To inflate a disc wheel, it’s often necessary to use a silica pump disc wheel adapter when a normal pump head won’t fit into the small valve hole. Thanks for this thread as I was about to start one of these...for my last disc, I gave up on the Silca disc adapter and just used a regular pump which slighlky bent my disc, but it was a plastic disc cover so I didn't care all that much. It very well may be user error, but I have found the disc adapters virtualy worthless. Very little changes when we use an adapter to inflate a tire. The first thing we do is attach the adapter to the pump head. It's more common to have a friend or a bystander help you. It's your choice as to who holds the adapter or who pumps. I'd rather have the assistant pump while I do the holding. I know my race wheels and am well versed with the technique of holding the pump adapter on the valve. Anybody can operate the pump. A flat carbon disc wheel has an aero drag of 97grams. This compares to an aero drag of 154grams for a standard 18 spoke wheel (source: bsn)

Since Moser's hour record of 1984, SILCA has set the standard in adapting your pump head to work with the world's fastest wheels. This latest version is 100% US manufactured in 6066-T6 aluminium and uses our new high-tech 252 Elastomeric internal gasket. This unique bright red gasket borrows from industries which require air-tight seals in the harshest of environments, and tests to a life expectancy of more than 5X the carbon filled rubber or Buna-N materials. The 252 gasket mates with a new compression head design allowing the user to tighten the gasket fit by nearly 200% by simply tightening the cap. In tests with a major disc wheel manufacturer, the new SILCA Disc Adapter literally blew away the field by posting a blow-off pressure of 393 psi, more than 3X the pressure achieved by any competing design. Chain reaction Cycles and CRC are trading names of Wiggle Ltd (In Administration) registered in the United Kingdom at 1000 Lakeside, Suite 310, Third Floor N E Wing, Portsmouth, Hampshire, PO6 3EN, I’ve been using this discwheel for the past two seasons. It helped set new pb at 10 miles of 19.02 and for 50 miles of 1.41.14. It is fast and looks cool too. Like any aero equipment it’s always hard to pinpoint how much difference the wheel has made. But, I like it. The Silca Press on Disc Wheel Pump Adaptor fits only Presta valves and thanks to the CompressionHead technology it will fit even the most worn valves. The gasket is constructed from Silca's high-tech 252 Elastomeric rubber, which borrows technology form industries that require an air-tight fit. This means the gasket has a lifespan five-time longer than that of carbon filled rubber or Buna-N rubber gaskets used by rival pumps.Finance is subject to application, financial circumstances and borrowing history. Performance Cycling Limited FRN: 720557 trading as Tredz are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. We are a credit broker not a lender – credit is subject to status and affordability and is provided by Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC. Terms & Conditions Apply. With its slimline aluminium design, the Silca Press on Disc Wheel Pump Adaptor fits neatly into any disc wheel and can handle pressures up to 393 psi. The full metal construction means there are no plastic parts to fail and the Schrader thread will fit onto any Schrader pump head. At certain wind speeds, disc wheels make controlling the bike slightly more difficult (and less safe). This loss of control may lead to more cautious riding and so the disc wheel is a disadvantage. You have to get to know what kind of wind speeds are acceptable. But, be wary of gusts than can occur when you go from sheltered to exposed. However, when there are strong crosswinds the rear wheel is not really the problem; it is the front wheel which makes he tbike unstable. I can ride a disc – even with quite strong crosswinds of 25-30mph. But, as it gets windier I may take out deep section front wheel and put something with less surface area This is fine if you are doing flattish time trials. But, if you are doing many hill time trials, you might like to save the extra 200 grams.However, this weight is not so critical (for world Hour Record O.Sojenska actually chose a heavier rear discwheel for a ‘flywheel effect’ The Fast Forward disc is stiff and rigid. It comes with cork brake pads for the carbon rim.

One of the best disc wheel on the market. The Mavic comete is not completely flat, but lenticular shape. The manufacturer claims weight is 1160grams (tubular or clincher) The Silca Press on Disc Wheel Pump Adaptor fits only Presta valves and thanks to the CompressionHead technology it will fit even the most worn valves. The gasket is constructed from Silca's high-tech 252 Elastomeric rubber, which borrows technology form industries that require an air-tight fit. This means the gasket has a lifespan five-time longer than that of carbon-filled rubber or Buna-N rubber gaskets used by rival pumps. Another disadvantage of a disc is that it can marginally reduce the cornering performance when riding. For criteriums, disc wheels would be a disadvantage (even if they were allowed). The extra weight makes it harder to accelerate out of corners and it is less responsive when cornering. However, in most time trials, it is very unlikely to be so technical this becomes an issue.comments : 1 Hint: It's not a one-person job Member Question: "When inflating a disc wheel, I have the adapter and I can screw the adapter into my pump, but then what? Do I just hold it on the tire valve with one hand and pump with one hand? This is very awkward, to say the least. Is there some simple solution I am missing?" If you want to improve aerodynamics, there are also cheaper ways than a disc wheel. Even a simple aero bottle can make a big difference to aerodynamic drag. See: Making Your Own Disc Wheel