Frame mounted pump and/or CO2?
 

What's everyone's preference? I carry an inflator and CO2. I've been thinking about adding a small frame pump. If I add a pump what are some good ones out there? Obviously I want small and light but don't want to give up too much ease of use/functionality. I've been looking at the Lezyne Pocket Drive.

Thanks for any input.

I have the co2 inflater. I have only had one flat on the road so it seems fine just having the one inflater.

When it comes to mini-pumps, smaller equals less functionality. It’s just simple physics: a smaller pump moves less air with each stroke.

You’ll get plenty of recommendations, and mine is the Silca Tattico. Not the cheapest, not the lightest, but it’s extremely well-built and works nicely.

I carry Both. Use CO2 when Tired, Raining, Hot.
Five Times I have had Three Flats on a ride.
I now carry Five tubes and also a Spare tire.

I can't justify the environmental waste of co2 cartridges, so I carry a frame pump. I just got a new one I haven't had to use yet, so I'll hold off the recommendation. My Zefal broke in two after a small drop, so I don't recommend it.

I carry both as well, despite being kind of uncomfortable with the indulgent wastefulness of CO2. I mean, maybe the production of the cartridges and gas is no worse, from an environmental quality standpoint, than the plastics and metal used in mini-pump production, I don’t know, but so many folks disposing of the gas cartridges all the time seems wasteful compared to the long life of a pump. I resisted gas for a long time until a buddy on a group ride gave me one to use and I saw how nice and convenient it was to use, allowing us to get back underway more quickly. It just feels self-indulgent, so I don’t wholeheartedly endorse gas use.

Of course, because canisters are limited in volume, having a pump on the bike is more versatile and allows one to potentially do more without any risk, so for example, helping a rider in need with your last canister is great, but then you’ve no flat repair ability. A pump, on the other hand, never runs out of air.

To the question, though, Lezyne mini-pumps are probably my favorites— I have three— though the last two I’ve bought have been Specialized Air Tools, which I think look particularly sleek but have some functional shortcomings compared to Lezynes. Most notably, the Lezyne hose connection to the valve is vastly better from an ergonomic perspective compared to the fixed head of the Specialized Air Tools. Given the infrequency of use, I weight style a little more in the case of Air Tool, but the Lezynes ain’t ugly either.

Both are built well and finished nicely, and come with mounting clips which bolt on water bottle bosses, behind a bottle cage if desired. Both Lezyne Road Drive and Specialized Air Tool work well and make inflating relatively easy; their action is good, solid, and easy.

These are all great points. In a group ride setting or a race, CO2 gets you moving sooner. If you mostly ride solo, a mini-pump doesn't inconvenience your friends. I think the trade-off between ease and speed (which favor CO2) and the ability to pump up as many tires as necessary (which favors a pump) helps explain why some riders carry frame pumps -- which probably weigh about the same as a mini-pump + CO2 valve and a couple cartridges.

Wastefulness of CO2 cartridges?? What does that mean?

…so far. Flats are random so plan accordingly. I’ve had 2 flats within 100 yards of each other due to entirely different reasons. As it was on the border of West Virginia and Ohio and about 2000 miles from home, there was no calling for help. Carry at least two cartridges or one cartridge and a pump.

I always carry both a pump and CO2.

For a simple deflated tire due to a puncture, my default choice is the pump. I will use CO2 if cold, raining, or if in some other unpleasant situation that would cause me to want to hurry, or if people are waiting on me.

When riding tubeless, the CO2 is necessary if the tire has become unseated from the bead.

Great input, I'm going to add a small pump to my gear.

Thanks again everyone.

I’ve used this PDW Ninja inflator/pump combo for several years now. It’s less than 6” long and fits in my saddle bag or jersey. The inflator is easily controlled with a valve and works with schraeder or presta. The pump will also get you home although it takes a lot of strokes for a 25mm tire - I've done it quite a few times when not in a hurry. Nicely made and like most of PDW’s stuff, it works well. https://ridepdw.com/collections/infl...cts/ninja-pump

I don’t carry frame pumps anymore unless it’s for show on a vintage bike.

That one looks nice and I could take my current CO2 inflator out of my saddle bag. Get I get it to a decent 90ish+ PSI?

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Hahaha! Did you look at it?! No effin’ way. As was said upthread, “physics.”

I generally like, and own some, PDW stuff, but the Ninja pump seems like a huge fail in terms of being a hand pump that’ll get a tire to rideable pressure. Even if it could, it’d take so long that I’m sure a loved one, workplace, landlord or neighbor would have filed a missing persons report and the police would have found you by then.

I just recently purchased the Lezyne Pocket Drive. It was the only pump that fit in the downtube storage compartment in my new Trek Domane.

Couple weeks ago a guy on our group ride got a flat. He used my pump. For as small as it is, I was quite impressed at how quickly and easily it filled the tire.

I've used a couple different versions of the Lezyne pumps for years on my gravel bike. The only knock is that it's easy to unscrew the valve core. I guess I should put loctite on the valve core threads but I'm lazy and forgetful.

I bought a Blackburn mini-pump that's basically the same concept for my road bike mainly for aesthetic reasons because I'm vain. It takes more pumps to get there but it does the job. Of course, it also unscrewed the valve core.

On my classic one, I have a Silca frame pump custom painted to match the bike. It’ll pump a tire but mostly it’s just cool.

Otherwise, a regular CO2 can handle one road tire. I carry it for just that.

I’ve brought the CO2 along with a little mini pump on long gravel and mountain bike rides. On stuff where multiple flats can leave me stranded, I do like the pump. Even if it’s slower and annoying.

Tubeless helps, the sealant dramatically decreases the chance I’ll need to fix a flat. Once settled, a tubeless tire can be reinflated with a hand pump.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1849353c9f.jpg

co2 inflator in my wedge bag and topeak road morph along my seat tube connected to a bottle cage.
It all stays out of the way.

Looks like your frame pump was also environmental waste- a lot of it too.

I carry a co2 inflator, but have never used it while riding. My pump gets used first. The co2 is there in case I find myself in your situation and the pump decides to die in the field.

Spare tube, mini inflator AND CO2 inflator, 2 cartridges, tire levers, and a $20 bill. All in this:


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...5dd1401ba.jpeg

I've seen people break the presta valve with that type of pump. For that reason I prefer one with a hose attachment.

OP, you ruled out my advice - a good, full size frame pump. 100 strokes to full pressure. The ability to off tires. The freedom to drop tire pressure for a portion of the ride (gravel, say) and easily pump back up for the 35 miles home. No - how many flats can I repair? I've had several rides over my years of riding that just happened to be bad days and I've had to pump tires from scratch a half dozen times or more. (And rides with others where CO2s ran out and mini-pumped arms failed.

In fact, good frame pumps work so well no other inflation device is needed (unless you ride tubeless for the bead seal as mentioned above). In my racing days, I owned two pumps. A Zephal HP on each bike. I rode sewups. Race wheels were silk/latex and got pumped from scratch every race.

Now, modern bikes make carrying the best tool for that very basic necessity of tire inflation impractical. Yes, I know. Frame pumps are heavy, so non-aero, klutzy, old-fashioned and dumb (and in a pinch, surely some old fart will have one so I don't have to). (Rant, rant :))

Ben - who's may have crossed frame pumps on his tombstone

Does everyone just feel/eyeball it in terms of pressure with the small hand pumps and CO2?

Thanks again for the great input.

The thumb and index finger squeeze was all I used in racing days. I now have a floor pump with gauge in my garage, but feel takes precedent over the reading.

That's not even a little bit true. Several mini-pumps have been mentioned in this thread that will inflate a tire in ~100 pumps or less.

Some pumps and CO2 inflaters come with guages--One of the Lezyne models does as does the significantly bulkier Topeak Road Morph.

But doing it by feel works well enough to get you home, usually.

Topeak Morph Pump & ride sensible to avoid using it. Usually a flat happen when the other option was to ford a ravine, exchange paint with a vehicle, or end up with a pinch flat. Easier to just replace/patch the 1 hole...

You probably determine chicken is cooked by pushing on it instead of using a digital thermometer.

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Since discovering the type I have a couple of small pumps with hose and fold out foot. . . mini floor pumps. Less tiring, less risk of breaking a valve, slightly faster and easier because you aren't wasting half your energy just to keep the valve end steady. I have several, on different bikes, and they all work OK, even the $10 Ebay one.