Mickle's tip of the day - Pumps.

[mickle]

Have you serviced your bicycle pumps recently? If they are feeling a little wheezy and asthmatic there's an easy, cheap fix which will restore their capacity to blow and extend their operating life.

Visit the plastic waste pipe section of your local DIY store's plumbing department and purchase a tube of silicon lube of the sort used to ease the connection of push-fit sewerage pipes.

Unscrew the cap at the top of the pump's body and slather a load of lube over the rubber bits of the washer-valve affair at the end of the plunger before reassembling it. The rubber components in the head also respond well to a bit of lube if you have another minute to spare.

There, I've just saved you twenty quid.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

said silicon lube is also dead useful if you run avid hydraulic disc brakes on your flat barred bike.

 

[Moodyman]

said silicon lube is also dead useful if you run avid hydraulic disc brakes on your flat barred bike.

Never heard of silicon lube so Googled it.

All the search results relate to condoms and other bedroom paraphernalia.

You trying to get us all into trouble with our bosses Mick?

 

[gbb]

Silicone lube is readily available from plumbers merchants, probably at DIY shops as well. IIRC its only a couple quid for a small tub that'll last forever. Its used for joining pushfit waste etc, its like a sloppy white grease.
(edited to say, sorry Mickle, you already said that )
Mickles tip's a good one, its easy to forget a pump need care as well, i only mentioned it in a post somewhere the other day.

 

[mickle]

 

[Smokin Joe]

Also useful if you have a Co2 pump. Smearing a little round the lip of the cartridge will prevent the seal cracking due to the freezing cold gas - No 1 cause of Co2 pump failure, generally discovered when you are over 30 miles from home.

 

[subaqua]

said silicon lube is also dead useful if you run avid hydraulic disc brakes on your flat barred bike.

explain please. I have avid hydraulics on my mTB ( which doesn't have flat bars BTW)

 

[Deleted member 1258]

On the subject of inflation, how many have checked the spare tube or tubes they carry in case of visits from the farie, mickle's post has reminded me that mine have be laying in my saddle bags for many months undisturbed.