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Serfas Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump (Product Review and Giveaway)

During the course of the year I ride with several different cyclists, both male and female, and I always like to hear their opinions about bicycle products. I am a MAMIL (middle-aged man in Lycra) and it seems like nearly all bike products were made with men like me in mind. Last year one of the ladies I was riding with gave me a 30-minute lecture on how most companies don’t understand the needs of female cyclists. To be quite honest, it was a subject I had never given much thought to before. However, when the folks at Serfas sent me one of their Women’s Bicycle Floor Pumps to review I realized that some companies do understand female cyclists after all.

Serfas Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump

While there are some very tall women in the world, the bottom line is that, on average, men are taller than women. A bicycle floor pump designed for the average man is going to be too tall for the average female. The Serfas WFP-200 Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump is 22″ tall, which is eight inches shorter than the standard floor pump I have in my garage. This lower stand over height allows for people of short stature to use the pump with ease—the shortened barrel provides greater leverage.

An easy to read dial sits at the top of the pump

Another nice feature of this pump is the easy to read dial—it sits up at the top of the pump instead of near the floor (the older you get the more you will appreciate this). This pump is rated to go up to 160 psi, but since I don’t have any bike tires that need that high of a pressure I only tried the pump out to 120 psi. This pump has an alloy barrel with sturdy alloy base and weighs 3.35 pounds (1460 grams).

The pump head handles both Presta and Schrader valves

In addition to the pump head that adjusts to both Presta and Schrader valves, this floor pump also includes a needle so you can also use it inflate volleyballs and basketballs, along with an adapter so you can inflate a beach ball. The ergonomic handle on this pump makes it very comfortable to use. Ladies, even if you don’t like the pink color and floral design of this floor pump, you will have to appreciate the fact that your husband or boyfriend won’t be borrowing it!

Needle and adapter so you can inflate beach balls or basketballs

The Serfas Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump retails for $45 and is available from the Serfas Website and most bike shops in America. You can also find this floor pump at a few places you might have expect, like Sears and Camping World (catalog and Internet sales only). This product comes with a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturer’s defects in material and workmanship.

While this product functions flawlessly, I don’t exactly need a pink floor pump in the Man Cave (my garage). So, I have one Serfas Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump in perfect condition that I am going to give away to some lucky reader. To enter the contest for the floor pump pictured above all you have to do is pick a number between 1,000 and 1,250 and enter it in the comment section below (you don’t actually have to make a comment). The contest ends at midnight (CST) on Friday, March 8, 2013. After the contest closes I will use a random number generator to pick the winning number. If no one has the exact number the person with the number closest to, but not over, the winning number will get this Serfas Women’s Bicycle Floor Pump. In case two or more people chose the same number the first person to pick the number will be the winner. This contest is for U.S. residents only and only one entry per household allowed. When the contest is over I will publish the results in the comments section of this article. I will send this product to the winner via U.S. Mail at my expense.

86 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on March 4, 2013 in Bicycle Repair, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, inflation, inflator, serfas

Genuine Innovations Second Wind Road Carbon Mini

18 Apr

Second Wind Carbon Mini

Any time you go out for a bike ride you know your ride could be interrupted by a flat tire, but if you have the right tools you can change the tire and be back on the road in just five or six minutes. When it comes to inflation products for cycling there is no company that I like more than Genuine Innovations, and their Second Wind Road Carbon Mini tire pump is an item that every road cyclist needs.

The Second Wind Road Carbon Mini is a lightweight, compact tire pump that uses CO2 cartridges, and if you run out of cartridges you can also use it as a manual pump. The pump can be used with either 12 or 16 gram threaded CO2 cartridges and one 16 gram CO2 cartridge will inflate a 700x23c road tire to 130 psi. Genuine Innovations describes construction of this pump as a “carbon fiber pump body with high strength glass-reinforced nylon, and brass valve internals.” I need to point out that the Second Wind only works with Presta valves.

I have found the best way to inflate a tire after a repair is to use a manual pump to get some air in the tube and help get the valve in the right position, then use a CO2 cartridge to finish the job. A 16 gram CO2 cartridge is included with this pump, but if you are not sure what size cartridge you need for your bike Genuine Innovations as an inflation chart available on their Website.

Some portable bicycle pumps attach to the top tube on your bike where it constantly gets in your way. Other pumps attach to the bottle cage holder on either the seat tube or down tube and force you to give up a water bottle (not good for long rides). The Second Wind has a well designed offset holder that attaches between your seat tube and the bottle cage holder. Once stored in the holder the Second Wind is actually sitting in the corner of your water bottle and the seat tube—it is “out of sight, out of mind.”

While this tire pump is very easy to use, I would suggest you try it out at home first. Spare CO2 cartridges are only a few dollars each and the experience gained from inflating a tire in your garage can save you from a lot of aggravation on the side of the road.

The Second Wind Road Carbon Mini retails for $40 and comes with a limited lifetime warranty. If your local bike shop does not carry this pump they can order it for you can order it directly from Genuine Innovations.

10 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on April 18, 2012 in Bicycle Repair, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, CO2, cycling, inflation, inflator, innovations

Slime Lite Self Healing Bicycle Inner Tubes

12 Mar

Slime Lite Self Healing Tubes

If you are a Weight Weenie who enjoys patching flat tires then you can skip this product review. However, if you would rather spend your free time actually riding instead of waiting for the glue on a tire patch to dry, then you need to pick up a pair of Slime Lite Self Healing Bicycle Inner Tubes.

Slime Lite Self Healing Tubes are lightweight butyl inner tubes that have been pre-filled with Slime tube sealant. The company claims that this product will instantly seal most punctures up to 1/8″ (3mm), and in my experience the product works well. However, they warn that sidewall punctures and pinch flats might not seal.

If you travel much in Third World Countries you will see a lot of glass and litter on the roads. Well, I live in the far-north suburbs of Chicago in the People’s Republic of Illinois and we are pretty much a Third World Country! The main bike trail in my area has so many broken bottles on it that the locals call it the “Glass Highway.” A few years ago it was common for me to get flat tire on one of my bikes at least once a week. However, once I started using Slime in my inner tubes my problems with flats disappeared.

Sometimes we have to make compromises while cycling. We want the lightest bike and components possible and we don’t want to add any unnecessary weight to the bike, especially rotating weight (like on your tires). A 700c x 19-25mm Slime Lite tube weights 158 grams (about 5.5 ounces). While this is three times higher than the weight of a Bontrager Race XXX Lite tube, I would rather put up with a bit of extra weight on my tires than have to stop to change a tube in a high-crime area on the “Glass Highway” (I know of several cyclists who’ve been robbed on this wonderful trail).

While I have nothing but good things to say about Slime, I noticed that many of the customer reviews on Amazon.com were negative. The only thing I can tell you is that my experience with Slime has been excellent. The only time Slime has ever failed me was the first time I got a puncture with it installed. I had a small sliver of metal stuck in my tire, so I stopped to pull it out (I should have kept riding). Since I had not taken the time to read the directions, I pulled the sliver out while it was facing up—which means all the Slime was on the bottom of the tube! If you get a puncture while riding with Slime in your tubes the best thing to do is to pull the debris out while it is facing the ground—this will let some Slime and air out, but the puncture will seal. Then, put some air back in the tube, get back on your bike and ride. The rotation of the tires will spread the Slime out and you should be “good to go.”

The Slime Lite tubes retail for $12 and you should be able to find them at your local bike shop. These tubes are available in a variety of sizes for both 26-inch and 700c tires, and for both Presta and Schrader valves. In case you were wondering, Slime sealants are made with environmentally safe, non-toxic, non-hazardous and non-flammable ingredients—if you spill any of it on you all you need is soap and water to clean it up.

10 Comments

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on March 12, 2012 in Bicycle Repair, Bicycle Tires, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, inflation, inflator, tires

Genuine Innovations Fat 20 Threaded CO2 Cartridge

29 Aug

Genuine Innovations Fat 20 CO2 Cartridge

It seems like every time I’m out on the bike trails I see more and more cyclists riding mountain bikes with 29-inch tires. These larger tires offer several advantages over the traditional 26-inch tires, such as increased traction and a smoother ride over obstacles. Until recently the downside of 29-inch tires was that there wasn’t a CO2 cartridge designed for these higher volume tires and that’s where the Genuine Innovations Fat 20 Threaded CO2 Cartridge comes in! This new 20 gram CO2 cartridge will inflate a 29×2.1 MTB tire up to 42psi. The Fat 20 fits perfectly in their product line between their 16 gram and 25 gram cartridges. If you are not certain what size CO2 cartridge you need for your bike tires you need to check out the tire inflation chart they have on their Web site.

The Fat 20 CO2 cartridge is compatible with several of the mini-CO2 inflators that Genuine Innovations sells, such as the Microflate, Air Chuck, and Ultraflate. I think the best way to go is to carry the Mountain Pipe CO2 Inflator which gives you both a CO2 inflation chuck and a hand pump. A package of two Fat 20 CO2 cartridges sells for $11. If your local bike shop does not carry the Fat 20 in stock just ask them to order it for you. The Fat 20 is available on the Genuine Innovations Website as well as Amazon.com.

When Genuine Innovations sent a package of these cartridges to me for review I wasn’t exactly sure what I was going to write! The only difference between the 16 gram and the 20 gram cartridges is 4 grams of CO2 (and a slight difference in length). However, not all CO2 cartridges are alike.

I have been a loyal customer of Genuine Innovations for around nine years—well before I started writing product reviews for this blog. If you have ever visited the Genuine Innovations Website or purchased one of their CO2 inflators you might have noticed their warranty says “the use of any CO2 cartridge other than Genuine Innovations brand cartridges will void the warranty.” You might be tempted to credit this warning to their marketing department, i.e., maybe it is just an effort to scare you into buying their cartridges instead of the cheaper cartridges you can find online. Please give me an opportunity to set the record straight.

Before I took up cycling I spent a lot of time shooting air rifles and pistols, all powered by CO2 cartridges. Somewhere along the way I found out I could “save” money by buying “no-name” CO2 cartridges in bulk off of the Internet. My first (and last) attempt at using cheap CO2 cartridges taught me several things about quality control (and the lack thereof).

The first thing I noticed about the cheaper cartridges was that they were dirty. The entire box of 24 cartridges appeared to have a thin film of oil on each cylinder. I didn’t think a lot about it at first—I was just thinking about the money I saved by buying “no name” cartridges. The second thing I learned about the cheap cartridges was that they wouldn’t fit inside my air rifle! However, since my air pistol had a different mechanism the cheap cartridges worked in it. The cylinders looked like they were exactly the same size as the “name brand” cartridges I had used, but they were just enough thicker that they wouldn’t fit. I guess quality control was not such a big deal in their country of origin!

After using a few of the cheaper cartridges I realized that the amount of CO2 in each cartridge varied wildly. I had no way of actually measuring the amount of CO2 in each cartridge, but based upon the number of shots I was able to take they had to vary by at least 25%. A difference of 25% might not mean much in an air gun, but it is a pretty big deal in your bike tire!

Genuine Innovations 16-gram CO2 cartridge cut in two

Inside A Genuine Innovations 16-gram CO2 Cartridge

By the time I got halfway through the box of “no name” cartridges I found another problem—the seals on my air gun were very dirty. I wasn’t sure where the dirt and oil was coming from at first, so I cut one of the empty CO2 cartridges in two with a hacksaw and was amazed at the amount of oil and grit I found inside! Wherever these cartridges were made the quality control folks must have slept on the job!

For this review I cut an empty Genuine Innovations CO2 cartridge in two with a hacksaw. Do you know what I found? Nothing! The inside of the cartridge looked like it had just come back from the dry cleaners (except for the shavings created by the hacksaw). Quality control does make a difference and that is why for the past nine years I have only purchased Genuine Innovations CO2 cartridges for my bikes. “Saving money” by buying cheap cartridges can end up costing you a lot of money.

1 Comment

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on August 29, 2011 in Bicycle Repair, Fat Bikes, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, CO2, cycling, inflation, inflator, innovations, puncture, repair, tires

Genuine Innovations Race Day Road Kit CO2 Tire Inflator

15 Aug

If your bicycle has a carrier on the handlebars that looks like a picnic basket, this product is not for you. However, if you race or simply like to keep your bike as lightweight as possible, then I’ve got some great news for you! The Genuine Innovations Race Day Road Kit is not only the easiest way to attach a CO2 cartridge to your bike, but it is also provides the fastest way to remove the cartridge from your frame as well.

Genuine Innovations Race Day Road Kit

The Race Day Road Kit includes an all metal alloy Air Chuck Elite, a high-quality air chuck that connects a CO2 cartridge to the valve on your bicycle tire, and it works with both Presta and Schrader valves. This air chuck works with all Genuine Innovations 12, 16, or 25 gram threaded CO2 cartridges. The kit also includes a flexible mounting bracket that attaches to your bike with a Velcro strap. The mounting bracket can go just about anywhere on your bike frame, like but I think the seat post or top tube would be the most logical locations. The kit comes with two 16 gram CO2 cartridges, and a plastic cover for the cartridges (it keeps your hands from freezing when you use a cartridge).

The Race Day Road Kit was obviously designed with tri-athletes in mind. Removing a CO2 cartridge from the mounting bracket is as simple as pulling a short Velcro strap. The “push-to-inflate technology” on the air chuck means you can add air to your tire and get back on the road in a matter of seconds. When the race is over you can remove the mounting bracket in about two seconds.

There is also another great use for this product. I ride all-year long and in all weather conditions. If you ride in the rain you really ought to get the Race Day Road Kit. Rain has a tendency to bring all sorts of road debris to the surface and this leads to a lot of tire punctures. If it is a bad puncture you are going to have to patch the tire, but if it is just a slow leak you can quickly hop off the bike, inflate your tire, then get back on the road. If you only ride in fair weather this might not sound like a big deal, but if you have ever tried to use a hand pump to inflate a tire during a storm you will appreciate anything that can keep you from standing in the mud on the side of the road any longer than necessary!

The Race Day Road Kit retails for $25. If your local bike shop does not carry it you can order one from the Genuine Innovations Website. This review was based upon a product that was sent to me for review by Genuine Innovations.

Genuine Innovations Top Dog Legend Floor Pump

01 Aug

Top Dog Legend Floor Pump

You don’t have to have a lot of equipment to enjoy cycling, but one thing you must have is a reliable floor pump. When you buy a pump you had better purchase a good one because you are going to be using it a lot. Bicycle tires need topped off every week, and even more often if you put on a lot of miles. I’ve owned three floor pumps in the past ten years. The first two were cheap and broke in less than a year, and my third pump, a Topeak Joe Blow Max, works but has several shortcomings that make it less than desirable. For the past month I’ve been using a Genuine Innovations Top Dog Legend that was sent to me for review and I am certain it will be the last floor pump I ever own.

The biggest difference between the Top Dog Legend and the other pumps I’ve used is the “smart head” that automatically adjusts to either Presta and Schrader valves. Just put the head over the tire valve and once you click the lever on the head it stays put, even at high pressures (the pump can go all the way up to 160 PSI).

My biggest complaint with the Topeak Joe Blow Max pump was that it would not work properly with short stemmed Presta valves (like I have on both of my road bikes). In addition, when using the Joe Blow Max to inflate a tire above 90 PSI it would often close the Presta valve and make it impossible to inflate the tire. Topeak makes a lot of great products for cyclists, but their floor pump just isn’t one of them. The Top Dog Legend has worked flawlessly on both short and regular Presta valves, as well as Schrader valves.

The Top Dog Legend is taller than the other pumps I’ve owned (it’s over 30 inches tall) and has a brushed aluminum barrel. It has a large easy to read gauge mounted near the top of the unit and this makes it very easy to read (you will appreciate this feature more as you get older). As you will notice in the photograph, this pump also has a solid base (the logo for this pump is on the other side, but I wanted you to see exactly where the gauge sits).

Compared to the other pumps I’ve used this one seems effortless—I was able to inflate the tires on my road bike to 120 PSI in far fewer strokes and with less effort than with the other pumps I’ve used (I guess this is because of the taller barrel on the pump). Another advantage of this pump is that the hose is 48 inches long which means you can inflate the tires while your bike is still on a rack or floor stand (the hose on most floor pumps is only around 36 inches long).

Easy To Read Gauge

While preparing this review I stopped at the local sporting goods store to see the floor pumps they had in stock—they had eight pumps available (all the same make and model). When I started looking at the pumps I noticed that the lever on the head of the pump was missing from two of them. Either the pumps were defective when they were shipped or they could not survive being examined by potential buyers! Either way, those pumps would not last long once you put them to use. Genuine Innovations offers a lifetime warranty on their products (see their Website for details), but since these pumps are extremely well made I doubt if you will ever need it.

It is customary for product reviewers to find at least one thing to complain about in every review they write (this supposedly shows their independence). If this is the standard then I guess I’ve failed—I can’t find anything to complain about with this pump! It is a quality product in every sense of the word.

The Top Dog Legend retails for $70 and if your local bike shop does not carry it they can probably order it for you. You can also purchase this pump directly from Genuine Innovations.

1 Comment

Posted by All Seasons Cyclist on August 1, 2011 in Bicycle Repair, Product Reviews

Tags: bicycle, bike, cycling, inflation, inflator, innovations, presta, pump, puncture, schrader, tires

Genuine Innovations Mountain Pipe CO2 Inflator

18 Jul

If you look at the products on the shelves in a typical bike shop you might be led to believe that most manufacturers of cycling products have a fairly small product line. Actually, this is seldom the case. Most bike shops just don’t have the shelf space available to stock everything, so they usually only carry what they think will sell quickly. This is a shame because there are so many great products out there that a lot of cyclists will never see unless the visit the Website of the various manufacturers. A few weeks ago I was looking at the Genuine Innovations Website and when I saw their Mountain Pipe CO2 Inflator I knew I had to have one immediately. The good folks at Genuine Innovations sent one to me for review and I have to tell you this pump is fantastic!

Genuine Innovations Mountain Pipe CO2 Inflator

The Mountain Pipe CO2 Inflator is designed for mountain bikes and will inflate a MTB tire to standard pressure using a CO2 cartridge or by manually inflating it by using the Mountain Pipe as a regular hand pump. You can store a CO2 cartridge by screwing it into the end of the handle. This pump will work with both Presta and Schrader valves (a Schrader valve adapter is inside the handle). A small storage compartment inside the handle not only holds the Schrader valve adapter, but also a few tire patches (two are included). This pump also comes with a plastic cartridge cover to keep your hands from freezing when you use the CO2 cartridge. The pump barrel and handle stay securely closed due to a magnet lock built into the pump.

The Mountain Pipe Has A Hidden Compartment To Hold Tire Patches

I have found the best way to inflate a tire after a repair is to use a manual pump to get some air in the tube and help get the valve in the right position, then use a CO2 cartridge to finish the job. I always carry two CO2 cartridges with me, but one time last year I had a flat and after I thought it had been fixed I inflated the tire and found out the tube had a second puncture, so I used my second (and last) CO2 cartridge to inflate the tire. I spent the rest of the ride worrying about what would happen if I got another puncture since I was now out of CO2 cartridges. Now that I have the Mountain Pipe I no longer worry about such things—this is truly the best of both worlds!

The Mountain Pipe has an all alloy construction and brass valve internals. It weighs a mere 115 grams, is about 8.75 inches long, and is about the same diameter as a quarter. The pump can be used with 12, 16 and 25 gram threaded CO2 cartridges. While testing this pump I didn’t have a puncture so I could test it on the road, so I deflated a tire while my bike was in my garage and was easily able to inflate the tire up to 55 pounds of pressure (though the last few pounds did take some effort).

Mountain Pipe Attached To Seat Tube

Now, let me tell you something that Genuine Innovations forgot to mention on their Website. Some portable bicycle pumps attach to the top tube of your bike where they constantly get in your way. Other pumps attach to the bottle cage holder on either the seat tube or down tube and force you to give up a water bottle. The Mountain Pipe has a well designed offset holder that attaches between your seat tube and the bottle cage holder. Once stored in the holder the Mountain Pipe is actually sitting in the corner of your water bottle and the seat tube—it is “out of sight, out of mind.” You could easily forget that you even had the Mountain Pipe with you—it doesn’t even come close to your shoes or pedals. The photo at the left really doesn’t do justice to how well the Mountain Pipe hides in this corner.

While riding with this pump attached to my mountain bike I hit a lot of big bumps on the trails and the pump stayed securely in place.

A 16 gram CO2 cartridge is included with this pump, but if you are not sure what size cartridge you need for your bike Genuine Innovations as an inflation chart available on their Website.

The Mountain Pipe is available in either black or white and retails for $40, but is available on Amazon.com for around $28. This pump comes with a limited lifetime warranty and is made in the USA.

Genuine Innovations Tire Repair And Inflation Wallet

17 Jun

One of my least favorite tasks associated with cycling is changing a bicycle tire. I don’t mind changing a tire in my garage where I have access a bicycle repair stand and an air compressor, but I’ve never been fortunate enough to have a flat in my garage. In fact, I’ve never had a flat within 15 miles of home. As a result, every time I go for a ride I take a Genuine Innovations Tire Repair Wallet with me.

Genuine Innovations Tire Repair Wallet

Genuine Innovations has manufactured bicycle tire repair and CO2 inflation products for over 20 years. I own four Genuine Innovations Tire Repair Wallets (one for each bike). While these wallets will easily fit inside of a jersey pocket, I keep mine in a small seat bag along with a spare tube and a Topeak Mini 9 Pro Multitool.

Inside the water-resistant nylon wallet you will find a compact CO2 inflator (works on both Presta and Schrader valves), two 16 gram threaded cartridges, tire patch kit, and two tire levers. One 16 gram CO2 cartridge will inflate a 700x23c road tire to 130 psi, or a 26×1.95″ MTB tire to 40 psi.

While this tire repair kit is very easy to use, I would suggest you try it out at home first. If you don’t have a spare tube to practice on, just ask your local bike shop if they have an old tube you can have (they probably have a dozen of them in trash can at any given moment). Spare CO2 cartridges are only a few bucks each and the experience gained from repairing a tire in your garage can save you from a lot of aggravation on the side of the road.

The Genuine Innovations Tire Repair Wallet retails for $25. I purchased mine online from Bike Nashbar for $20.