Early Present
A Note from Fatty: Yeah, I know I said I wasn’t going to post again ’til after Christmas. I don’t consider this a post. It’s too short to be a post. It’s a post-let, if you will, and should not be considered a post.
Yesterday, I got a box from Specialized in the mail. I hadn’t ordered anything, so had no idea what it could be. Or who it could be from.
It turns out that Walter T. took my Christmas wish list to heart and bought me a Specialized Air Tool Comp.
I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it here, but my other floor pump is also a Specialized Air Tool Comp, and has been a reliable, no-maintenance pump for me for about four years.
The old one, of course, will now have a permanent home in the bikemobile; I shall never have be pumpless while on the road again. Which means that at some point — since I also carry three sizes of spare tubes in my bikemobile (road, 26″ mountain, 29″ mountain), I’m going to be the most awesome good samaritan-type for a stranded roadside cyclist ever.
This new pump, meanwhile, becomes the alpha pump and will live by my rollers during the winter, and in the garage by my bike rack during the summer.
Thanks, Walter!
Comment by bikemike | 12.22.2007 | 9:15 am
yep, the alpha pump, all others must follow.
Merry Christmas Elden and Susan and family.
Comment by cheapie | 12.22.2007 | 1:28 pm
oh man….is there anything better than a box showing up and you’re pretty sure you didn’t order anything? especially when it comes from somewhere that only makes cool stuff. you KNOW you are going to be geeked no matter what it is.
unless someone re-cycled that box from ellsworth and used it to send your kids something.
Comment by Big Mike In Oz | 12.22.2007 | 3:40 pm
Man you’re gonna love that pump. I use mine regularly for the track bike. Don’t worry about the guage only registering to 160psi. The needle goes all the way round to the zero again giving about 220psi.
Coincidentally, I bought a second Specialised Air Tool Comp last week. Number 1 resides in the garage amidst the 13 bikes (not a typo), air trainer and rollers. Number 2 is now snuggled down in the boot of the car for race and velodrome visits, and the inevitable roadside rescue.
I’m glad you mentioned all the different tube sizes because as a selfish skinny tyred racer I don’t have anything to assist the chunky tyred victims of pave trauma. I might grab a couple of “good samaritans” from K-mart this morning when I finish off the Christmas shopping.
I also had the serendipitous experience of unexpected parcels arriving this week. Late last week I placed orders with 3 online bicycle retails for various “unnecessary junk” (Mrs Big Mike, 2007) as well as a couple of eBay items. I fully expected it all to arrive after Christmas, but every day this week I had something waiting for me when I got home (literally every day, 5 parcels over 5 days).
Just so you know how much I love my bikes (and myself) here’s an inventory of my self-gifting:
Hubs for new track wheels
Suntour 13T 1/8 sprockets (x3)
Twinsix – 4 tshirts, 1 jersey, 4 waterbottles
Pedros lube, Vittoria tubular glue, bib knicks (L, oh yeah, L baby)
and the jewel in the crown
Vittoria Pista Evo CS 700cx19mm (x6)
Everything for me, me, me. I’ve made a pre-emptive strike on the inevitable undies and socks syndrome that afflicts me.
Comment by Mike Roadie | 12.22.2007 | 4:17 pm
Merry Christmas to all……Elden, Susan and Family….and everyone out there in FC Land!!!!
Comment by Kris | 12.22.2007 | 5:51 pm
Santa Pump strikes again! Nice gesture, Walter!
Comment by Born 4 Lycra | 12.22.2007 | 8:54 pm
Wish I was a celebrity in the cycling world. I would keep dropping the words Orange (& Black) Orbea and who knows but I suppose it would be a large package. It definitely would be my alpha bike. Yep Orange (& Black) Orbea I’ll just go and check the post
Comment by flossy | 12.23.2007 | 2:20 am
No posts til after Christmas huh? Nice though.
The other half spend half an hour in line at the post office the other day to pick up a parcel, his anticipation mounting. Imagine how miffed he was when all he got was an oversized envelope with my x-rays that I accidently left at the hospital!!!!
Comment by Mark | 12.23.2007 | 7:10 am
Damn, even their pumps look pretty and fast!
Comment by cyclingphun.blogspot.com | 12.23.2007 | 7:11 pm
Fatty: Isn’t that the greatest! Every year Makers Mark sends a Christmas gift to it’s “Ambassadors” (read: people who drink too much too often) and I always get a good chuckle out of that. I’m anxiously awaiting my wife sending along some Christmas love in the way of a mountain bike. Not holding my breath, though, just in case.
Walter: Just for the record, I’m still looking for a mountain bike. An 18 would be perfect! just saying.
sidebar: I say ‘just saying’ way too often don’t I?
Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night!
Comment by Lowrydr | 12.24.2007 | 5:04 am
What a great suprise to show up and it’s even that great X-mas color RED. Hope all are doing well and ready for a great Holiday.
Comment by Boz | 12.24.2007 | 12:41 pm
You’ll really like that pump, I have the sane one, same color. I’ve been under the tree, and see (feel) a couple of packages that may be bike or ski related.
Merry Christmas one and all !!
Comment by Mike from Melbourne | 12.25.2007 | 12:07 am
Merry Christmas all !
Comment by Beth | 12.25.2007 | 3:12 pm
Merry Christmas, every one!
Comment by Brewinman | 12.25.2007 | 5:25 pm
Merry Christmas to all!
Comment by Spaghetti Legs | 12.26.2007 | 6:59 am
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
So tell me, Fatty, or anyone else who may know, what is the significance of the “comp” on the Air Tool? I’ve always assumed the “comp” was short for “competition”, meaning that the particular product is good enough to use in races or some other sort of competitive endeavor, e.g Rockhopper Comp mountain bike. So are there air pump competitions where people race to pump up tires, or does this signify that you’ll be able to pump up your tire quickly and reliably in a race scenario? In the latter case, you’re screwed anyway if you have to use your floor pump. My suggestion would be to call it something more appropriate like the the Air Tool HP (high pressure) or the Air Tool SYTOR(T)NITS – Spend Your Time on the Road (Trail) Not in the Shop. Something like that.
Just some food for thought during the holidays.
Comment by carl nicoletti | 12.26.2007 | 7:38 am
“Random acts of kindness….” strikes again! Merry Christmas.
Comment by je | 12.26.2007 | 3:47 pm
I got some gloves, a base layer undershirt, a skull cap and a winter cycling jacket from the kids — good thing they had someone (me) there to do the shopping for them and then hand the bag to mom so she could help them wrap the stuff.
Comment by Anonymous | 12.27.2007 | 11:37 am
check romanticfootball.blogspot.com
Comment by Anonymous | 12.27.2007 | 11:38 am
check romanticfootball.blogspot.com
Comment by Anonymous | 12.27.2007 | 11:38 am
check romanticfootball.blogspot.com
Comment by dailytri | 12.27.2007 | 2:58 pm
What a great surprise to get! I own the same pump. It’s awesome as far as things designed to fill bike tires go.
Comment by jason | 12.27.2007 | 6:12 pm
Nice! A good pump is freaking sweet! Mine pumps the tube but could have anywhere from 430 to 120 psi in it. Who the f knows!
Comment by Flying Penguin | 12.28.2007 | 4:24 am
That pump is “Awwesome Baby!!” ( to use a phrase that is very common during college basketball season here in North Carolina). I hope everyone has a Great Christmas and a very happy New Year! My best to all for the upcoming year and especially to you and Susan. Thanks for the postlet!
Comment by Don (cyclingphun.blogspot.com) | 12.28.2007 | 6:21 am
Should I check out romanticfootball.blogspot.com? Should I check out romanticfootball.blogspot.com? Should I check out romanticfootball.blogspot.com?
*laughing*
Comment by KT | 12.28.2007 | 9:15 am
I got some good bikey stuff for Christmas–
A pair of fleecy-waterproof-windproof tights
Smartwool socks (my new favorite brand o’ socks!)
Smartwool beanie to keep my noggin warm under the helmet
Really nice warm jacket for cold-weather riding
Yep, at last I’ve got the proper gear for riding in fall/winter/spring. I’m quite happy and surprised, everything appears to be the correct size and everything.
Hope all of you out there in Fat Cyclist land are having a good holiday!
Comment by Anonymous | 12.28.2007 | 12:18 pm
House/shop pump? Seriously? Don’t you guys have compressors out there? My “floor pump”, if I can’t count the compressor, is a cheesy Bell $10 that I let the neighborhood kids use so they don’t blow up their tires for real.
Comment by Dan K | 12.28.2007 | 12:19 pm
oops… that ^ was me.
Comment by jenni | 12.28.2007 | 6:20 pm
Merry Christmas! I love the random act of kindness!!
I am psyched- this Christmas I receive a most generous headlamp for night riding- it’s opened up a whole new world to me, I can’t wait to do more when it’s not so cold.
And hubby got me a new Thule bike box so Baby can travel with us. Bike vacations are on the horizon!!
I hope you all received many many blessings this year, whether tangible or not. May 08 be safe, happy, and healthy for us all.
Comment by blinddrew | 12.29.2007 | 11:05 am
Hey, guess what i also got for christmas? yep, the exact same thing!
Happy christmas all!