You will be needing one of these. photo:bike tester.com
Either CO2 cannisters or mini-pumps should be carried in jersey pockets (See Rule #31). The only exception to this rule is to mount a Silca brand frame pump in the rear triangle of the frame, with the rear wheel skewer as the pump mount nob, as demonstrated by members of the 7-Eleven and Ariostea pro cycling teams. As such, a frame pump mounted upside-down and along the left (skewer lever side) seat stay is both old skool and euro and thus acceptable. We restate at this time that said pump may under no circumstances be a Zefal and must be made by Silca. Said Silca pump must be fitted with a Campagnolo head. It is acceptable to gaffer-tape a mini-pump to your frame when no CO2 canisters are available and your pockets are full of spare kit and energy gels. However, the rider should expect to be stopped and questioned and may be required to empty pockets to prove there is no room in them for the pump.
This Rule must have been one of the original Rules to come down from the summit of Mt Velomis, it’s that old. If you want to still use a frame pump you are going to have to find a Silca pump and a Campagnolo pump head, both of which are on the shelf next to the leather Cinelli hair-net helmets in lower Serbia. Or grow a giant ‘stache, infiltrate the retro Strade Bianchi fondo and nick one off any 1970’s bikes there. Or go on eBay and easily find either item.
The italian company Silca has recently “left the building”. They were renown for their trusty floor pump and slightly less trusty frame pumps. The floor pump is indestructible; mine still hangs out in the dark corner of my shop, ready. It’s always ready. The frame pumps were less indestructible but then again, we were asking them to come on every ride with us, hanging on only by its own spring tension. Between crashes, potholes, and repulsing dogs, this frame pumps took some hits.
Silca has been reborn in the USA and their floor pump has been also been reborn hard as the most beautiful floor pump ever. The Silca name seems to be in very good hands. However, I’m not expecting to see a reissue of the frame pump anytime soon but I’m usually wrong. The mini-pump and these new fangled CO2 canisters may have truly sealed its fate.
Why would a Rule be so specific about its exceptions? Did Lord Merckx favor the Silca frame pump with a campy steel pump head? It’s a question of faith, isn’t it? A pump jammed in the rear triangle of the bike did look very studly, not unlike a Beretta casually stuffed betwixt pants and underwear, in the back, no holster. It’s a little crazy but very functional.
As The Rules go, I’ve been known to “interfere” with myself on this one (god love the Irish for that expression). But this is still preferable to using gaffer tape. Gaffer tape? Something must have been lost in translation between the ancient Flemish and today. Gaffer’s tape was only acceptable anywhere if your first name was Sean and last name was Kelly and you were such a Hardman that anything other than toe clips was a worse sin than interfering with one’s self.
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Many, many moons ago back when I was riding my 4130 CrMoly steel frame bike from Japan with the down tube shifters around the city of Pittsburgh (the perfect bike for a frame pump) I simply carried a little patch kit box of tip tops with the red edges. Carry an extra tube ? Shoot, I didn't even own an extra tube. As for mounting a pump? I had nowhere near enough class, or $$ (at least by my reckoning of priorities) to consider. So, basically I figured I was always within a mile of a gas station, they'd lend me a screw driver, I'd pop the tire, repair the tube and fill it up w/compressor... Today ? CO2 all the way. Just far too convenient. But, I haven't been 50 miles from nowhere on a mtn bike either. That'd be pump kinda riding there. The Hampsten, Baum (? with color match) and Butler all look cool with the pumps. And I think I see toe clips on the one bike. Good fun there. Cheers all.
@VeloVita
With his bike looking like that, I'm not surprised he's no longer with Sky.
Those bars are properly ugly.
@Harminator
A bit of locktite does the trick. There's nothing quite like having a valve core come loose midway through glueing tubulars to fuck your day up.
The later Lezyne valve heads with the pressure relief valve button thing are much easier to use. Well worth it as an upgrade.
@antihero
This has been discussed ad nauseum on here before. That pros do it doesn't excuse it. There's a difference between acting like a pro and look fantastic.
I've got a Lezyne Carbon drive. Granted it's a bit of a pain to pump up a decent sized mtb tyre but road tyres aren't a problem.
@Chris yeah I've got one with the pressure release, no problems so far with that aspect.
@VeloVita
When I had my 1986 steel Trek 770 repainted, I had them file off the frame pump peg, lest my descendants show poor judgement when they inherit the beast (in the far distant future when the rules will have taken an "Animal Farm" turn...)
In as far as Dombrowski's stead, good freakin lord, no wonder they didn't renew his contract.
Re: Dombrowski's bike - I can't believe anybody strapped a pump on a bike like that. Hurts to look at it.
@Ccos
>>> When I had my 1986 steel Trek 770 repainted, I had them file off the frame pump peg,
@wilburrox
does "some very special circumstances" warrant linking to the "fending off dogs" thread from some time ago? Frame pumps win out there unless you try a Jaws with a CO2 cylinder.
@teocalli 10-4 to that! I'm all for frame pumps. On classic steel frame bikes I think they look cool. I'd google searched images from the interwebs and a wonderful snapshot of a lugged frame pink Trek 770 with a frame pump along the seat tube in add'n to a superfluous pump peg on the head tube popped up. I'd thought I'd posted it? It was a beauty of a bike. Anyways, I can appreciate the pump having some extra uses. When I was a kiddo riding my bike everywhere I always wished I'd had a frame pump. And it's only now do I know that a frame pump, if employed, has to be done so in just the right manner. That should be no surprise I guess. Cheers
@wilburrox
Truth be told, I fended off many a brute canine with my frame pump in my early days. I probably used it as a weapon at least an order of magnitude more than its intended purpose. It was bad enough that one of my friends carried a starter pistol (marketed to cyclists and runners at the time).
Come to think of it, I haven't been chased by a dog in well over a decade or so. They're probably getting to be just as lazy as their owners (or them electrical fence thingies really work).