Frame Pump Questions

[yodelinpol]

Considering buying a frame pump (for my blue Serotta Atlanta)

Questions:

Who makes good ones?

Should I go for white or silver? I ask because I would imagine it is gonna be hard to match the blue color of my bike.. it has white fizik bar tape and white decals on the frame, so if figure i'll match that... if not then i'll go for matching the silver of the components)

The bike has a 60 cm TT... are they adjustable for top tubes within a range?

Sorry for the newbie questions but I've never bought a frame pump obviously... Please let me know if there are other things to consider as well..

Thanks!

-Kenny

[TMB]

Zefal HPx

Hard to find

but they are the best.

[keevon]

I'm a big fan of the Topeak Master Blaster frame pump:
http://www.deanwoods.com.au/store/images/topeak_mstrblstr.jpg
XL fits very well on my 60.5cm TT bikes, with or without pump braze-on. I've found it fits best if you put the rubber head towards the front of the bike, and the plastic handle towards the rear. Pump head fits securely on the valve and pumps air into the tube quickly. Plus the silver finish looks nice. Though I always use a pump strap, just in case.

Having also had a Zefal HPx, I much prefer the Topeak.

[rex]

Topeak Masterblaster has done an excellent job for me as well.

[jvp]

I use the topeak road morph, it converts to a little floor pump but fits and is sized like a frame pump.

[fiamme red]

Do the rubberized ends on the Topeak keep it from scratching paint? I had my track bike repainted, and want to use a frame pump (vertically, along the seat tube), but don't want to mar the finish, so I can't use my Zefals.

[jvp]

mine came with a pump holder I zip-tied under my top tube. I believe it was cushioned at the contact points.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v218/jvpro/DSCF2364.jpg

[Ken Robb]

a fat rubber band can be wrapped around the pump near both ends to stop rattles too.

[keevon]

Do the rubberized ends on the Topeak keep it from scratching paint? I had my track bike repainted, and want to use a frame pump (vertically, along the seat tube), but don't want to mar the finish, so I can't use my Zefals.
Only the head is rubberized, the handle is plastic. I haven't seen any paint marring from either end, but that doesn't mean it couldn't happen.

[dekindy]

Blackfurn's full size frame pump gets good reviews and mine has worked well. I have used it a couple times and many more have borrowed it because I am one of the few in our group that carries a pump instead of CO2.

[dogdriver]

I have a Topeak on one bike and a Lezyne on the other. Have used both in the field, both pump well enough considering their size (approx 300 pumps for 100 psi).

The topeak rattled until I wrapped the handle with tape.

The Lezyne has a cool flexible hose between the pump body and the stem connection which provides some play in the assembly so you don't have to worry about ripping the valve stem off. Takes a little time to set up, but probably pumps faster, as you don't have to be as careful while pumping up the tire. I'll probably get another one to replace the topeak, or at least buy another mount and make it the only pump I take on rides. Both presta and schraeder, depending on which direction you screw on the hose. Cool design. Black only, which may offend the fashion conscious.

Cheers, Chris

[cw05]

Anyone have any insight as to why Silca stopped producing their Impero frame pump? I can't understand why a product that was so universally embraced by road cyclists just ceased to exist.

[jbrainin]

+1 for the Topeak Road Morph. I find it is the most practical and effective pump out there at the moment.

[palincss]

Zefal HPx

Hard to find

but they are the best.

Agreed. And for those who don't like their matte black color, I found it wasn't all that difficult to get the black off and polish it up. It took about an hour of sanding with 3 increasingly finer grades of sand paper, followed by steel wool and ultimately metal polish.

[Pete Serotta]

top peak and zephal make good ones... I use a SILCA which is not as good BUT I am too old to change :D :D Colour is your choice. If you do not have a "pump peg" on head tube you might want to consider a mini pump that the holder attaches to water bottle cage

A good pump is any pump that will inflate the tire to 100 lbs or about that

[yodelinpol]

great. thanks ya'll. i'll start looking into these. i do have the pump peg, so i can go full length pump.

[Peter P.]

I would imagine it is gonna be hard to match the blue color of my bike.

Absolute first choice: Zefal HpX. Strong aluminum pump body, reversible, durable, and inexpensive.

Second: Blackburn

To match the color, wrap blue reflective tape around the body of the pump. I did just that with my commuter bike. Take a look at the pump:
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3253/3028727548_7581198f31.jpg?v=0
Note: the tape does not wrap entirely around the pump body; I hid the gap on the underside of the pump so under most circumstances, you can't tell a thing.

Here's where you can get blue reflective tape in a 2" width:
http://www.identi-tape.com/eng-sr2.html

[palincss]

Nice commuter!

[jvp]

what kind of rack is that, and where did you get it?

[Peter P.]

The rack is a Blackburn. Any Blackburn dealer ought to be able to get it. The flat plate on top is supposed to act like a mini fender, and it keeps soft goods from poking down and getting caught in the tire. The taillight mount is actually just a couple of those adjustable rack extension stays mounted back to back. I drilled a couple holes in the rack plate and bent the stays to the angle I wanted for the taillight. Incidentally, originally I used just one stay but after a few years, vibrations caused it to crack and fail even though it was steel. That's why I doubled up on them.

It originally was black. I had it refinished in a nickel color (not paint; I think it was anodized), along with my bottle cages, when the bike was repainted. Peter Weigle did it, or at least he farmed the work out. I'm sure if you called him he'd steer you in the right direction if it's the color you're interested in.

It's similar to the XR-1.
http://blackburndesign.com/racks.html

[rounder]

Anyone have any insight as to why Silca stopped producing their Impero frame pump? I can't understand why a product that was so universally embraced by road cyclists just ceased to exist.

I don't know why they stopped making them, but i have two. One is celeste that i bought for my bianchi. The other is red that was painted by serotta to match my bike. Both have campy heads and look great. Both were horrible in pumping up a flat tire. CO2 cartridges work much better.

[14max]

Zefal HPx

Hard to find

but they are the best.

I haven't read through this thread but I second (or third or fourth) this suggestion. The HPx is the (almost) perfect frame pump...

[alancw3]

++ zefel hp. i have used one of these for 22 years now the first 15 of which it was my only pump before getting a floor pump.

i can offer an alternative mounting. for the past 15 years or so i have always mounted on the left seat stay with velcro attachments. someone way back told me this was where eddy merckx always carried his frame pump. i thought it a clever idea. personally i found the top tube mount not a good solution. i would occaissionally hit it with my leg and off it would go.