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For the bike nut who thought he had everything, here comes the floor pump that will outlive him. It’s made by , the Italian company that’s set the gold standard for pumps since 1917. But the Super Pista Ultimate is another creature entirely.
Made in Indianapolis, (SILCA’s new home), it comes with a spec sheet that’s about as unintelligible—and impressive—as the menu of a five-star restaurant. A heavy zinc and brushed-nickel base plants the pump firmly to the floor and looks like it will last forever. The laboratory-grade pressure gauge reads from 0-160 psi with +/-1% accuracy—better than the usual +/-5%. The hose has a Teflon core, lined with braided steel and coated in red urethane. It looks like a vine of licorice, but is rated for 12,000 psi—a grade suitable for an aircraft’s brake line.
The Presta and Schrader chuck uses a high-strength neodymium magnet to dock to your tire valve and to the base when not in use. The pump’s barrel borrows from the best mountain bike shocks, with its Teflon-lining, hard-anodized piston rod, and precision IGUS bushing. And the hand-turned rosewood and steel handle was inspired by fine Japanese kitchen knives.
If you think the $450 price tag for this pump is, well, inflated, bear in mind that it won Best in Show at last month’s Interbike trade show [http://www.interbike.com/events/awards-night.htm]. SILCA’s new owners have spared no expense to ensure the air in your tires is pumped with more precision and elegance than ever before. Just be sure to write it into your will.
$450, silca.
Made in Indianapolis, (Silca’s new home), the pump comes with a spec sheet that’s about as unintelligible—and impressive—as the menu of a five-star restaurant. A heavy zinc and brushed-nickel base plants the pump firmly to the floor and looks like it will last forever. The laboratory-grade pressure gauge reads from 0-160 psi with +/-1% accuracy—better than the usual +/-5%. The hose has a Teflon core, lined with braided steel and coated in red urethane. It looks like a vine of licorice, but is rated for 12,000 psi—a grade suitable for an aircraft’s brake line.
The Presta and Schrader chuck uses a high-strength neodymium magnet to dock to your tire valve and the base when not in use. The pump’s barrel borrows from the best mountain bike shocks, with its Teflon-lining, hard-anodized piston rod, and precision IGUS bushing. And the hand-turned rosewood and steel handle was inspired by fine Japanese kitchen knives.
If you think the $450 price tag for this pump is, well, inflated, bear in mind that it won Best in Show at Silca’s new owners have spared no expense to ensure the air in your tires is pumped with more precision and elegance than ever before. Just be sure to write it into your will.
$450,
