floor pump suggestions

Better solution.  Go to Auto zone.  Buy a chargable air compressor.  (that is important because can't take your car into transition.  MUST be chargable)     Get a Presta adapter.  Takse about 15 seconds to pump your tires and you will be the envy of everyone in transition. 

Edited by Socks 2010-12-28 8:02 PM

that would be pretty awesome... where do i find the adapter?

LBS

The house brand at performance bike. They are cheap and just as good as any other. Mine's lasted me over 5 years so far without any issues. Plus, since it's performance, if it ever does break or you don't like it, you can return it or exchange it forever.

yeah - I wouldn't do that.  You can get the adaptors at most bike shops, but I would be leary of using a compressor.  Too easy to blow out a tire, especially when a floor pump will fill your tire from empty reasonably quickly.  The things to look for are an easy to read gauge, dual heads (in case you have to help a friend or kid with schrader valves), and ease of use.  I've used several brands, and really did not find a big difference between them.

The chain cleaning tool - I've used that one but the handle ended up breaking off.  I use a similar one, but I am going to try something I read in Bicycling recently - just put degreaser or detergent directly on a sponge, and then spin the crank to run the chain through.  Repeat a few times until it is clean, then let it dry before applying the lube (so the degreaser is not still on the chain, defeating the purpose of applying new lube).

Avoid the air compressor idea.  If I had a dime for every poor rider I've seen miss an event start by blowing a bike tire I'd be retired by now.

My fav floor pump is Topeak's Joe Blow Pro.  Bullet-proof for me for 3+ yrs (7-9 bikes in the stable), and its pressure gauge is accurate (unlike many bike pumps). Not sayin' it's the best pump but it's worked great for me.  Also have a Park home model floor pump that's been solid for me.

After too many years of riding I've come to the conclusion that the best cleaning is just good lube and more of it. Drown the chain to flush out the gunk & wipe off the excess.  Main prob with dedicated degreasers is that they don't really work that well & they leach lube from the pins/plates so wear INcreases if the chain isn't fully internally lubed after cleaning (which happens way too often).

i've got a specialized, works great.

thanks, can you recommend a lube? iv seen some "dry" silicon kind, def still learning and want to keep everything working lol 

x2 for Joe Blow Pro.  As I always say, life is too short to put up with a crappy pump.  My Joe Blow Pro is a joy to use, each and every time I need it.  Going strong for 5+ years now.

Edited by brucemorgan 2010-12-28 9:59 PM

x3. They're expensive, but I love mine.

Of course, the bolded statement is self-contradictory.  If degreaser did not do a good job, it would not affect the pins.  The problem described happens when you soak the chain in degreaser (which is how we used to clean the chain in the late 80's/early 90's when I was learning how to maintain a bike).  If you surface clean them, using either the tool in the original post, or the sponge method, the degreaser will drip off the chain without pulling out the grease/lube in the pins.

Also, if you just "drown the chain", (besides being somewhat wasteful of a non-renewable resource as most lubes are petroleum based), and then wipe it off right away you have defeated the purpose again. Drip the lube on each pin as you spin the cranks backward until you have a drop on each pin (drip it on the lower part of the circle of the chain, i.e. with your hand inside the circle that the chain forms as opposed to above the top part of the circle) so the lube is on the part of the chain that will be in touch with the cogs and sprockets.  Let it sit for 5 minutes to penetrate, THEN wipe off the excess.

"Dry" lubes are meant for riding in dry conditions.  "Wet" lubes for wet or muddy conditions.  I have read that you should only use the same kind of lube for a given chain all the time; and also that the wax-based lubes may shorten lifespan of the chain. I don't know if those are true or urban myths, but I have used wax based lubes much of the time, as well as sometimes switching up lubes when I ran short (I usually use a dry lube on the road bike and a wet lube on the mountain bike, so I usually have both in my stock).

x5 for Joe Blow.  I don't know if mine is a pro or not, but it has a gauge and works very well.  Cost under $40.

I have a silca pump that i have used for the last 10 years, its a very simple design and parts are easily replaced. I did have to change the plunger inside the pump last year, the replacement part cost $5 and took about 5 minutes to replace.  

Silca track pump. Best I've ever used.

I'm not gonna recommend a single brand because I don't even remember what brand I have! I would look out for something that takes both presta and schrader, has an accurate pressure gauge, and has solid build quality (metal and can be dropped no problem). The one I have you can move an arrow around the pressure gauge to see where you want to pump to. Example, I'll rotate it to 110 PSI so I know when the dial matches the arrow I'm good. It's a simple, really useful feature since sometimes it can be hard to read just the numbers on a gauge. My pump cost about 35 bucks. I don't think you need to spend over $40 for a really good pump. After that price point it's not worth it unless you're pumping tires for everyone in the transition area. 

I used a 20 dollar floor pump for the first few years, but with a wheelcover you need to be able to do it one handed or have a really small pump head. So after borrowing a Joe Blow at a race, I had to have one - definately worth it considering how much I use the pump (before every ride). Even the accurate gauge is worth the extra few bucks. Tire is full very quickly - much easier than a compressor. I have a 20 gal in my garage but always use the joe blow.

http://www.probikekit.com/display.php?code=A0716

I've got a nice green pump made by Pedros.  It was just under $30, has a gauge, max w.p. of 120 psi, fits both types of fittings etc.  They have a higher pressure version that can go to 160 psi for just 10 bucks more.  All have 2 year warranty standard.  Works great, I've made it out of the warranty period at least.  It's gotten a lot of use by forgetful folks at races and most say they like it.

I like the pumps that have the switch between
High flow, low pressure
and
Low flow, high pressure.

Quick to pump up mtn bike tires or to get your road bike tires started, and then super easy to pump it over 100lbs or more with the flick of a switch on your thumb.  It's like having power steering.

this is the one I got:
http://www.cannondale.com/usa/usaeng/Products/Gear/Gear-Tools/Pumps/Details/215-8FP04-Airport-Maximum

Granted, the purist would buy a Cannondale bike, but not a Cannondale pump, and would probably stick to the major pump manufacturers.  But I'm sure they make the dual-pressure style pumps as well.  I really love this feature.