Axiom SprintAir (~$40AUD)

I think it has “Axiom” on the barrel and “Air Supply” on the head.

Sales blurb:

– High efficiency aluminum barrel

– Ribbed aluminum handle with twist lock

– 160psi maximum

– Instant attach Presta head

– Patch kit and schrader adapter inside handle

– Lifetime guarantee

– 110g

My blah blah:

I’ve used this for two roadside puncture repairs since buying it and it’s my favourite frame pump to date. Prior to this I’ve used a Blackburn and another one that I don’t know the details of right now (good reviewer eh? :P). The Blackburn is still going but the other one is dead. The Axiom is lighter and skinnier than the Blackburn and doesn’t require twisting a lockring once on the valve – just push it on and start pumping. Too easy. It feels reasonably solid for a light frame pump unlike the last one I had. It looks better too. There’s no pressure gauge on this one, but I figure pump it up as hard as possible and get yourself to a track pump asap.

Okay.. my fault for leaving a holed tyre on the bike with no repair attempted but still..

(If only I’d patched the tyre.. If only I’d patched the tyre.. If only I’d patched the tyre.. )

I think I’m going to take the Michelin’s off and fit some training tyres with a bit more meat on them. They have to be red. I think I spotted some red Vittoria Rubino’s in my LBS the other day, they’ll do. Cheaper than Pro Race too.

At least the recent bout of punctures means I got to test Gemma’s “leave your bike up the right way when fixing flats” method. It is easy but I still forget to shift into the smallest cog first (The wheel goes in with the chain in the middle of the cassette but it’s easier if the chain is on the smallest cog).

I’ve also used my new frame pump a couple of times now and it works a treat!

Thanks to Carl for the lend of a tyre and his spare HRM so I can send my S710 back to get its battery replaced.

Bloody hell.. that ride was kinda cool but kinda sucked too. I mean, it was shit weather and it was tough just pushing the pedals, but I was still grinning like an idiot down in St. Kilda when the wind was so strong I couldn’t steer in a straight line! Respect to Neil who after stacking on wet tram tracks and needing an hour in front of my heater just to thaw out was insane enough to go out again for another dose!

My brakes disappeared on the way home thanks to all the road grit combined with water. It all set into this mess:

This is ‘some’ of the road grit that I squeezed out of my clothes.. yes.. my clothes! We are talking road bike here, not mtb and this is only the grit that didn’t get washed down the drain! Messy stuff: