Silca Terra Floor Pump: A Declaration of Love
14.06.23 07:29 3122023-06-14T07:29:00+02:00Text: Ralf Hauser (translated by AI)Photos: Erwin HaidenThere are floor pumps as plentiful as sand on the seashore, yet most of them leave something to be desired. The SILCA Terra is definitely not one of those.14.06.23 07:29 5002023-06-14T07:29:00+02:00Silca Terra Floor Pump: A Declaration of Love
14.06.23 07:29 5002023-06-14T07:29:00+02:00 Ralf Hauser (translated by AI) Erwin HaidenThere are floor pumps as plentiful as sand on the seashore, yet most of them leave something to be desired. The SILCA Terra is definitely not one of those.14.06.23 07:29 5002023-06-14T07:29:00+02:00
What I love about the bike industry is that even after several decades, I can still occasionally be genuinely positively surprised by a product. The fact that this has happened in the form of a floor pump is all the more surprising. Perhaps not so surprising, though, since I have regarded floor pumps in the past more as a means to an end, from which I expected a certain degree of cooperation, but I would never have considered that a high-quality pump could save me not only headaches but also a significant amount of time.
I have occasionally laid hands on pricier floor pumps belonging to friends or at the Bikeboard headquarters, but was more than put off by inaccurate gauges – even in digital form – and cumbersome valve attachments, to the point that I never considered investing more than €50 in a floor pump. For precise tire pressure measurement, a digital tire pressure gauge was necessary. Sometimes this is a tedious process, as you skirt around the ideal psi number between inflating and deflating. The fact that I am talking about psi and not bar gives a hint that the exact air pressure of my mountain bike and E-MTB is indeed close to my heart after years of experimenting on trails all over Europe, with and without various inserts.
When my air pressure gauge confirmed my modified test values to the exact psi not just once, but ten times in a row, it became immediately clear to me that from that point on, my digital air pressure meter would rot away in the toolbox.
A reformed user who will now invest in quality pumps
And there it stood, the SILCA Terra with its noble ash wood handle, lightweight aluminum cylinder, and army green-colored base and gauge.
Normally, I'm not a fan of this shade of green, but I must confess that the unusual color combination strangely appeals to me a lot. That was my first impression, even before I realized that SILCA had integrated a two-stage gauge measurement into the Terra, which allows for very detailed pressure readings especially between 0-30 psi (0-2 bar). This makes the pump particularly interesting for mountain bikers. Since it can also read pressures between 30-120 psi (2-8 bar), it is even suitable for road bikes.
As usual, I didn't expect great results in accuracy when I pumped my bike up to the desired psi. With a diameter of about 80 mm, the gauge is very easy to read. When my pressure gauge not just once, but ten times in a row, confirmed my changed test values to the exact psi, it was immediately clear to me that from that point on my digital pressure gauge would rot in the toolbox until its batteries ran out.
An attempt to verify a pressure of 100 psi on my dusty road bike in the corner failed due to the pressure loss when attaching the measuring device.
Reading the description, the Terra floor pump with its non-linear scale technology is not just a particularly advanced pump for a low pressure range, but also very accurate and effective in the high pressure range. The accuracy is supposed to be 0.5 psi at the lower end of the measuring range and 2 psi at the upper end of the measuring range (120 psi). The low values coincide with my tests.
It should also be highlighted the air release valve on the pump head. If you pump beyond the target, the gauge always indicates the current pressure accurately while releasing air until you reach the desired value. At least with the digital pressure gauges from Schwalbe and Topeak, both of which have a pressure release valve, you have to keep reapplying the gauge to update the pressure, turning this process between pumping and measuring often into a lengthy guessing game until you achieve the desired value.
There is only relatively little space between the tube and the lever of the valve head, so it helps to apply it as intended at the end of the lever, where the lever narrows and there is more space for the fingers. The lever itself is quite thin, but can be operated with just one finger quite securely.
The ratchet mechanism is defined, and I was never unsure about whether the valve was securely fastened. The head never slipped off during the pumping process, even at 110 psi pressure.
The valve head features a reversible connection valve for Presta and Schrader. Simply unscrew, flip, and screw back in.
During the pumping process, the lightweight construction allows a certain amount of movement of the entire 28 mm cylinder, however, without the shaft jamming in any way.
The SILCA Terra floor pump has its price at €170,–. A price I would have never been willing to pay for a floor pump before this test - after decades of mediocre experiences with various models. That has changed with the Terra, and I am entertaining the idea of getting a second one to keep in my car, so I never have to be annoyed again about a forgotten pressure gauge in the tool kit at home. A tool, by the way, that becomes unnecessary with the Silca Terra, as not only bar but also psi can be read precisely in a range from 0-30 psi.
