The Lunch Ride Reviews SILCA Gravelero Mini Pump

Lunch Ride writes:

The Silca Gravelero is, so far, the only mini pump designed specifically for gravel tires. As expected from Silca, it exudes quality, and is the only pump with a locking lever on its chuck, so there’s no risk of unthreading the valve core. It holds securely, and took 200 strokes to reach ~34psi and remained easy to pump the entire time.

The included mount is extremely secure, with a rubber strap as a backup. The completely round design makes it easier to keep it tight against the downtube, and the diameter is easy to hold during use.

The head is reversible to fit Presta/Dunlop and Schrader valves. Inside, Silca’s cone-shaped plunger seal is a big upgrade over the common O-ring – it pumps smoothly and efficiently, and it should last a lot longer since it can expand to fill the space (versus O-rings that wear down and lose efficiency over time).

While it lacks the add-ons and bonus features of the others, if you’re just looking for the best possible pump, this is it.

Specs are:

• Weight: 143g
• Length: 9.5″ (243mm)
• Max Diameter: 27.5mm
• Max Pressure: 80psi
• Compatibility: Presta, Schrader, Dunlop
• MSRP: $75

PROS

• Locking chuck with secure cover
• Designed specifically for gravel tire volumes; Solid build quality with Silca reputation

CONS

• No CO2 chuck or other integrations

What makes a great mini pump?

• Extendable Hose is the most important. This keeps pressure off the valve stem, which can break or wiggle loose. But…
• Twist-on versus Locking Chucks. How the pump attaches to the valve stem is key…twist-on is secure, but can sometimes unthread the valve core as you remove it, so make sure the valve core is tightened securely.
• Valve Head Covers are important so they don’t get clogged with mud and muck.
• Tight Tolerances are key if you’re going to mount it to your frame. Any rattle in the pump will be very audible as you’re bounding down bumpy roads.
• High Volume vs High Pressure. Mountain bike pumps are “high volume” because they need to fill big tires, but at low pressures. Road pumps are “high pressure” to hit 70+ psi, but don’t have a lot of tire to fill. High-volume pumps require fewer strokes but get harder to push as pressure increases; High-pressure pumps stay easy, but require a lot more strokes to fill the tire.

Test method

I pumped up the same tire from from “basically flat” to ~34psi and counted strokes. Each pump has different volumes, so it ranged from 100 to 400 strokes to reach a ride-able pressure on a 700×40 tire mounted on a hookless carbon gravel rim.

I rode mixed surfaces to make sure the mounts were solid and the pumps were quiet (one wasn’t), and then compared features against the criteria above. I’ve had most of these pumps for more than a year (or two!), and photo’d the key features of each below. These are the best I’ve tested so far, but I’ll update this list as other pumps come out.

Please read the full review on The Lunch Ride website.