Co2 inflator or small pump?
#2
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I carry two pumps...Topeak Road Morph and Lezyne Pressure Drive mini pump...I will never use Co2 inflators because it's just a waste, all you get in one inflation and you have to throw it out. With a pump I get thousands of inflations.
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#3
Expired Member
Many folks carry both. Co2 for when you need speed, pump for a leisurely experience.
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#4
Senior Member
I carry both. I have a mini-pump that stays attached to my frame. I carry a couple of CO2 canisters in my saddle bag.
CO2 cartridges are cheap, fully recyclable and much faster/easier to use. I'll always use them as my first option, but because they're single-use I like to have the manual pump as a backup.
CO2 cartridges are cheap, fully recyclable and much faster/easier to use. I'll always use them as my first option, but because they're single-use I like to have the manual pump as a backup.
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I carry both, but if you have to choose only one I would go with a pump because it is possible to get multiple flats or to have a tube fail (all has happened)
I did start carrying co2 after having a flat, then a tube failure and pumping up in the sun at 95 degrees was a pain. I also carry 2 tubes and a patch kit...so that kinda shows wear my mind set is
I did start carrying co2 after having a flat, then a tube failure and pumping up in the sun at 95 degrees was a pain. I also carry 2 tubes and a patch kit...so that kinda shows wear my mind set is
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both
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#9
Sr Member on Sr bikes
I carry a pump, and two CO₂ cartridges. I’ve used all three in a single ride a few times. The pump is backup for the CO₂. Getting to a good, rideable PSI pressure with the pump is just too cumbersome. Spent CO₂ cartridges go into the scrap metal recycling bin at my town’s trash transfer station.
Dan
Dan
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#10
Senior Member
Topeak Road Morph stays in the pannier and does a great very good job. I've never used it for a puncture, but I have used it to pump up a near flat tire from loss of pressure.
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#12
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I’m in the “both” camp, carrying a minipump and a single CO2 cartridge. I almost never use the CO2 because the pumps I have are easy to use, quick and effective, but there are times when shaving a few minutes might be nice, like when horse flies are eating you alive!
It’s also nice to have CO2 to help seat de-beaded tubeless and to give to someone in need without having to stick around while they work it out.
It’s also nice to have CO2 to help seat de-beaded tubeless and to give to someone in need without having to stick around while they work it out.
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I carry a pump, and two CO₂ cartridges. I’ve used all three in a single ride a few times. The pump is backup for the CO₂. Getting to a good, rideable PSI pressure with the pump is just too cumbersome. Spent CO₂ cartridges go into the scrap metal recycling bin at my town’s trash transfer station.
Dan
Dan
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I use CO2 inflators. Even just 16 gram cartridges give me more than enough to fill my 25 mm tire up. And the leftover CO2 remaining can be use to top off the tire if a bad patch job on the road leaves a small leak.
I've watched two different people replace their flats on the roadside with new tubes. And while trying to pump them up frantically with the pumps connected directly to the valve stem, just when they got the tire up to pressure, they pulled the valve stem out of the tube. Both had to borrow a new tube and then they inflated them with CO2 inflators and no issues.
If you do get a pump. Get a hose attachment with it so you don't yank the valve stem out. I know there'll be many thousands who do this successfully with no hose. But do you want to be on the roadside and find out you aren't one of them?
I've watched two different people replace their flats on the roadside with new tubes. And while trying to pump them up frantically with the pumps connected directly to the valve stem, just when they got the tire up to pressure, they pulled the valve stem out of the tube. Both had to borrow a new tube and then they inflated them with CO2 inflators and no issues.
If you do get a pump. Get a hose attachment with it so you don't yank the valve stem out. I know there'll be many thousands who do this successfully with no hose. But do you want to be on the roadside and find out you aren't one of them?
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I carry a frame pump on the bikes that will fit one. When I'm on the ones that won't, I carry 2 CO2 cartridges, an inflator, AND a minipump. The minipump works, but it takes FOREVER to fill a 28mm tire! OTOH, every time I've depended on CO2, I've blown out both cartridges and gotten no inflation. I probably should practice using them before I need them, I guess.
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#16
I don't inflate my tires with dimeric cobalt.
#17
I carry a pump, and two CO₂ cartridges. I’ve used all three in a single ride a few times. The pump is backup for the CO₂. Getting to a good, rideable PSI pressure with the pump is just too cumbersome. Spent CO₂ cartridges go into the scrap metal recycling bin at my town’s trash transfer station.
Dan
Dan
#18
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#19
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#20
OM boy
Small frame pump for road - since forever... currently Pocket Rocket - has never let me down.
... a flat and you're off the back anyway... so relax, do it right (check tire for remaining puncture cause).
however, I now have my MTB as tubeless, and if you flat in BC, you're likely to un-seat the tire bead... can't re-seat the bead with a hand pump...
Tubeless For MTB holds pressure for many weeks - a very nice plus... top pressure off every 2 wks or so.
so, 2 CO2 vials on every ride, BC... 1 CO2 vial in FC.
gravel - at the moment I have 3 variants , Old school butyl tube on one wheel, TPU on another, and Tubeless another...
at 42mm width, tubeless works fine and not had any burps at lower pressures, TPU is great ! Butyl works but no advantages over either TPU or Tubeless...
no decision yet... so I carry both pump and CO2 when running any mixed wheel system.
will make more decisions, as soon as I'm able to ride the bike again...
Ride On
Yuri
... a flat and you're off the back anyway... so relax, do it right (check tire for remaining puncture cause).
however, I now have my MTB as tubeless, and if you flat in BC, you're likely to un-seat the tire bead... can't re-seat the bead with a hand pump...
Tubeless For MTB holds pressure for many weeks - a very nice plus... top pressure off every 2 wks or so.
so, 2 CO2 vials on every ride, BC... 1 CO2 vial in FC.
gravel - at the moment I have 3 variants , Old school butyl tube on one wheel, TPU on another, and Tubeless another...
at 42mm width, tubeless works fine and not had any burps at lower pressures, TPU is great ! Butyl works but no advantages over either TPU or Tubeless...
no decision yet... so I carry both pump and CO2 when running any mixed wheel system.
will make more decisions, as soon as I'm able to ride the bike again...
Ride On
Yuri
#21
Sr Member on Sr bikes
Well, to begin with, I use an iPad with a keyboard like a laptop. I presume you can do this on laptops, PCs, Androids, etc. On iPads (and iPhones), you can set certain keystrokes to be replaced with particular images or figures. On the web, I’ve found all the images I like to use…CO₂, H₂O, ¼, ⅓, ¾, etc. In the iPad settings, I set the various keystrokes to be replaced with this image or figure that I’ve set for it. So, for example, when I type “CO2,” it automatically gets replaced with “CO₂” I suppose you could also do it with functions such as italics, bold, underline, etc.
Dan
#22
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Well, to begin with, I use an iPad with a keyboard like a laptop. I presume you can do this on laptops, PCs, Androids, etc. On iPads (and iPhones), you can set certain keystrokes to be replaced with particular images or figures. On the web, I’ve found all the images I like to use…CO₂, H₂O, ¼, ⅓, ¾, etc. In the iPad settings, I set the various keystrokes to be replaced with this image or figure that I’ve set for it. So, for example, when I type “CO2,” it automatically gets replaced with “CO₂” I suppose you could also do it with functions such as italics, bold, underline, etc.
Dan
Dan
#23
Well, to begin with, I use an iPad with a keyboard like a laptop. I presume you can do this on laptops, PCs, Androids, etc. On iPads (and iPhones), you can set certain keystrokes to be replaced with particular images or figures. On the web, I’ve found all the images I like to use…CO₂, H₂O, ¼, ⅓, ¾, etc. In the iPad settings, I set the various keystrokes to be replaced with this image or figure that I’ve set for it. So, for example, when I type “CO2,” it automatically gets replaced with “CO₂” I suppose you could also do it with functions such as italics, bold, underline, etc.
Dan
Dan
There is a bb markup tag for it, [/sub] , but that appears to be disabled for this website.
#24
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I've watched two different people replace their flats on the roadside with new tubes. And while trying to pump them up frantically with the pumps connected directly to the valve stem, just when they got the tire up to pressure, they pulled the valve stem out of the tube. Both had to borrow a new tube and then they inflated them with CO2 inflators and no issues.
If you do get a pump. Get a hose attachment with it so you don't yank the valve stem out. I know there'll be many thousands who do this successfully with no hose. But do you want to be on the roadside and find out you aren't one of them?
If you do get a pump. Get a hose attachment with it so you don't yank the valve stem out. I know there'll be many thousands who do this successfully with no hose. But do you want to be on the roadside and find out you aren't one of them?
Some complain of Lezyne hose pumps— which thread on— unscrewing valve cores when removed if not done with care, and I’ve pulled a core from a plastic valve stem with a fixed head Specialized Air Tool Road pump once, but I’d have thought that was rare, because most valve stems are metal, I think. Anyway, I was able to screw the core back into the stem without any problem, so maybe it was loose when I started and I only stripped a couple of stem threads pulling off the pump…
But yeah, hose pumps are a lot better to use and I prefer them, too.
#25
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One real frame pump per bike. (I'll probably never own a bike that cannot fit one. I see air for tires kinda like oxygen for me. Something that should be free and readily available anywhere.) Zephal HPs and HPXs in lengths to fit. HT pegs on most of my bikes (A machined pan head screw makes a sweet peg) and the clamp on peg on one or two. Velcro straps on most.
I don't carry any backup because I have had so few Zephal pump failures over the past 50 years. Most have been from falling off the bike and cars running over them; hence the velcro. (And credit to Zephal - I revived one of those flattened pumps and it went on in regular service for years. Its death had noting to do with that accident.)
Edit: Zephal's lever on the valve works so well that I do not know why everybody doesn't just copy it. Assuming France has the 17 year patent window the US has, that patent wore off before many of the posters here were born. And pumping with no hose is a bit of a skill, but only a "bit". Not hard to learn at all and once you know and pay just a little attention, no valve/tube failures. Pump on and off is always easy, fast (and doable when many of the fancier types cannot - like when not enough valve stem is showing with a deepish rim. And when the O-ring starts getting tired, holding the pump on with very little air leakage is not hard at all. I have wheels and valves that I have to start with my HPX just to get my floor pump on.
I don't carry any backup because I have had so few Zephal pump failures over the past 50 years. Most have been from falling off the bike and cars running over them; hence the velcro. (And credit to Zephal - I revived one of those flattened pumps and it went on in regular service for years. Its death had noting to do with that accident.)
Edit: Zephal's lever on the valve works so well that I do not know why everybody doesn't just copy it. Assuming France has the 17 year patent window the US has, that patent wore off before many of the posters here were born. And pumping with no hose is a bit of a skill, but only a "bit". Not hard to learn at all and once you know and pay just a little attention, no valve/tube failures. Pump on and off is always easy, fast (and doable when many of the fancier types cannot - like when not enough valve stem is showing with a deepish rim. And when the O-ring starts getting tired, holding the pump on with very little air leakage is not hard at all. I have wheels and valves that I have to start with my HPX just to get my floor pump on.
Last edited by 79pmooney; 08-07-23 at 11:06 AM.