Fitting a Lezyne Compact Pump to the Clem Rack
LeRoy
Preamble: As I wrote this I discovered the Pletscher Clem rack and Rookie pump seem to no longer be listed on the Rivendell web site. Oh well. The details below may still be of interest to other Clem owners.
Amble: I’m a sucker for Clem-like add-ons for my 59cm Clem Smith Jr. (H). So, of course I have the Pletscher Clem rack. It’s great for fit and function. I was also a sucker for the cheap and cheerful Rookie pump, the only pump, it was said, that exactly fit the pegs built into the Clem Rack. And while the Clem Rack is good for so many things, the Rookie pump is good for one thing; it fits the Clem Rack. It’s a very poor pump. If you must use it, you’ll find that it is miserable to work with, the lack of a hose makes it a clear and present danger to your valve stem, and by the time you pump in a useable amount of air, your knuckles are skinned, your arms are tired, your patience is exhausted, and the fact that the pump perfectly fits the Clem rack is more an annoyance than a benefit.
There is a better solution.
The Lezyne Compact Pump is almost exactly the same overall length as the Rookie pump. It’s also a very, very good pump. And, with a single tweak, it’s a great fit to the Clem Rack. Here’s what it takes:
1. Remove the Rookie Pump and do with it what you will.
2 Take a file or Dremel tool to shave off (up to) 1/8’’ of an inch from the pointy peg on the forward end of the rack. What you’re looking for is a shallower and rounded dimple, not a pointy peg. See the before, after, and installed picture.
3. Fit the pump first with its smaller diameter end on the rear peg, then the handle end to the front peg. This will take modest effort but the pump is very secure once located. A tiny bit of Vaseline on the pump’s rubber cap will ease installation and removal.
4. Use the Velcro strap that comes with the pump as a belt-and-suspenders security on the pump’s installation.
5. Stand back and admire your work.
Postscript: My Rookie pump is available free + the cost of postage. it’s as functional as it (n)ever was and can perhaps get you out of a jam. Just message me to claim it as your own.
