Bicycle Pumps Have Gone High Zoot

Is it just me, or are bicycle pumps getting the full zoot treatment lately?

It seems to me that the trend started about two years ago when the newly reorganized Silca released their Super Pista Ultimate, which sells for roughly $450. Boasting the best materials and manufacturing methods - CNC'd aluminum base, high-precision barrel and plunger, lots of stainless steel, and beautiful carved rosewood - the "ultimate inflation tool" brings the simple action of inflating bicycle tires to levels of luxury that mere mortals can only dream of. Very quickly, other companies started offering pumps that would imitate some of the look of the exclusive Silca, if not all the slick tech, in a somewhat more affordable package.

The Lezyne Alloy Floor Drive echoes some of the Ultimate Inflation Tool vibe at a fraction of the price - about $85. Less fancy steel barreled versions are available for a bit less - and lots of replacement parts are shown on the website.

The latest of these comes from Arundel, the company that up to now has been primarily known for some pretty fancy carbon fiber bottle cages and bike bells. It looks like they now have a premium floor pump in the works.

The new Arundel pump has a large, wide, forged base for good stability - along with a fairly large 3" dial pressure gauge that reads up to 160 psi. Like the Super Pista Ultimate, it has a sleek-looking barrel, and a wide solid wood handle. I've seen two different versions of the handle pictured, but the pump is apparently not in full production yet (it isn't listed on their website store, or listed for sale anywhere yet), so I don't really know which one buyers should expect to see.

I saw this slightly fancier version of the pump handle on BikeRumor. That site describes the pump as a prototype, so I don't know which one will see final production.

Going with some kind of fairy tale theme, there are different pump heads available from Arundel - the Hansel (left) with a thumb lever, and the Gretel (right) which has a screw-fit head. There is also a Woodsman version which is a press-on head. They look like nice quality pieces and will be available separately.

On the Arundel website, they say that the new pump will be fully serviceable, and replacement parts will be available to keep the pump working well for a good long time. One important detail that does not seem to be available at this time is a price. I do expect it will be quite a bit more affordable than the Silca Ultimate though.