Serves the purpose I bought it for perfectly.
Written: Jul 31 '03 (Updated Jul 31 '03)
|
Product Rating:
|
|
|
Pros: Compact Size. Better than walking.
Cons: takes a lot of effort.
The Bottom Line: Small and takes muscle to use, but can be the difference between walking and riding.
|
|
|
| andylibby's Full Review: Crank Bros Power Pump |
Being a long-distance road cyclist, I always have this fear of being caught far from home with a broken chain, ruined tire, or some other ride-ending, rider-stranding malfunction. In reality, such things rarely occur on a well maintained and cared for bicycle. Not so with the most common problem faced by bike riders: flat tires. Flats happen ALL the time.
When I purchased the Crank Brothers Power Pump, I had zero illusions that this was going to be a pump that would provide the same performance as a larger pump. The laws of physics being what they are, it just isn't possible to move a larger volume of air on a single stroke than the capacity of the Power Pump's telescoping cylinder. Even so, I gladly bought the Power Pump and have carried it faithfully ever since for the single most important reason: having a pump -- any pump -- can mean the difference between riding home or walking a long, long way in the heat. And, if I'm going to carry a pump on my road bike, I want it to be tiny and light, and the Crank Brothers Power Pump at 5-1/2"long and 3.3 ounces (93 grams) is as tiny and lightweight as they come. It easily fits in my jersey pocket along with a Powerbar and my cell phone.
When I head out on a long bicycle ride, I carry the things I might need to handle most problems that could occur. These include food and water (or sports drink), a small multi-tool, a spare tube, tube patch kit, C02 cartridges and nozzle, cell phone, and a tiny plastic zipper bag with ID, insurance info, and a little money. Along with all that I carry a Crank Brothers Power Pump. With these assorted supplies, I can handle a broken chain, a loose bolt or two, minor roadside brake and shifter adjustments, and, hopefully, at least one or two flat tires. I say hopefully, because even though flats don't happen on every ride, they do occur often enough and they sometimes come in bunches so that a rider has to be prepared.
Having a C02 cartridge and nozzle is my first line of defense in insuring that I can air up a repaired tube in a road bike tire to the 100+ pounds necessary to provide a surefooted and fast ride. The Crank Brothers Power Pump is the second line of defense and serves three important purposes in the flat fixing equation.
First, if I have a punctured tube that I have to repair, I first need to pump a bit of air into the tube to locate the hole. I don't want to waste valuable C02 for that purpose, so I use the Power Pump to put enough air into the tube to help me locate the leak. A few strokes on the handle of the Power Pump and the air starts hissing out of the hole.
Second, if I am on a long ride and I have more than one puncture -- something that has happened too many times -- I may run out of C02. At this point, I will thank my lucky stars and planets that I have the super-compact Power Pump with me.
Third, there is an unwritten rule that cyclists offer to help other cyclists who are stranded with mechanical trouble or flats. For this reason, I may go out on a 50 mile bike ride, have zero flats myself, but still assist in fixing one or two flats of other riders. The Power Pump comes to the rescue in these cases. The dual head design that fits both Schrader and Presta valves comes in handy here as you never know what type of tubes other riders may have.
The Power Pump is capable of achieving 100psi although I don't know if I've ever had enough energy to pump it that long. The telescoping cylinder has a bi-directional valve that pumps on both the push and pull strokes so that does help a lot, but it still takes effort and many strokes to pump up a tire. The connection to the tire valve is secure and adjustable. The two settings for high pressure or high volume make this a versatile pump for multiple uses and different bicycle tire sizes.
The bottom line is this, I bought the Crank Brothers Power Pump because I wanted to carry a lightweight pump with me as a backup to C02 cartridges. I have used my Power Pump on at least 2 dozen occasions and it has never failed me and has never left me stranded beside the road. With a bit of effort, I can pump a 700 X 23 road bike tire up to probably 70 or 75 pounds with the Power Pump. That's not exactly racing pressure, but it is enough to get me back on the bike and back home instead of facing a long, hot walk. That is the true measure of the Crank Brothers Power Pump and, in my book, it fulfills its role perfectly.
I recommend the Crank Brothers Power Pump because it is far better to ride a bicycle with a mushy tire than it is to push a bicycle with a flat tire.
Recommended:
Yes
|
|
|
|
Epinions.com ID:
andylibby
|
|
Location: Keller, Texas
Reviews written: 16
Trusted by: 0 members
About Me:
Husband, GrandDad, Bicyclist, Vegetarian, Republican Activist, Marketing Rep
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.