"They don't make a good mini pump" to quote our instructor at United Bike Institute.  After about a year of not listening to him, preferring to pack a pump I could fit in a jersey pocket or pack I realized he was correct.  Immediately following my attendance at bike school I found myself commuting on steep dirt, rocky and muddy roads of Colorado to get to the paved highway eight miles from town.  Being able to change tire pressures to accommodate the varying terrain proved to be too much of a hassle with a mini pump.  Later, when I could afford to do so I upgraded my tires which didn't necessitate reducing air pressure of rear tire so it would grab going up the steep incline which was so steep it caused my rear tire to spin out if I didn't keep my butt on the saddle.  

One of the reasons I wanted to hold on to a mini pump was due to the fact that I always seem to own several bikes at a time and enjoy riding different bikes for different reasons.  Having each bike equipped with a saddle bag, spare tube and or patch kit is enough but I still don't equip each bike with its own pump.  I wanted a frame pump for my bikes and considered getting a couple different lengths, perhaps a shorter one to throw in a bike pannier or hydration pack until I found the Park Tool PMP 5 Dial Adjust Frame Pump.  If you've ever compared the efficiency of a frame pump to a mini pump you know that instructor was correct in his statement, particularly when properly inflating to higher pressures.  That's one of the reasons Crank Brothers mini alloy pump has a "high volume" or "high pressure" switch at the base of the handle.  What that amounted to was having to pump, pump, pump and pump some more and yet even some more until some folks are so exhausted after a flat repair they don't feel like riding.  I'm kidding of course but you get the idea.  With a frame pump like that from Park Tool that is not the case where even at high pressures the pump performs smoothly and rather effortlessly.  

The versatility offered by the PMP-5 is that the handle has small grooves or notches where the pump can be re sized for varying frame lengths with a "V shaped" stationary piece which holds the aluminum pump barrel to the handle.  A tough resin plastic of which the handle is made is very strong and resilient.  I have had a handlebar swing around and knock the pump out of the frame sending it on to the concrete on several occasions.  Perhaps that's why the photos of my pump are with a concrete background, not at all.  I haven't tried using this pump as a weapon to ward off chasing dogs as I have heard of some bike commuters doing with their frame pumps but I can attest to that as a pump this thing is a work horse. 

I used this pump at a job where I needed a convenient method of maintaining tire pressure on the sales floor of a major bike retailer.  Rather than using a cordless drill tire inflator which was very loud and obnoxious to customers this pump proved to be fast, quiet and efficient enough for me to keep up with my work.  I used this pump on countless tires without issue of higher pressures requiring me to stress or strain.  Of course the pump head of the Park PMP-5 can be used with either presta or schraeder valves by unscrewing the cap and inverting the round rubber washer and tip.

"Bike people are raw" to quote my railroad working buddy who spends most all his waking life behind the wheel of a two ton semi truck.  In his mind I'm sure bike folks do seem a bit "vulnerable" as I have listened to him complain about how people drive.

Now, that friend owns a bike which he rides occasionally for exercise to compensate for his many miles and hours spent on the road driving.  However, he is by no means a bike commuter nor does he have any interest in bike touring.  So when he made a follow up comment "I don't know if it's worth it any more" he was referring to what he felt are the inherent risks of riding a bike alongside the road.

Today's bike advocacy groups are all about bike safety tips and creating safer roads for bike commuting and ironically that is the way it has been since the bike was first introduced as an optional mode of transportation to a horse.   The following quoted selection from Gizmodo helps to explain this.

Pearson's 1901 article written as a treatise on how to use the bike as a weapon for self defense is rather absurd with few if any of the techniques explained would actually work against an attacker.  Point here being that folks have always felt vulnerable riding bikes and display their frustration to varying degrees.  

In a manner of justification and spite for the modern vehicle automobiles themselves are often criticized for green house emissions and blamed as an environmental nuisance if not a hazard.  When I was a kid growing up in the mid '70's through the '80's bike advocacy didn't exist and even if it had as kids wanting to travel about town on our BMX bikes the only thing that would sometimes hold us back was our parents not wanting us to be gone for umpteen hours on end.  We would travel from one side of town to the other, going to the malls, movie theaters or a friend's house in a neighboring town.  We rode sidewalks cut through parking lots and would get off and walk or carry ours bikes as necessary when going through a field and over creeks and through over grown trails.  In high school living in Portland, Oregon several years prior to any bike advocacy groups I would ride from outside the city limits to downtown Portland on my road bike using hiking trails and walking or carrying my bike as necessary to get to work.  In short, bikes can go many places that cars cannot and I use this to my advantage when commuting.

Now that I am living in south Texas I have heard so many folks say how non bike friendly this area is.  I heard this after I had rode the twenty plus miles of open country roads and highways along the Gulf Coast.  I have found most folks to be rather courteous and considerate drivers and it must be pointed out that I am a courteous and considerate bike commuter of cars.  And that's the point here.  With the absence of bike lanes or ability to "take the lane" where traffic moves at a greater speed than I would care to race in I simply recognized the need for a mountain bike for commuting.   It's ironic to say thanks to an area where I am forced to use sidewalks, dirt trails and whatever means necessary to navigate my way about town and at certain times I feel a bit like a kid again.  I have also found some very fun areas to explore, camp near water and ride hard and fast on non designated bike trails.  Yee haw! is the appropriate response for Texas.  In fact earlier this week Lisa and the girls drove to the mall and as we had several emails to respond to for our business we decided to meet at a coffee shop near the mall while the teenagers did their thing.  I said "alright, I'll be waiting for you at the coffee shop".  Lisa didn't feel I could make it to our meeting place before her and so we bet five bucks.  

This is the photo from Lisa of me waiting for her outside of the coffee shop, not bad for a so called non bike friendly area.   To reiterate my friend's comment of "I don't know if it's worth it any more" when referring to bike riding, well, suck it bitch I won the bet so it is worth it.  Cars aren't bullies, people are but that's not news to anyone, even most kids.  I have been a proponent of bike advocacy for many years now and have been hit by cars, had stuff thrown at me from drivers while riding my bike and know from experience what I am talking about.  One of the luxuries of having paid my dues is knowing how to ride in a fun, practical manner without having to demonize anyone.  When success is defined as liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it I know as an individual representing fellow bike folk that when someone tries to tell me riding a bike isn't a good idea their wasting their time, not mine.  

Here are some links to help support your bike riding efforts:  from Grant Peterson's book "Just Ride" who I fondly recognize as someone promoting practical bike riding and for those who remember the Bridgestone brochures of the '80's for his witty banter and writing style.   

Share the Road Tee Shirt stickers and other goodys have been around for years offering a fun way to display your bike advocacy support by making a subtle statement to others. 

Also, shop Planet Bike Products when you purchase a Planet Bike Product 25% is contributed to bike advocacy, as simple and easy way to lend support.