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Mid-ride flat inflation

Old 02-17-22, 11:19 AM
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_ForceD_
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Mid-ride flat inflation

I’ve never ridden a fat bike…strictly a road cyclist…but just wondering how you all go about inflating flats mid-ride. I was on paved MUP yesterday and came upon a fat bike/rider who was pumping away with the smallest of hand pumps. I slowed as I approached him, and was going to offer the use of the 16g CO₂ cartridge I carry with me. But then figured that it wouldn’t touch the inflation of that completely flat tire. He’s probably still out there pumping. But I’m just curious…how many cartridges does it take to properly inflate those tires? Is there a hand pump that is efficient for them? I felt bad there was nothing I could do to assist him. I always offer assistance when I pass a stopped cyclist.

Dan
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Old 02-17-22, 12:35 PM
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I use/carry Co2 cylinders for my fat tire bike, I use about 2-1/2 12 grm cylinders to fill the Wart Hog tires to just less than 30 lbs. I use a lot of 12 grm cylinder for my air rifles, my co2 inflator uses 16 grm cylinder threaded type, I just put 5 or 6 Nickels inside the carry handle and can use the 12 grm cylinders also, plus I don't waste any gas etc.
It is this model: https://www.thebikesmiths.com/produc...vations-g20310

Also use the same item for my ATV along with mushroom plugs, which work perfectly.
HtH,
Don
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Old 02-17-22, 10:29 PM
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Some pumps made for mtb are high volume, low pressure. That make things go faster.
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Old 02-17-22, 11:13 PM
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Fat tires only need about 4-15 psi, so a cartridge will suffice. But, He could have been just adjusting his pressure. I will lower pressure for technical trails and pump back up when I get on the smoother paths.
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Old 02-18-22, 10:27 AM
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Originally Posted by MarcusT
Fat tires only need about 4-15 psi, so a cartridge will suffice. But, He could have been just adjusting his pressure. I will lower pressure for technical trails and pump back up when I get on the smoother paths.
This was in the Ft. Lauderdale area. I don’t think there are technical off-road trails in this “megaopolis.” But the bike was pretty loaded down with panniers and such…like he was touring. The tire was completely flat when I saw him. I know the psi for those bigger tires is much lower…but the volume of air required is much more. It just didn’t seem like one 16g CO₂ cartridge would do much for it.

Dan
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Old 02-21-22, 10:03 AM
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Originally Posted by _ForceD_
I’ve never ridden a fat bike…strictly a road cyclist…but just wondering how you all go about inflating flats mid-ride. I was on paved MUP yesterday and came upon a fat bike/rider who was pumping away with the smallest of hand pumps. I slowed as I approached him, and was going to offer the use of the 16g CO₂ cartridge I carry with me. But then figured that it wouldn’t touch the inflation of that completely flat tire. He’s probably still out there pumping. But I’m just curious…how many cartridges does it take to properly inflate those tires? Is there a hand pump that is efficient for them? I felt bad there was nothing I could do to assist him. I always offer assistance when I pass a stopped cyclist.

Dan
I thought everybody on a fatbike looked like this

https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gea...r-co2-carrier/

Joking aside ... I have a Lenze frame pump on my fatbike and honestly, it's faster/easier to air up a fat bike tire than a road tire. Repeating other posts, the difference is pressure versus volume, getting a road tire up to 80 to 100 psi is takes more work than getting a fat tire up to 12 psi. Also a repeat ... I ride to/from winter single-track trails, I dump my tires down to 6-8 psi on the trails and use my frame pump to get them back up to 10-12 psi to ride home, it only takes a minute and makes the ride home much easier/quicker.
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Old 06-03-22, 05:48 PM
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Topeak Mountain Morph, a high volume mini pump, works well.
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Old 06-04-22, 08:00 AM
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They do make large CO2 cartridges for fat bike tires.
https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...d-co2-inflator
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Old 06-04-22, 03:02 PM
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Originally Posted by MarcusT
Fat tires only need about 4-15 psi, so a cartridge will suffice. But, He could have been just adjusting his pressure. I will lower pressure for technical trails and pump back up when I get on the smoother paths.
I use mine as a daily-driver and run 30 psi all the time I intend to ride on the road. Ionly ever run very low pressures when on snow.

I'd run more than 30 but the tires I am running claim that to be the max.

2000 road km on mine so far...

*no way* I could ride the way I do with less than 30 psi
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Old 06-04-22, 08:05 PM
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Originally Posted by Bearhawker
I use mine as a daily-driver and run 30 psi all the time I intend to ride on the road. Ionly ever run very low pressures when on snow.

I'd run more than 30 but the tires I am running claim that to be the max.

2000 road km on mine so far...

*no way* I could ride the way I do with less than 30 psi
My wheels have a 25 psi max rating. 30 must be rock hard.

I have a Crank Bros. Gem pump. Can't say I'm happy with it. Have not had an issue yet picking up cactus quills running tubeless. Need to find a better pump before my luck runs out.
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Old 06-05-22, 06:36 AM
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Originally Posted by Airfehr
My wheels have a 25 psi max rating. 30 must be rock hard.
There is still lots of squish at 30 - WAY more comfortable ride than my road bike for sure.

Thankfully I've never had to hand-pump them at the side of the road!

Weighed the bike last night for another post here and without water bottle it is 43 pounds as I ride it - before bags and groceries. lol

Craziest ride was one winter when I rode down a clay road that doesn't get plowed in the winter. I was running around 5-6 PSI in my Jumbo Jims (I run el-cheapo 4" Kenda tires in the summer on the road) and I got stuck in the snow. Completely aired-down the tires to where no more would come out and made it the rest of the way - the limiting factor was dragging the pedals through the snow as I crested snow drifts.

The only real downside was pushing teh bike home the last km or two as there was no way I was going to ride on the road with zero air... and didn't bring a pump.

At least I didn't have t carry the bike home through snow I couldn't really walk through. I now carry snowshoes on the rear rack on winter adventures

LOL
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