Support the Phinney Foundation, Get a Very Special Pump!

Remember me talking about new Silca pumps, and you guys chiming in about the rebirth of a cool, classic brand? Well, now the Davis Phinney Foundation has a new Silca Superpista Ultimate pump up for auction over at EBay, with all proceeds going to support the foundation and its battle to help people living with Parkinson's disease. And if that's not enough... there are actually two of them. And they are hand-painted by cycling's best-known painter, Taylor Phinney!

Linkage!

Taylor's disembodied arm is NOT, repeat NOT, included with the pump on offer. But he still hopes you will join the bidding.

Linkage to SILCA. For a bit more background, here's the official info:

We are proud to announce the auction of two SILCA SuperPista Floor pumps hand painted by world champion cyclist Taylor Phinney. These pumps were unveiled at the UCI World Championships in Richmond this year, and all proceeds from the auction will go directly to the Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's. The SuperPista pump sets the benchmark for inflation, backed with a 25 year warranty and made here in the USA. Each of the two pumps is a piece of functional art, benefiting a very worthy cause. The pumps will auction one at a time through the Pro’s Closet.

In Taylor’s words, "I worked on the shafts of these two pumps and kept them in my suitcase over the course of six weeks where I traveled from my home in Colorado to TTT camp in Belgium, then all across the UK at Tour of Britain, with the finishing touches put on them in my hotel room at the 2015 World Championships in Virginia. I have included works on paper that date back through the last year and a half of my recovery, some of which are visible, some of which have been painted over. With the mixed mediums and the time spent all over the world working on these pumps, I would be dishonest if I said it wasn't hard to let them go. This feeling of attachment marks for me what it means to have created a piece, or in this case, pieces, of art. I couldn't be happier to see them auctioned off with proceeds going to a charity close to my heart, the Davis Phinney Foundation, my Dad's foundation for Parkinson's. I am grateful to Silca for the opportunity they have bestowed upon me to showcase some of my artwork in a unique way that ties my two worlds together, cycling and art”.

We at SILCA are honored that Taylor took time out of his busy schedule to paint these pumps, and watching the process has been very rewarding. Joshua Portner, president of SILCA says, "This project has been an amazing example of the wonderful and meaningful things we can do as a cycling community when we all come together with a common goal. We are honored that Taylor has chosen our pump to be the canvas for his first publicly available art piece, and further honored to have worked with Davis Phinney and Connie Carpenter Phinney to understand and support the mission of the Phinney foundation”.

“It’s wonderful to see Taylor bringing together his passions for cycling and art in such a unique project. And that this benefits the Davis Phinney Foundation makes it extra-special for me personally. Silca’s donation of the auction proceeds will go towards funding programs that help people with Parkinson’s take a more active role in managing their health - so that they can feel and be their best every day. Hopefully, these original works of art will also stimulate greater awareness of the good work the Foundation is doing - and encourage those in need to reach to us for more information.” – Davis Phinney