My car fills up pretty quickly when I head out of town on a bike trip for the weekend. Duffel bags, full-face helmet, bike shoes, town shoes, camp sandals, and food pack the back seat. Camping gear, a tent, and chairs fill the trunk just as fast. It doesn’t feel right throwing a nice, but awkwardly shaped floor pump right on top of everything. A hand pump is great for emergencies, but who wants to burn all of their calories trying to re-inflate a tire right before a ride with 700 strokes of their tiny hand pump?
This is why tire-inflation brand extraordinaire Silca created the Viaggio travel pump. It packs the power of a Silca floor pump, but is more portable and easily stowed.
Specs
- iGuage Bluetooth enabled pressure sensor
- Schrader and Presta chucks
- Magnetic dock for chuck
- Detachable handle and folding feet
- Weight: 3lbs.
- Premium, serviceable Silca internals
- Buy: $275 USD at Amazon
- Compare Prices: Silca Viaggo Travel Pump
Performance
The pump comes in a cardboard, cigarette-shaped box. Pop off the top and out comes the Viaggio pump wrapped in a waxed canvas travel case with a red shoulder strap.
Set up is pretty minimal with the Viaggio. There’s a battery compartment on the very bottom of the pump with a plastic cover that encases the coin battery – a CR2032. The battery cover is best unscrewed with a coin since a flat head screwdriver is too small and will wear away the slit. Under the battery is a plastic piece of film that needs to be removed before use. Once that’s out, pop the battery back in with the positive side facing out.
To get a pressure reading, users will have to download the iGuage app on their phone which is available on iPhone and Android. iGuage is easy to use and reads pressure in PSI, BAR, and KG/CM.
In its transportation mode, the Silca Viaggio is thin and streamlined. The pump handle attaches and slides down a machined rail on the pump body. Slide it off the pump body, and then slide it on the rails on the top of the pump, drop the feet, and it’s ready to inflate.
Your tires need to be at 6psi to start registering a reading on the iGauge app. In order to get the app to pair to the pump it needs to be open on the phone, the chuck must be attached to the tire valve, and then you need to start pumping. Once those conditions are met, a pressure reading shows up on the iGauge app.
Connectivity works well, but it takes some getting used to. It’s easy to forget that the Bluetooth on your phone is off and wonder what’s going on with the pump. Sometimes it took 10-20 seconds of pumping before I got a reading to show up. Other than that, it’s worked just how it’s supposed to.
The Viaggio pump is beautiful with its cold, chrome body and I really like using the Hiro chuck. The pump wraps up just as easily as it unwraps, and is easily stored out of sight and out of mind.
Final word
The Silca Viaggio isn’t a necessary tool, especially for those who already have a floor pump with a gauge that can be taken on the road, or those who don’t want to pay almost three-hundred dollars for a secondary pump. It is, however, a beautiful pump that works as good as it looks and is perfect for anyone who appreciates a high-quality, precision-made tool.
Thanks to Silca for providing the Viaggio for review.
