I dunno about your experience but mine w/ the Impero w/ a Campy head (and other folks' w/ the same set up) typically ended up with a tire inflated to enough pressure to get to someplace where you could put some real air in. This was why I made the original comment about just getting home. At least the pumps w/ a thumblock (and a good seal) let you concentrate more on getting more pressure into the tire than not ripping the valve stem off. Nobody said they were riding a soft tire around after fixing a flat, just that it wasn't up to the pressure a decent floor pump would put in it before a ride. If that's your definition of soft then, OK, I'm fine w/ soft tires as long as I don't get a snake bite further down the road.