Silca calls their latest Viaggio track pump a compact “Travel Pump”. But it might be better described as a full-sized, full-featured premium floor pump for cyclists tight on space. That might suit cyclists who travel frequently with their bike, but it is probably less for those who pack their bike into airline bike cases, and more for the regular trip to the infield of the velodrome or cyclocross pits, or important faraway race…
Silca Viaggio packable full-size, Bluetooth floor pump
The idea for Silca’s Viaggio Travel Pump came from the experience of friends of owner Josh Poertner even before he purchased the Italian pump maker back in 2013. In an attempt to simplify travel to the Cape Epic, these two racers just bought a floor pump locally, and ended up suffering for its inaccuracy before they really realized what was happening. Poertner’s idea then was to develop the ultimate travel pump that would deliver accuracy and reliability, yet fold down for transit, whether across town in the back of your car or around the globe in the belly of a plane.
Silca Viaggio travel pump Tech Details
So what you get for the Viaggio’s $275 price tag is a premium, built-to-last Silca floor pump, with rebuildable internals, an extruded 6061 aluminum barrel and all metal ‘shock piston’ design, a classic leather plunger gasket, and Silca’s high pressure Hiro Presta chuck & thread-on Schrader adapter.
To make it portable, the 57cm long Viaggio gets foldable feet and a full-size CNC alloy handle shaped after the SuperPista Ultimate. Slide the handle off and attach it to a rail on the side of the pump body, then loop the 99cm hose over the piston to secure everything in place. Plus, the travel pump includes a waxed canvas roll-up case with pockets stitched in to carry essential tools as well.
The Viaggio pump does not include a gauge, instead using a iGauge sensor inside the pump barrel that communicates via Bluetooth to a smartphone app to tell you how much air you’ve pumped in. A 2032 coin cell battery promises 100 hours of pump reading and is easily replaced from the pump’s base. It’s the same setup debuted on the compact Tattico mini pump.
Now track & cross are two pressure extremes that don’t often get grouped together in the same pump, but thanks to the claimed accuracy of the iGauge, the Viaggio delivers +/- 0.5psi readings and promises 1% accuracy. Silca doesn’t list firm pressure range for the pump, but says it will get up to track pressures with ease, and its Hiro chuck is rated for more than 250psi.
