The chuck is the best there is if you use presta tubes

none noted

This is the pump. Most of the lever lock chucks can cause problems with the presta cap causing it to bend and eventually break off. This never happens with the Silca chuck.

I, for the life of me, cannot understand how anyone could have an issue with this. If you use a squirt of silicon, it's fine. You can loosen or tighten the chuck head that holds in the washer. Use your thumbs. It's simple and it is way better than anything else that is out there. In fact, I've put these chucks on my other pumps because they work better.

You can also find these parts for these all over the web. You have a pump problem, you fix it. Simple. Most of the parts are cheap - a dollar or two max. Just not a big deal.

I had one that lasted for 20 years until I lost it during a move. Hardly ever replaced washers. I have used the chucks for my other pumps too. NO issues. I finally bought a new pump to replace my lost one after my other non Silca died.

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Easy to repair. Stands up to abuse.

Difficult chuck.

My father taught me how to overhaul a Silca in 1983, and they haven't changed since then. I was a bicycle mechanic from 1986 to 2005, and sold and serviced almost every pump on the market at that time, and the Silca was always my favorite. Here's my advice: the best pump for you is the one you find easiest to use -- for most people, that isn't the Silca, because of the chuck. But if you want to cultivate a life-long relationship with your equipment, real intimacy, that sort of thing, this is the pump you need. You don't like the chuck? Cut it off and put a different one on -- personally, I have a Topeak chuck on mine. Also: try to find an old one, like prior to 2000. It's kind of like Linux vs. Windows -- it goes right to the quality of your soul, whether or not this is the pump for you.

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Just about every other pump out there.

Reputation

Performance, Construction

This pump is not what it use to be. The new models are cheaply made and don't work very well. Buy an older steel model.

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Joe Blow

Review is for the Silca Super Pista pump. It a solid quality pump. Inflates tubulars from 0 to 220#'s in about 130 strokes. The traditional wood handle feels great and looks terrific.

I've had no experiences that indicate any weaknesses other then the cheap retention device used to hold the hose on at the pump base. It blew off at 200#'s the 1st time I used it. A simple hose clamp rectified the situation.

Some may think the following is a weakness but it's essentially a fact of life. Leather piston pumps must be stored in the upright position, especially in cold conditions. When stored horizontal the leather becomes compressed/mishaped on one side rendering an air gap between the leather and the cylinder. In June, when camping at altitude this was a problem one cool 30 degree morning. I had to reshape the leather blossoming it out to get it to seal against the cylinder. This was a common problem with all pumps when I was a kid in the 50's. We learned to store our pumps upright back then so they would be there for us when we needed them. No plastic pumps in the 50's!

My opinion is that this pump is made for tubular road tires. I don't recommend it's use for a mountain bike. I use a plastic pump for my other clincher tire bikes which are inflated to low pressures 40#'s to 160#'s. It's just easier.

At 220#'s the chuck has absolutely no leakage. Chuck/stem installation is easy on and off.

Looking forward to years of service and handing it down to one of my grandchildren when that day comes.

I plan to grease frequently because the cylinder can get quite hot at 220#'s which should breakdown the grease rather quickly leaving only the grease soap and no oil on the leather.

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There are no similar products in my experience that are suitable for high pressure tubulars.

It seems to have lasted a fairly long time. I've actually had 2, the first one I bought in '92 and then got another in '97.

Parts wear out and break more often than I would expect. My main complaint is with the difficulty of switching the default chuck from Schrader to Presta and back and also how quickly the rubber grommet wears out so the chuck will no longer stay on the valve stem unless I hold it on with my hand.

I bought the Silca (don't know what model name, but it is the right hand one in the picture at the top of this page, the one with the ovalized plastic handle) when it was recommended to me by the LBS and magazines as the cream of the crop. I haven't been that satisfied with it, but it got the job done. Here is a list of the issues I had with it, some of them listed by people below. 1) The rubber gromet that grips on to the presta stem never has seemed to hold on well, it just gets worse as time goes on. Now I have to hold it on with one hand while pumping with the other. 2)The default brass chuck that came with the pump is a pain to switch over to Schrader for my friends that have that. Also it has to be screwed onto the Schrader stem in order to pump air, and that is a waste of time when we're trying to rush out the door. 3)I had the gauge break after a couple years on my first pump, the spring steel inside of it flexed too much and broke. Also I'm not sure now how accurate my current gauge is since I just bought a Serfas pump and it showed that I was 10 psi less than I thought I was!! Maybe that was why I got so many pinch flats MTBing. 4)The indented hose clamps on the handle have never securely held up the hose, and consequently it flops out and lies on the floor where I have to reach down to pick it up when I want to use it. 5)The feet on the base of the pump are small and don't provide a good balance point. The pump tends to tip over easily and fall on the ground unless I lean it up against a wall. Again that's not a major gripe, but I sure like the stable platform the Serfas pump has. Also the small feet made it more difficult to hold the pump stable and steady when using my cleated cycling shoes. It would tend to rock forward and backward while pumping. 6)At one point the leather disc fell off the pump handle and was stuck at the bottom of the barrel. I had to drill a hole from underneath the pump and use a straightened coat hanger to push the leather disc out, in spite of having kept it greased. So for all that I would give it 2.5 chilis but since I have to choose I round it up to 3. I was going to throw the Silca away now that I have another pump, but after reading the reviews here, I'm going to stick it in a corner and if my Serfas doesn't last so long, maybe restore it and keep on using it.

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Haven't used other pumps to compare it with.

Reliable.

When it does fail, you don't know what to do after 20 years of perfect performance.

Silca floor pump with Columbus tube (pink). Great pump for 20 years of riding/racing and 150,000+ miles. Well constructed, but simple. Good for road riders and high psi tires. Does Silca make a mini frame pump.... or a car?

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Lasts a long time.

Lasts a long time. But the $2 rubber gasket in the pump head is dust in less than three months. If this pump would break, it would be easier to justifiy buying a whole new pump, which after years of trying to track down one after another rubber pump head gasket is the best possible option.

Two posts before mine said EXACTLY what I would write, so, here's to copy and paste: I've suffered with my Silca for 15 years now, and enough is enough. I am going to buy something else (not sure what yet). Sure, it's basically held up, but trying to get it to hold onto a Presta valve is a constant source of frustration. With a long, fully threaded stem, I might get it to stay on (or it might pop off only once or twice), but with shorter stems, forget it! And even then, I have to replace the little rubber grippy thingy every few months (and they're not always easy to find). In some cases I can hold it on w/ one hand while pumping, but who wants to do that

This review concerns the SILCA SUPER PISTA floor pump. It pumps effortlessly and the gauge is accurate: I compared its pressure reading with a Snap-On air pressure gauge.

The unit arrived with the body of the gauge broken and Lickton's is sending me a new replacement gauge free of charge.

I'd recommend the SILCA SUPER PISTA to any biker regardless of their riding style - from road to mountain trail. Bringing the tires to pressure is fast and easy and the gauge is accurate.

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A Nashbar floor pump purchased in the mid 80's.

I've suffered with my Silca for 15 years now, and enough is enough. I am going to buy something else (not sure what yet). Sure, it's basically held up, but trying to get it to hold onto a Presta valve is a constant source of frustration. With a long, fully threaded stem, I might get it to stay on (or it might pop off only once or twice), but with shorter stems, forget it! And even then, I have to replace the little rubber grippy thingy every few months (and they're not always easy to find). In some cases I can hold it on w/ one hand while pumping, but who wants to do that? With my latest tubes, I cannot get a grip at all, and have to borrow a pump. I've borrowed Performance and Serfas pumps (among others) and they have all worked fine. Side note: My friend really likes his Serfas. He had a Performance but it didn't last long.

Durable, easy to use, and very reliable

Hose is kind of short

Have used this pump for well over 15 years without any problems. Haven't had to service it or anything during 15 years of use. Great pump. Only gripe is that the hose is a bit short. I'm used to inflating tires on the stand.

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