Pump Friction & Mischievous Pattern Mounts

Returning from a ride where I had contemplated global events, the potential for societal collapse and the increased possibility of nuclear war, constructive distraction called. Growing up in the 1980s, these scenarios felt an omnipresent threat. While genuinely terrifying, world leaders and their representatives seemed to show some tangible reticence and restraint.

Hmm, that got dark quick. Distraction and levity please, Michael…

While topping up the pressure in these Continental Terra Competition Trail The Continental Terra Competition Trail | cycling-not-racing , it struck me that this Blackburn Piston 4 Floor Pump THe BLACKBURN PISTON 4 FLOOR PUMP had served tirelessly for a decade, without any maintenance. Though still reliably belting the desired pressure into tyres of all genres and sizes, the piston’s action wasn’t feeling so refined. Time for an overhaul.. Accessing the internals is very straightforward.

Removing two Phillips screws around the collar and pulling the handle upwards saw the internal assembly of piston and gasket slide from the barrel. Cursory inspection suggested that despite some gunge and grime, the gasket and other composites were in good health. I’d brewed a more concentrate version of the Juice Lubes Bike Cleaner for situations where I wanted more bite than a typical bike wash but without the ruthlessness of a full-blown degreaser.  

Having wet the host components with fresh water, I applied some of the foamy green grot gobbler and went for my medium- stiff brush. This Green Oil GREEN OIL BIKE BRUSH REVIEW is another staple serving me well, years down the line. A few minutes later, my boosted bike wash had made encouraging inroads into the grime. Softening the Green Oil Brushes bristle plot in warm (not hot) water, I tickled everything to a rich lather, lifting the ingrained grime. Next came a rinse under the outside tap and closer inspection.

I was relieved to discover everything in good shape, so my attention turned to the pump barrel’s inner sanctum. No sense doing half a job.

Aerosol-based solvents are arguably the most convenient, since they’ll break down the residual grease and grime, then evaporate. Drivetrain degreasers that require rinsing with water run the risk of residual water pooling in the barrel’s base, creating mischief.  I hadn’t any of the former handy, so reached for some Motoverde Drivetrain Cleaner Motoverde Drivetrain Cleaner | cycling-not-racing and vowed to dry fastidiously, equipping myself with a stick, clean rag and a hairdryer.

Grease is the word…With some Exceptions

Grease, never oil pumps, since oils can not only rot rubber and composites but also get blown inside valves. In a pinch, a silicone spray such as this Muc-Off Silicone Shine MUC OFF SILICON SHINE POLISH | cycling-not-racing will keep everything supple and mobile. I tend to apply a quick shot to mini and frame-fit pump pistons and pump heads to keep them happy.

Oh, don’t be greasing Silca pumps, since they employ a leather gasket. You’ll need their NFS Leather and Pump Lube…Silca NFS Leather and Pump Lube | cycling-not-racing . If in doubt, check with the manufacturer before slathering your pump’s delicate internals with the wrong, potentially ruinous stuff.

Never use lithium or PTFE-based grease, since these rot rubber. Step away from that old dusty old tub of Castrol Red Rubber Grease too. It might’ve kept Granddad’s BSA Bantam’s forks happy, but it’ll destroy contemporary elastomers, seals etc. Reach for a silicone-based prep.

I’ve gone for Juice Lubes Slick Juice since it’s on my test bench and is safe for suspension and similar stuff. As you’ll note, I’ve been very liberal around the gasket and lower section but still gone for a thin coating along the piston. Enough to keep it slick, but without attracting dirt, or excess grease forced out around the collar.

Back at the barrel, the Drivetrain Cleaner had banished the residual grime, so I rinsed with warm water, wrapped a towel around a stick and used this tag-team to dry the inner walls before introducing a hairdryer on medium heat.  That done, simply grab the handle and slide everything back together.

Check the hose and other components are correctly seated, line up the holes and reaffix the screws. Test to check everything’s smooth and forcing air through the valve head.

I also went this route with the SKS Air-Explorer Digi Floor Pump 10.0 SKS Air-X-Plorer Digi Floor Pump | cycling-not-racing  Same method, only the SKS employs Torx25 screws, which seem less prone to rounding off.

As for the mischievous mount…I’ve been getting some miles in with The Magicshine Ray 3000 Endurance Bike Light with ANT+ and wanted to port it over to other bikes, without taking the mount along too. I wasn’t surprised to discover the composite types employed by its smaller siblings would cope-albeit when torqued very snug but preferred a CNC-machined alloy host.

Denise has sported an out-front auction-site stem mount, which seemed the obvious choice. It aimed the light a little lower, which looked neater and would also eliminate any potential dazzling of oncoming traffic. All was going well. Then, six miles from home, The Magicshine Ray 3000 Endurance Bike Light with ANT+ shot from the Garmin pattern mount and clattered to the roadside. Mercifully, nothing was following me and not so much as a scratch on the light’s anodising.  

I ported the light over to one of the resin types (hosting the Coospo CS600 GPS), popped the Coospo in my jersey pocket and rode home.  Closer inspection revealed the composite Garmin tray had sheared.

A quick rummage through the mounts bag unearthed a suitable substitute. I also bolted the Magicshine Hori 1300 Magicshine HORI 1300 Front Light | cycling-not-racing mount underneath.

This would come in handy when The Magicshine Ray 3000 Endurance Bike Light with ANT+ was atop another set of bars and Denise’s fourteen-year-old 800-lumen Exposure Revo dynamo lamp needed a powerful backing singer. The Exposure Revo continues to serve me well, fourteen years down the road and generating 800-lumens on my own steam whenever I need it is incredibly liberating. No issues with being seen by oncoming traffic either. However, despite its considerable charms, I like a little extra navigational clout for belting along the darkest backroads.

Michael