indyfabz

fify. :d

canklecat

I carry both a mini-pump and CO2.

The CO2 is for group rides so people aren't waiting too long for me. And for unbearably hot days when I don't want to waste energy pumping.

But 95% of the time I use the mini-pump.

My favorite mini-pumps are the Topeak RaceRocket, HP and longer HPX. Best ergonomics I've tried for mini-pumps. I also have a Blackburn Core Slim which is comparable to the Topeak RaceRocket HPX, but the ergonomics aren't quite as good. The Topeaks have soft plastic end caps and rubber grips. The Blackburn has metal end caps with squared edges, and no rubber grips. I use my gloves or a bandana to cushion my hands when using the Blackburn.

All three have short hoses and threaded chucks. The RaceRocket HPX plastic end cap doubles as a Presta valve core wrench. The Blackburn Core Slim has a metal core wrench in the end cap.

On group rides I've seen other riders blow out their only CO2 cartridge and had no backup plan. In one case the fellow's spare tube was also punctured because he missed the bit of glass or thorn that caused the first puncture. So I've let them borrow my mini-pumps. And I also always carry a patch kit, usually the Lezyne self-sticking patches, although occasionally the self-sticking patches by Park and others. Lezyne are the best but not easy to find locally.

Nubie

I carry the PDW Shiny Object as above and 2-3 cartridges. No pump. I live on the edge.

GlennR

I wrap mine with hockey stick tape.

MAK

I carry both. It's been in the mid to high 90's here with high humidity. "Feels like" 100+ according to the weather apps. I never flat in the shade so CO2 is my first choice and I'll refill with O2 when I get home. I carry the pump (Topeka Road or Mountain Morph depending on the bike) if I have a problem with the CO2, which has rarely happened to me.

shawn_dubs

I have a mini pump but always have trouble getting the pressure where it needs to be so I got one of these and it's been great.

www . amazon . com/gp/product/B06Y3HPPFF/

Joearch

same here

sayn3ver

Been wanting to try CO2 but my lezny mini pump with storable hose works pretty good. Better than an old Topeak one I had back in 2009.

It's too long to fit in my rear jersey pocket however and with my downtube shape and width not allowing it installed there with the included mount it has to sit at the bottle.cage mount on the seat tube.

I'm close to buying an inflator and CO2 just to get another item off the frame. However I have terrible luck typically and could see needing more than 2 CO2 cartridges.

There's something reassuring about mechanical group sets and frame pumps when no one is home to come retrieve you.

just a beginners perspective.

MinnMan

I had that kind of inflator for a while. it kinda sucks. now, like many here, I roll with the PDW shiny object. SOOO much better control and a failure rate near zero.

MinnMan

I mostly go with CO2. With a good inflator (see above), it's nearly flawless.

When I do carry a pump, it's the Topeak Mini Morph. The rotatable handle and the foot-holding extension make it much better than other similar-sized pumps, IMHO.

GlennR

Of the dozen or so flats, i've never had a failure or needed my 2nd CO2 cartridge.

jaxgtr

I've only used more than 1 CO2 cartridge, 1 time over the last 15 years. I did not feel or see a small wire on the inside of my tire and I flatted multiple times. I finally walked the last 2 miles home versus putting in another tube, so I am not concerned about needing a hand pump.

79pmooney

Good pumps always. 1)They put better air in the tube. Nitrogen primarily rather than pure CO2. Tires stay inflated longer (so they tell me). 2) Less wasteful and cheaper. 3) Topping off whenever I feel like it is easy.

Now there may be good mini pumps but as long as I can get and keep working Zephal HPs and HPXs I am not likely to change. They simply work. 100 strokes or less to pressures we used long before this new low pressure mantra. Good to far higher pressures than I will ever need.

Yes, no hose. I can damage tubes being careless. But simply wrapping my pump head hand around the adjacent spokes works really well. And you cannot beat the easy on/off with those pump heads and levers.

MinnMan

1) Definitely true, but not really a factor during your ride. If I fix a flat with CO2, once I'm home I deflate the tire and pump back up with air.
2) Also true. The trade off is time.
3) Also true, but not generally a factor except for a slow leak or if you run tubeless.

2)* Quite a few of my rides are no-drop group rides. For those, it's going to be CO2 all the way. CO2 inflation time is a few seconds, not minutes, and when a dozen or two dozen people are waiting around, that makes a difference. People should have greater awareness about time when they are taking it from a group of people, rather than just themselves.

On my own or on your own, the choice is different.

Shorter, to OP - do you ride alone or in groups? That's a consideration.

knobd

I have that pump and it does a good job. I had the larger one (Road Morph) before and it comes with a guage. My tires are usually inflated in the mid 80's and both pumps were able to hit it without a crazy amount of effort.

MinnMan

Yeah, I ride with a friend who carries a road morph. It's great. He and I commonly go on rides, just the two of us, usually gravel. If we are riding together and one of us gets a flat, we use his pump for sure. But the mini morph fits in my jersey pocket, and so it's easy when I switch up bikes.

deacon mark

CO2 is not completely reliable and can be done wrong. A pump always has air as long as I have arms to pump it up. I carry a Lezyene small pump on one water bottle holder and CO2. Normally I simply use the pump it can get me to road pressure of 95[psi in about 200 strokes. I would use the co2 if in hurry but really the pump works. I carry 2 tubes no patch kit so if I have more than 2 flats I have to use my cell phone. That has not happened but I have had co2 not get seated correct and rush out or not fill just right. I have had a spare tube actually go bad and when I tried to use it it had a leak. I have had a value stem go bad on a spare tube.

To me the moral is I want air..............pump. After all for me I am not racing anywhere.

CliffordK

How long does it really take to pump up a tire? Somewhere around 30 to 50 pumps? So, maybe a minute or two? Perhaps I should time it sometime.

I'm not big on one-time-use items. So... air gets used over and over and over again.

GhostRider62

Depends on the volume of the tire, pressure to be attained, and of course the pump.

700 x 35 to 70 psi takes over 400 strokes.

I am not aware of any mini pump that could reach pressure with 30-50. Maybe 150 is more like it for skinny tires.

CliffordK

There is a reason I don't put mountain bike tires on my road bike.

My latest mini-pump is a Crank Brothers pump. Is it already a couple of years out of date?



Dual head Presta/Schrader, twist top. Gauge (which I rarely use), and dual pressure/stroke volume with a twist of the bottom of the plunger.

It actually works pretty nice for putting in some air, then twist the end of the handle and top off the tire.

I always hold the pump head, and I never break a valve.

GhostRider62

Ok, 700 x 32 or 28.

You know....tires are getting wider.

rm -rf

I get a lot fewer flats these days from slivers. It's mostly from hitting unseen large gravel / small rocks on an otherwise smooth road, at faster speeds.

CO2 is soo much easier than a mini pump. I once counted over 200 strokes on my Mini Morph pump just to get to a rideable pressure on the 23mm tires, maybe 80 psi instead of the normal 100. No gauge needed, just pump until you can't press down on the handle any more!

Long solo: I'd bring a CO2, my tiny Genuine Innovations inflator, and a tiny pump as a backup. Perhaps a patch kit instead of a second tube.
Group rides: CO2 and a tube! there will be plenty of spares within the group if needed.

Full size frame pumps are amazing. The few riders that carry them can inflate a repaired tire quickly and easily. It's the long stroke that makes it fast.

Lazyass

I just started carrying co2 again. I bought a couple of these cartridge holders on amazon for my bikes and I carry a third cart with the pump head attached.

shelbyfv

Mini pump and CO2.

noimagination

This is what I was thinking as I read this thread, as well. I'm sure using a pump takes longer than using CO2 (I've never used CO2), but in terms of the total time consumed fixing a flat, pumping up the tire is just part of the overall process(getting the wheel and tire off, finding the cause of the puncture, removing said cause, installing the new tube, pumping up the tire, putting the wheel back on, putting everything away), and it really only takes a couple of minutes at the most. It often takes me longer to find the cause of a flat than to pump up the tire. Nothing against CO2, this thread lists several advantages and many people seem to really like it, but personally I doubt that the time savings is that significant in the overall scheme of things.