At 4:06 PM -0500 4/15/09, John Hurley wrote:
>Idle question: They built their own luggage racks and handlebar stems,
>did those obsessive constructeurs build their own signature handmade,
>color coordinated frame pumps too?
>
>John Hurley
>Austin, Texas, USA
The goal of the constructeurs was not to be color-coordinated, but to make the best bicycle possible. The old aluminum-barrel Ad-Hoc and Zefal pumps were lighter than anything made since (in full size) - much lighter than a plastic Silca.
I have used those pumps up to 100 psi, with more to come. And since they are polished aluminum, they are pretty, too. For a photo, see
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com/
Some used Bluemels plastic pumps, but those don't seem to age all that well. The ones I tried had cracks all over, which doesn't help when pumping air.
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com