School me on full length top tube frame pumps

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by GOTHBROOKS

idk a simple velcro pump strap across the toptube looks way better than a ziptie around the headtube as a pump peg.

100%, all I ever used and never lost a pump.

[R3awak3n]

Originally Posted by froze

The Silca Impero Ultimate may be a very good pump, and for $175 it ought to be; problem is that the Zefal HPX4 costs only $40, mine lasted over 35 years and I just replaced it 3 years ago, though it still worked but it was a bit weak. What financial benefit would it be to pay for a $175 pump? So it can last 100 years? great, except no one here would ever use a pump for that long, even if you replaced the Zefal once every 25 years 3 times in your life you still would spend almost half less than the cost of a one Silca! The truth of the matter is, that Silca won't last 100 years either because the seals inside will dry up just as my Zefal did, so now financially you're way behind on the Silca.

The Zefal works wonderfully as well, in fact if you couldn't afford a frame pump this is the next best thing. And it works a lot better than the Topeak Road Morph while weighing less and not looking so ungainly.

Just get the Zefal and leave the Silca for rich people who have more money than brains.

the problem with the impero is that it is NOT very good. Its an ok pump at best. I had one and gave it to a friend because it just did not perform for me. My Topeak masterblaster might be ugly but it works wonderfully. Its the locking mechanism that makes it superior. its too bad they are no longer made so I bought a couple to have.

[NHAero]

The black Impero with the steel Campy pump head dates from 1972 when I got my Bob Jackson. It lived along the seat tube without straps and survived many dirt roads without popping out. It's principal advantage is that a chasing dog knows when it's been whacked with a Campy pump head I think I still have a spare leather washer or two in the boneyard, although with a little bit of grease they last a long time.

The blue one has the plastic head and someone gave it to me when they saw I had a vintage bike and they'd moved on. It goes very nicely into the Nagasawa frame and is a good color match to the yellow of the frame.

I find that I don't use these anymore. The Bob Jackson, the Nagasawa, and the Litespeed share a handlebar bag that has a Topeak Mini Morph in it. The Firefly and the Bingham both have small Almsthre bar bags, and the FF has a Lezyne Road Drive and the Bingham, needing lower pressures, has the Alloy Drive. I'd need to get new frame pumps for each differently proportioned compact frame.

I imagine that if I had more flats on the road I'd be more likely to carry a frame pump. These days the few flats I get seem to be slow leaks that show up overnight after a ride.