Any recommendations for a hands-free pump?

[beerwolf]

An old injury causes my shoulder to freeze up after about 30
strokes with a hand pump. It takes a looong time, with my Silca
floor pump, to pump up a tyre from scratch. Does anyone know
if there's a foot-operated bike pump available, here or abroad,
that I could use instead? Would be even better if it was small
enough to carry in a pannier.

--
beerwolf (remove numbers from email address)

 

[Wilfred Kazoks]

"beerwolf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> An old injury causes my shoulder to freeze up after about 30
> strokes with a hand pump. It takes a looong time, with my Silca
> floor pump, to pump up a tyre from scratch. Does anyone know
> if there's a foot-operated bike pump available, here or abroad,
> that I could use instead? Would be even better if it was small
> enough to carry in a pannier.
>
> --
> beerwolf (remove numbers from email address)
>

I use a TIOGA floor pump. Don't know the model but it has a wooden handle
and retails for about $65. It takes about 30 strokes to inflate an empty
tyre to about 80PSI (700x38). Would it take about the same to inflate a
narrow tyre to whatever preasure they need, sorry I don't know. I don't feel
that is a loooong time nor is it very hard work. So perhaps try one of
these.

I doubt you will find a small pump any better. On each stroke it can only
inflate the tyre with the air available in the barrel. The smaller the
barrel the more strokes you will need. Even my Zefal HPX4 needs a couple
hundred strokes to inflate a tyre from scratch.

Sounds like you should consider compressed CO2.

Wilfred

 

[Snuffy]

An old injury causes my shoulder to freeze up after about 30
strokes with a hand pump. It takes a looong time, with my Silca
floor pump, to pump up a tyre from scratch. Does anyone know
if there's a foot-operated bike pump available, here or abroad,
that I could use instead? Would be even better if it was small
enough to carry in a pannier.

We used to have a foot operated pump for pumping up sports balls and what not... about the size & shape of a large milkshake glass with a spring loaded lever you can step on to pump it... It's a pretty standard item from K-Mart or maybe an auto-parts shop like Repco.... I wouldn't say that it was a "good" pump, but it does the job....

 

[Terryc]

beerwolf wrote:
> An old injury causes my shoulder to freeze up after about 30
> strokes with a hand pump. It takes a looong time, with my Silca
> floor pump, to pump up a tyre from scratch. Does anyone know
> if there's a foot-operated bike pump available, here or abroad,
> that I could use instead? Would be even better if it was small
> enough to carry in a pannier.

Could you modify the end of those car tyre pumps?
Think more of swagging the correct tube onto the pump, than cutting and
replacing the end fitting.
The cheep-cheep ones would fit into the rear pocket of one of my panniers.

>

 

[Absent Husband]

Terryc wrote:
>
> Could you modify the end of those car tyre pumps?
> Think more of swagging the correct tube onto the pump, than cutting and
> replacing the end fitting.
> The cheep-cheep ones would fit into the rear pocket of one of my panniers.
>
> >

I bought a little screw-on adaptor for $3 from my LBS,that I leave in
my saddle bag for emergencies.

It screws onto the valve of my road tube (I won't say schrader or
presta - I always mix them up!!), so that I can then use a petrol
station car-tyre pump!! I use my Silca track pump normally at home, but
it can be handy to have the adaptor for out-&-about.

If a servo is close by when I flat, I can hand-pump the new tube/tyre a
bit, then 'top up' at the servo when I reach it...

Cheers all,
Abby

 

[DeF]

beerwolf wrote:
> An old injury causes my shoulder to freeze up after about 30
> strokes with a hand pump. It takes a looong time, with my Silca
> floor pump, to pump up a tyre from scratch. Does anyone know
> if there's a foot-operated bike pump available, here or abroad,
> that I could use instead? Would be even better if it was small
> enough to carry in a pannier.
>

If you're at home, you could use a small compressor.

If you're out, what about the cartridge based pumps?
More expensive but needs must..

DeF

--
e-mail: d.farrow@your finger.murdoch.edu.au
To reply, you'll have to remove your finger.

 

[Bleve]

Absent Husband wrote:
> Terryc wrote:
> >
> > Could you modify the end of those car tyre pumps?
> > Think more of swagging the correct tube onto the pump, than cutting and
> > replacing the end fitting.
> > The cheep-cheep ones would fit into the rear pocket of one of my panniers.
> >
> > >
>
> I bought a little screw-on adaptor for $3 from my LBS,that I leave in
> my saddle bag for emergencies.
>
> It screws onto the valve of my road tube (I won't say schrader or
> presta - I always mix them up!!), so that I can then use a petrol
> station car-tyre pump!! I use my Silca track pump normally at home, but
> it can be handy to have the adaptor for out-&-about.
>
> If a servo is close by when I flat, I can hand-pump the new tube/tyre a
> bit, then 'top up' at the servo when I reach it...

you can get 110psi out of a servo pump?

 

[Absent Husband]

Bleve wrote:
> Absent Husband wrote:
> > Terryc wrote:
> > >
> > > Could you modify the end of those car tyre pumps?
> > > Think more of swagging the correct tube onto the pump, than cutting and
> > > replacing the end fitting.
> > > The cheep-cheep ones would fit into the rear pocket of one of my panniers.
> > >
> > > >
> >
> > I bought a little screw-on adaptor for $3 from my LBS,that I leave in
> > my saddle bag for emergencies.
> >
> > It screws onto the valve of my road tube (I won't say schrader or
> > presta - I always mix them up!!), so that I can then use a petrol
> > station car-tyre pump!! I use my Silca track pump normally at home, but
> > it can be handy to have the adaptor for out-&-about.
> >
> > If a servo is close by when I flat, I can hand-pump the new tube/tyre a
> > bit, then 'top up' at the servo when I reach it...
>
> you can get 110psi out of a servo pump?

Maybe not 110, but close... Certainly more than I can be stuffed
getting with my hand-pump!!

And it depends on the servo pump too. The electronic jobbies only seem
to get you up to around 50 or 60psi max (I never use those). But the
old-fashioned ones (the handheld ones with the ye olde dial display),
can get you back up to a very decent level...

The only downside with the 'adaptor' is that it seems to not register
on the 'readout dial' properly, so you have to rely on 'feel' for tyre
pressure a bit more. *shrugs*

Cheers,
Abby

 

[Gemma_k]

"beerwolf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> An old injury causes my shoulder to freeze up after about 30
> strokes with a hand pump. It takes a looong time, with my Silca
> floor pump, to pump up a tyre from scratch. Does anyone know
> if there's a foot-operated bike pump available, here or abroad,
> that I could use instead? Would be even better if it was small
> enough to carry in a pannier.

Just give up pumping altogether and carry some CO2 cartridges. Will put in
more than 120psi in a few seconds depending on the width of your tyre, and
the size of the cartridge (have to be careful!).
If you are going abroad you will need to buy cartridges over there, because
you're not supposed to fly with compressed gas (although I have accidentally
carried some through on hand luggage a few times domestically and didn't get
caught?!)
Gemm

 

[TimC]

On 2006-06-26, Gemma_k (aka Bruce)
was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
> If you are going abroad you will need to buy cartridges over there, because
> you're not supposed to fly with compressed gas (although I have accidentally

Because, you know, that extra 14.7PSI when it is in a hard vacuum
(like in a plane), ontop of the 200(?) PSI in the cartridge, boom!


Can I be an airline "security" grunt? Pretty please? I got me enough
edumucation!

--
TimC
Weeks of coding can save you hours of planning. --unknown

 

[Wilfred Kazoks]

"TimC" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> On 2006-06-26, Gemma_k (aka Bruce)
> was almost, but not quite, entirely unlike tea:
>> If you are going abroad you will need to buy cartridges over there,
>> because
>> you're not supposed to fly with compressed gas (although I have
>> accidentally
>
> Because, you know, that extra 14.7PSI when it is in a hard vacuum
> (like in a plane), ontop of the 200(?) PSI in the cartridge, boom!
>
>
> Can I be an airline "security" grunt? Pretty please? I got me enough
> edumucation!
>
> --
> TimC
> Weeks of coding can save you hours of planning. --unknown

Once I tried to carry my pump on a flight. Security wouldn't allow it. I
questioned them if they were worried i was going to blow up the plane?

Not even a smirk. And this was years before 9/11
I wouldn't dare try it today, even though it is a lame joke.
Wilfred

 

[beerwolf]

Gemma_k wrote:
>
> "beerwolf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> An old injury causes my shoulder to freeze up after about 30
>> strokes with a hand pump. It takes a looong time, with my Silca
>> floor pump, to pump up a tyre from scratch. Does anyone know
>> if there's a foot-operated bike pump available, here or abroad,
>> that I could use instead? Would be even better if it was small
>> enough to carry in a pannier.
>
> Just give up pumping altogether and carry some CO2 cartridges. Will put in
> more than 120psi in a few seconds depending on the width of your tyre, and
> the size of the cartridge (have to be careful!).
> If you are going abroad you will need to buy cartridges over there,
> because
> you're not supposed to fly with compressed gas (although I have
> accidentally
> carried some through on hand luggage a few times domestically and didn't
> get
> caught?!)
> Gemm

Thanks to all who gave suggestions. It seems very possible that my
Silca is part of the problem -certainly the handle is very uncomfortable
(gave me a blister last time I used it). So the first step will be to visit
some bike shops and see if they'll let me try out a few floor pumps
in the shop. What are people's opinions on the best floor pumps
from the POV of getting max pressure in the fewest strokes. Effort
is not my problem - it's the repetition that kills me. If I can't make
that work, I'll go for a home compressor.
I'm also going to suss out CO2 cartridges for on the road. Do
most BS carry them?

--
beerwolf (remove numbers from email address)

 

[Gemma_k]

"beerwolf" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> I'm also going to suss out CO2 cartridges for on the road. Do
> most BS carry them?

Any half decent one would. Or a motorcycle shop even. You can get
caannisters in two sizes, 16g and 12g. 12g will do a normal 700cx23 plenty
hard enough. If you are running a biggerbag you might want a 16g. A 16g
will do a motorcycle tyre nicely too
You can buy CO2 heads that also have a mini pump built in, in the case of
real emergencies (when you have run out of cartriges - but by then I have
run out of tubes/patches!)

Gemma