CornUponCob

I flatted 5 minutes in to my ride today. My tire in the rear while labeled as a 23 seems wider. . . more like a 24 if you will. Supposedly a CO2 will get a tire up to about 90 PSI. Most I've ever gotten is about 80 which for me at 200 just isn't confidence inspiring enough, so I figured I'd top off my tube with 1/4 or 1/2 of a 2nd CO2.

I have an inflator with a trigger on it and was just going to give it about a 1/4 second squeeze (well aware that most of the air rushes in first. I'm well schooled on logarithmic curves).

Anyway, when I released the trigger it didn't stop inflating. I had assumed that it would, but having never released the trigger early in the past I had no way of knowing this. Anyway the whole freaking canister went in. I gave the tire the squeeze test and it was hard as hell. About 1 second later the tube ruptured and I got quite the ringing in my ears. Scared the living crap out of a woman jogging by.

So since I used both my C02s and now had another flat, I had to take the walk of shame back to my house, threw away the old tire which was a Continental Grand Prix 4000. . . worst tire I've used so far. 4 flats in 5 months and I don't like the way it feels. I put on a new tube and tire, then went back out and had an awesome workout just set back 1 hour.

urbanknight

This is the reason I use threaded cartridges, despite them being a little more expensive... and carry a mini pump in case luck is really not on my side.

Fox Farm

Leave those stupid things at home for race day or something. Use a hand pump! Hell, those CO2 empties, what do you do with them? Total waste and only contributes to the landfill!

todayilearned

Can't they be refilled?

I thought they worked like the Co2 in painball markers.

MikeyBoyAz

not refillable, but recyclable... they just have to be clearly open (use a hammer and a fat screwdriver to make a clear hole)
but yeah you're not racing, just take a pump along, or use tire sealant.

DRietz

If you are racing and you flat without wheel support you're SOL, so...

DScott

Wait til you blow a tube up fixing someone else's wheel. That really sucks.

"Sorry, man. I owe you a tube!"

People should generally stick with technology they understand. It's better that way.

CornUponCob

I have a super mini handpump (like 50g carbon one) and after doing my best ************ impression for 10 minutes, I decided to never use it again. A bigger pump that fits on the top tube MAY be the better solution, but in general I do prefer the speed of CO2, I just wish I got a few more PSI out of it. If I had flatted later in the ride, I would have stuck to 1 CO2 for sure.

motobecane69

you do realize that co2 cartridges come in different sizes right? i also am not sure i know what you are talking about because i've flatted and gotten PLENTY of psi out of a single 12gram cartridge and I weigh 240lbs. try buying some 16gram cartridges

dstrong 

I've only heard a tube explode once and I nearly had a heart attack! 12g cartridges work for me at 200 lbs. Especially if there's a little pre-inflation air left in the tube from mounting it. If I have a 16g cartridge in the bag, then I make sure as much as as possible is out of the tube before I start it going.

zigmeister

Not sure why after getting a flat, you then decide to continue to ride it out after the one C02 got you plenty good enough to go back home which you were so close to? Yet, you decided to use what is supposed to be a temporary fix to get you to the nearest place to fix it "right", blew your tube up instead, then complain that GP4000 tires are the worst???

Ok...

Tundra_Man 

As mentioned above, a C02 inflator should be used as a temporary inflation measure to allow you to ride home or somewhere else where you can then properly inflate the tire. 80 psi most certainly would have gotten you the 5 minutes home.

RT

This is why I don't use CO2. I can build a bike, but I don't trust myself with a potentially explosive device. Mini pump ftw.

eippo1

Never had a problem with 16 g cartridges. Get me to around 120 and I just tap the valve if I want a bit less and keep on riding. No need to return home if I can get 120 psi every time. I use the tiny Blackburn pump to shape the tube first and in case I mess up with the CO2.

Also, if you blew the tire up w/ CO2, it's not because of the CO2, it's because you seated the tire and tube incorrectly. That's where the mini pump comes in to help w/ seating etc. Never had a problem.

AngryScientist 

forget the CO2, what if you had been 10 miles from home when this happened? it seems silly to go our solo without a pump IMO, the newer ones (lezyne in particular) are so good now, there is no reason not to have one. unlimited air, cant beat that.

Phantoj

well, now you know not to do that again!

JTGraphics

This ^ I have never had any issues with threaded, and I picked up 100 which came out to .63 each.

volosong

+1000

Love the Road Drive. Getting ready to purchase my fourth one now, (all for different bikes), as soon as the shop gets a white one. Nobody has white ones in stock and I suppose they need to be manufactured to fill orders.

joe_5700

So not true... I flatted 11 miles into a road race in July. I had an extra tube and a single CO2. After changing the tube I fought like hell for the last 21 miles and actually caught the back of the pack and pulled a wheel on someone only to be passed right back up in the final few feet. This was a CAT5 race of course. CO2 is for race day like others have said. It only takes a few minutes to inflate a tire with my mini pump and it's a free fill unlike CO2.

eippo1

That's why I carry 2 CO2's (and a super mini pump as a backup backup). If you mess up w/ 2, then you're just dumb. I also carry a patch kit to patch the previous tube in case the replacement tube has a blowout from hitting glass etc.

urbanknight

I recycle mine, and I toss about 3 or 4 of them in my big recycling bin per year. Yell at me for the diapers I'm throwing a way instead.

Oh, and since I can't seem to get good pressure out of a hand pump without getting an upper body workout to rival my ride, I'll stick with CO2

RT

STOP THROWING AWAY YOUR DIAPERS!


...and why are you wearing diapers?

DScott

That's probably true, but two 12gm cartridges could easily over-fill the tube, and exceed the tire's pressure rating, blowing it off the rim and exploding the tube. Like you, I also use the mini pump to install the tube, check for pinches, then gas it up with one 16gm cart. 12gm carts make no sense to me- one is not quite enough, 2 is too much.

eippo1

12g cartridges exist to be used by mtn bike tires or cross tires. 16g cartridges are for road tires.

joe_5700

I have no problem getting 100 psi into my tires with this: https://www.topeak.com/products/Pumps/MicroRocketAL and it easily fits into a jersey pocket.