Monday, May 08, 2006

Built for the Ages

The old Silca Track Pump was showing its 26 years at last. The check valve was sluggish, so the gauge would drop as soon as I finished a downstroke. I had to notice and remember the high point the needle had hit, to see if I had put enough pressure in the tire.

Most people don't seem to have the patience I do for nursing aging equipment along. My wife simply refused to use the Silca anymore. I picked up a Planet Bike Ozone ST to get us through the crisis until I could get parts for the Silca.

Gotta love the Italians. Campagnolo has been dragged into the ethically murky world of completely proprietary drive trains, but even there they try to maintain repairability and cross-compatibility of small parts as much as they can. As for the Silca, certamente, parts are available.

The new check valve parts don't look quite like the old ones, but they fit the space available and work as well or better.

That, my Asian friends, is what change for improvement really means.

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