betting a 16 gram with this will work to 28 and maybe larger (at the pressures most folks run their larger sections...). I'm not sure what the volume math is like so I'll have to see, but this thing is just plain more efficient than the cheap ones...

I guess I should also use a couple other cylinders as, knowing the guy running Silca, their cylinders are probably spare parts from a DARPA project.

Here's to suggesting that you really only need a 12 with this valve... It's ALL going in. BUT I doubt they'll bother with a 12. pretty much everyone is now using 16 or 20.

[Charles M]

Used a couple more and also used a genuine innovations cylinder.

This works with a 16 gram and 28 section tires to 105 PSI (and a little hissing when done)...

That's more than the genuine innovations chart... It turns out Silca's cylinders are a genuine 15.5-16 grams of gas and I know that cheaper bulk cyl's are closer to 13-14... Cheaper 20 gram carts are generally 17... You're not only getting more gas, but you're losing very little if any... It adds up.



The mechanism works well. You screw in the cylinder all the way. No worries, it's sealed.

Then you screw the mechanism onto the valve stem.

This regulates the gas... Push (compressing the spring) and the gas goes in. Pull to stop the flow...

You can modulate the flow and because it's sealed at both ends, you can stop and check the tire pressure then add a little more at a time till it's right.


The 16 is way more than you need to fill a 23 section till it's rock hard I would bet that it will go 140 psi or more and still have a little left... (and you do NOT want to fill a tire that high)


You also want to be sure your removable vale cores are firmly in place in the tire valve stem. The seal is pretty tight and you can back out a poorly snugged valve core if you overtighten the mechanism onto the valve stem...

[rounder]

I want that cartridge head NOW!

Same here. I want three.

[avalonracing]

Same here. I want three.

And to reiterate... NOW!

[Charles M]

They're being distributed through QBP and BTI...

I would call your retailer and see when the orders are flowing

[steelbikerider]

I've held off on buying a new pump since my 79 Silca still works. Now I can keep it until I die and pass it on.
The CO2 inflator looks good.

[GuyGadois]

CO2 is one of the best cycling innovations the past century. Dealing with a flat on the road has never been easier.

Really - in the last 100 years? I think I would put quick release a bit above CO2? Was using a hand pump that difficult? In all seriousness where do all the dead CO2 cartridges go?

[pdmtong]

Really - in the last 100 years? I think I would put quick release a bit above CO2? Was using a hand pump that difficult? In all seriousness where do all the dead CO2 cartridges go?

i recycle mine. some guys throw them on the side of the road :-(

[rice rocket]

I'm glad Silca made the colors rings interchangeable.

I can't count how many pieces of cycling gear I've passed over because they have ITALY written all over it or they're in red/white/green.

I'M NOT ITALIAN (or Mexican), I'M NOT FLYING YOUR COLORS! :fight:

[rustychisel]

They have frame and floor pumps in the que...




Would it kill ya to write in English?

queue

[Salsa_Lover]

Those Silca CO2 inflators : WANT !

PS those shifters are horrendous

[Salsa_Lover]

Would it kill ya to write in English?

queue

maybe it was "in the question" :butt:

[bobswire]

http://silca.cc/products/eolo-iii-co

[redir]

Really - in the last 100 years? I think I would put quick release a bit above CO2? Was using a hand pump that difficult? In all seriousness where do all the dead CO2 cartridges go?

Disposable society. I do use them for MTB racing however so you can get on the bike quicker. You can recycle them to get that faux green feeling :)

[avalonracing]

http://silca.cc/products/eolo-iii-co

$46 for a head with two inflators?
Maybe I actually want it later.

[AngryScientist]

i'm totally disappointed in this initial offering. Charles may wax poetic about it all day long, but it's basically the same inflator head that a dozen other companies make with colorful rubber bands on it. i want to see a good frame pump back on the market, not a re-hashed co2 machine.

[Charles M]

Would I be "waxing" if I described my Bedford lugged Stainless as a better product than http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Free-Shipping-Trend-700c-high-carbon-steel-bicycle-frame-decorative-pattern-frame-laser/1356452168.html?


I'm using it next to a few others that cost within 10 bucks or so and it just works better... It's also made from better stuff meaning it will keep working as it does.

I've probably thrown away 10 of these over the years after the seals crack or leak (or they just didn't work worth a crap to start with).

This thing isn't those things.

[bluesea]

Are the rings for his or her pleasure?

[Charles M]

I'm fairly thankful that I can't answer that.

[bobswire]

I'm fairly thankful that I can't answer that.

Thanks for that, now who's going to clean up my keyboard.

[Charles M]

Depends on what you were just doing...

[bobswire]

Depends on what you were just doing...

Drinking some, well trying to drink some earl gray tea.... :)

[OtayBW]

Charles may wax poetic about it all day long, but it's basically the same inflator head that a dozen other companies make with colorful rubber bands on it.....

Correct. Maybe it is a little more efficient (?), but I can fill my 700x23s easily with a 16g with extra to spare (even with a 12 g - and go try to find them around here these days...). May be a better mousetrap, but the old one works just fine at 1/3 the cost.

[OtayBW]

Sorry - double post.

[avalonracing]

Are the rings for his or her pleasure?

I think they are there to add an extra $8 per ring. :rolleyes:

[El Chaba]

I was sort of hoping that their first offering would be a re-issue of the classic pista pump so that whenever the inevitable question comes up, "What is the best floor pump?" I can wax poetic about how awesome my 35 YO pump is and make the recommendation without having to say that the old ones were great, the the new ones have a ····ty plastic base....

[Charles M]

The new floor pump will be around the cost of Topeaks high end, but they're all metal with the same level of internals etc...

The floor and frame pumps are what I really want to.

But this will also do.

[Web1111a]

What is the eta?

I still prefer my old Silca over my newer pumps

[likebikes]

what do the o rings do?

i'm not very impressed with this product.

[jemoryl]

Oooh...it's ultra premium CO2. Gotta be worth that extra dosh.

[Charles M]

It's not just in the wording... Same head, running the Silca cylinder and generics and there's actually more gas in the Silca can...

% wise, the 16 gram generic had roughly 12 grams in it (75%). The Silca gave @ or near 16.

I can fill a 28 section tire with a single Silca Cyl. the generic leaves the pressure too low.


what do the o rings do?

i'm not very impressed with this product.

That's an easy one.

There are O rings on virtually all inflation heads.

For the cheaper heads I have, the Orings do the bulk of the sealing work. And because they have to fit more snug, they start to tear up almost immediately...

With the Silca, they act like a gasket (rather than having to act like threads, getting torn up by actual threads) the cheaper heads O rings have all of the sealing duty... That means the Silca O rings get compressed when things get snug, rather than having to grab hold of the metal threads (on cylinders or inner tubes) and do all of the work.

That (O ring wear) is part of the reason my other heads leak more under use (the other part being cheaper raw materials or build tollerance for the rest of the mechanism).


There's nothing wrong with O rings. But there's a better way to use them.

Lots of other units are also throw away on top of wearing a lot quicker... I believe you can replace the rings in this unit.

[Vinci]

Is this THAT much better than the brass one they used to sell for a lot less?

[rice rocket]

Is this THAT much better than the brass one they used to sell for a lot less?

Gotta hit all your possible market segments with differently priced items, even if they're the same (or similar).

Is Dura-Ace THAT much better than Ultegra? Is Super Record THAT much better than Record? Nope. But people still pay double.

[Charles M]

This is more like 8 speed Record versus super-record (if super record were still all metal but a lot lighter and better functioning).


The Brass one was / is great... I still have one but the valve to adjust gas flow broke (I could probably replace it). There's really nothing to break on the new one.

They're both serviceable (good on the old one for where the O ring sits, good for the new one too but it will last longer before needing help).

The new one is a little easier to use and the parts won't need replacing as quickly.

The new one weighs a third of the old one and is more compact for packing as well...

[oldpotatoe]

The new floor pump will be around the cost of Topeaks high end, but they're all metal with the same level of internals etc...

The floor and frame pumps are what I really want to.

But this will also do.

How is the new floor pump different than the SuperPista now offered by QBP and Euro-Asia? They have the new 'QR' head.

[bfd]

The new floor pump will be around the cost of Topeaks high end, but they're all metal with the same level of internals etc...

The floor and frame pumps are what I really want to.

But this will also do.

I like to hear more about the frame pumps? Will it be a "full size" frame pump? With all the emphasis on mini-pumps, which I hate, there should be a market for a good full size frame pump. I currently have blackburn full size frame pumps, but they discontinued them and small parts like gaskets/o-rings are no longer available! :eek::butt::no:

Since Silca seems to have all the spare parts for its floor pumps, a nice full size frame pump with small parts would be great! Good Luck! :banana:

[redir]

I was sort of hoping that their first offering would be a re-issue of the classic pista pump so that whenever the inevitable question comes up, "What is the best floor pump?" I can wax poetic about how awesome my 35 YO pump is and make the recommendation without having to say that the old ones were great, the the new ones have a ····ty plastic base....

Here's mine. I think I got this one in circa 1990. I had a newer one with the plastic handle and base. The pump was loose in the base and the pressure gauge would stick. Some one stole it, i was not disappointed.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VCkKdxb4hpY/UzwJk3sanvI/AAAAAAAAKZI/iCY9fC5-Rrg/w467-h828-no/14+-+1

[rice rocket]

Did you pump head fire off at 80 psi too?

Never understood the love for Silca pumps, tried one, sent it back.

[Llewellyn]

Did you pump head fire off at 80 psi too?

Never understood the love for Silca pumps, tried one, sent it back.


I used the Silca head on one of my floor pumps for a while, and it was a right PITA to get off after I'd finished pumping. After I ripped a few valves out of tubes I got rid of it, and went back to the one I've always used which works just fine. Maybe my technique was wrong, I don't know.

As someone posted way back up the thread, what's wrong with a frame pump? Certainly more environmentally friendly that all those CO2 cartridges.

[Duende]

Certainly more environmentally friendly that all those CO2 cartridges.

Good point. I keep the co2 just for emergencies. In terms of the bigger picture I guess I hope giving up my car offsets the two or so flats I get a year in the middle of nowhere.

[redir]

I've never had a problem with it but I always get a kick out of watching people borrow my pump who have never use it before. If you don't stick it on deep enough it will pop off at 80psi I suppose. They do work best on tubular tires since most of them don't have threaded valves. I don't know why they thread valves it's stupid. None the less they work fine on threaded valves too but wear out the rubber gasket sooner. Gaskets are cheap and last about two years normal use for a few bikes. To get one off after you are done, two thumbs on either side of the head pops it right off.

[El Chaba]

There is a problem with the gasket material used for the Silca pump heads in the recent (past 2-3 years?) production...It is much harder than the old, gummy gaskets. As a result, it is much harder to install and remove on the valve and totally changes the experience of using the pump-and not for the good. I am hoping that the new owners sort this out...

[nm87710]

+1 ...

what do the o rings do?

I'm not very impressed with this product.

[redir]

There is a problem with the gasket material used for the Silca pump heads in the recent (past 2-3 years?) production...It is much harder than the old, gummy gaskets. As a result, it is much harder to install and remove on the valve and totally changes the experience of using the pump-and not for the good. I am hoping that the new owners sort this out...

Aw bummer. I bought ten of them about 5 years ago. I keep one attached to the pump with a zip tie and the rest in storage. Should be good through the zombie apocalypse :D

[cp43]

There is a problem with the gasket material used for the Silca pump heads in the recent (past 2-3 years?) production...It is much harder than the old, gummy gaskets. As a result, it is much harder to install and remove on the valve and totally changes the experience of using the pump-and not for the good. I am hoping that the new owners sort this out...

I read somewhere on the new website that the new owner spent a lot of time looking at the best gasket material. My guess would be that the new/current version is an improvement over what you've experienced.

It's mentioned in the product description here: Silca Presta Chuck Gasket (http://silca.cc/products/silca-242-gasket-for-presta-chucks)

I have no experience with either the old or new gaskets, just passing along what I read.

Chris

[bfd]

I read somewhere on the new website that the new owner spent a lot of time looking at the best gasket material. My guess would be that the new/current version is an improvement over what you've experienced.

It's mentioned in the product description here: Silca Presta Chuck Gasket (http://silca.cc/products/silca-242-gasket-for-presta-chucks)

I have no experience with either the old or new gaskets, just passing along what I read.

Chris

Agree, I found a Portland bicycle tool shop makes a urethane gasket for the Silca floor pump. The picture is small, but it looks to be very similar to the one being sold by Silca:

http://www.efficientvelo.com/product/urethane-pump-washer/

I bought a few, but haven't used it yet as my current gasket is still working fine. This urethane gasket is suppose to last at least 3-5x longer! :confused::eek::butt:

We shall see....Good Luck!

[ptourkin]

+1

Solution looking for a problem.

No doubt the dentists, blingsters and poseurs will gobble 'em up...

Insert in every thread:

[bobswire]

How is the new floor pump different than the SuperPista now offered by QBP and Euro-Asia? They have the new 'QR' head.

I have two Silca's, on one of them I put a park q release head with longer hose.

http://i62.tinypic.com/v3da1y.jpg

[cash05458]

I have a superpista...about 6 years old I guess...put on a Hirame head and pretty much best setup I have ever had...pricey, but I think well worth it...wish I had bought the Hirame head years ago I like it so much with the Silca...

[Fatty]

Weapons grade steel, personality and rebuildable.
It does not like threaded valve stems but neither do I.

[iPaul]

Funny, I ended up with a screw on head. Seems to work fine on my Silca with never a worry of it popping off. I did try the new gasket material prior to picking up the threaded head, but it didn't work well for me. Kept slipping off. Probably user error l:rolleyes:

[rounder]

I have a superpista...about 6 years old I guess...put on a Hirame head and pretty much best setup I have ever had...pricey, but I think well worth it...wish I had bought the Hirame head years ago I like it so much with the Silca...

Same here. The Silca was fine with threadless, but a pain with threaded. I liked the pump though. I found a Hirame head after reading threads here and am happy.

[oldpotatoe]

Same here. The Silca was fine with threadless, but a pain with threaded. I liked the pump though. I found a Hirame head after reading threads here and am happy.

Yep, and since Hirame are sometimes hard to find, this one also.

http://www.amazon.com/Tanaka-Quick-Release-Presta-Bicycle/dp/B007Y0WEKI

[bking]

I found the Hirame when they were still making them, something over 5 years ago--plugged it onto a Lezyne pump. When they couldn't be found i bought the Tanaka, good, but not the same. So when HIrame started showing up again about a year ago i purchased two (my first one is still around, of course). While they look they same, not sure the internals are the same, but i do think they're still better than the Tanaka.