brian_rides

Hey, would love to have a pump on the road with me just in case and wondering what your thoughts on the Genuine Innovations UltraflatePlus are...
How long will one cartridge last?
Is there a better CO2 pump?
Are hand pumps superior in any way?

WhyFi

Yeah - they're never empty.

datlas 

I take both C02 and a small hand pump.

I use the C02 if on a group ride (with fellow riders waiting) or in a hurry...and use the hand pump if not in a rush or backup in case C02 is fail.

Save money and get a box of 12g C02 cartridges at WalMart for under $1 each.

ShartRate

I'm lucky enough to not have flatted yet, but I carry a pump with me. My reasoning is that if I botch a patch that I don't have to waste a cartridge to find out. A pump seems more reliable to me but they are also more work.

On the other hand, I know plenty of people who carry the CO2 cartridges and they get around just fine. IMO bring whatever inflation device you want but use puncture resistant tires.

Homebrew01

Bring 2 good tubes, and patch later while watching tv.

bonz50

yup

TrojanHorse

I like the threaded kind of inflator because the head is tiny, and I always have 2-3 with me. I also have a lezyne road drive pump on the frame, which is tiny and probably a pain to use. I agree with the two good tubes / patch later approach but I also have patches in the bag.

I had 3 flats one day and went through both spare tubes and all my CO2 and still had to call the sag wagon, so I'd rather not HAVE to do that.

bonz50

obvious statistical outlier is obvious.

coasting 

i keep meaning to get a full sized pump like the road morph, but haven't gotten around to it. I bet I won't get one until I get a flat and get stranded. That'll teach me to procrastinate.

brian_rides

What I like about the UltraFlate is that it takes non-threaded cartridges, which I can get from my work for next-to (actually) nothing. I just dont like the idea of having to carry a bunch of them around... How much can I get from one cartridge in your experience? Flat to full?

coasting 

I've never used one in anger on the road, but I think each cartridge is one flat.

Seattle Forrest

I carry two floor pumps and a spare frame. Also, I always wear gloves and knee pads in case I crash.

vfrjo

Word...SF, which mini-bag do you keep the frame in? Velcro straps over the shoulders backpack style?

I carry a Topeak mini dual or something like that. (got it with a gift card from ll bean) Also, a tube, and a patch kit in case of a really bad day. The CO2 seems fine, most of the guys i ride with use them. I have seen one fellow forget to open the valve on his fresh new tube. oops. "can i borrow your pump?"
About the pump being more work, eh, I've already been working pretty hard most of the time on the bike, so a little more isn't going to kill me.
If the other people I'm riding with can't wait the extra <minute it takes to pump up a tire (with a mini-pump), that's fine, I'll catch up with them later, but I don't think this would be an issue most of the time, for around here at least.

Nagrom_

I wouldn't do this. Those are meant for BB guns so there's oil in them. It will deteriorate the tubes.

Hop on amazon or ebay and pick up a box of 30 food grade 16g threaded/nonthreaded cartridges for ~$1 a piece.

kimconyc

- Thoughts (and experience): Do not get those dual CO2/pump combos. If you want to use CO2, get a proper CO2 head, like a Genuine Innovations Air Chuck Elite. If you want to use a pump, get a proper pump.

- A 16g cartridge lasts for one use. One flat = 1 cartridge. CO2 is meant to be used for convenience, not for weight-savings (or wallet savings) or multiple uses. The irony (if you are a road cyclist that counts grams) is that bringing 2 CO2 is a lot heavier than many good pumps).

- Yes, get something simple like an Air Chuck Elite. It's a lot smaller and functional.

- Yes, hand pumps do not run out. In fact, I have a Quicker Pro (https://velo-orange.blogspot.com/2006...om-sweden.html) that is something like 4-5 years old and it pumps up a tire to 80-100 psi in about 1 minute. True, it's 1 minute longer than it takes to fill a tire with CO2 but the pump can be used again and again. I also travel with a Topeak Road Morph G and that is almost as good as a floor pump. Portable and easy to pump tires with albeit a bit bulky.


Other thoughts:

- If you don't care about looks, your BEST bet is probably a full-on frame pump. They pump loads of air and can be used for a very long time. And then carry a CO2 or two and a couple tire patches in case you have a really bad ride.

- I only carry CO2 if I am riding a long ways from home (like > 30 miles away) as a backup to the pump.

Specialized2k10

Co2 will deflate a lot faster. It's just enough to get you back home. You still need to use a regular pump once you get a hold of one.

datlas 

You sure about this?? They are indeed meant for air guns but I believe they only have C02 in them.

Seattle Forrest

All jokes aside, I carry 3 CO2 cartridges. I flatted once, couldn't find a shard of glass in my tire, put a new tube in, and watched it flat. I was pretty careless, there was no sharp thing in the tire, it was a hole. The tube inflated, bulged through the hole, and popped. I only had one spare tube, so I walked the bike a few miles in stiff shoes to the nearest bike shop. I'm lucky it happened where it did, it was a long ride through the country, I was near a town, and they had a good bike shop.

If I'd been paying more attention, I'd have used a dollar to "boot" the tire. But it wasn't not having a pump that got me, it was (1) being oblivious and (2) not having two spare tubes.

I carry more CO2 than I think I could possibly need, because I might run into another cyclist with a flat while I'm riding around town.

bonz50

i believe you are correct. every co2 air gun i've ever owned had separate oil ports to keep it lubed, there is no tangible reason, imho, that you can't use the regular cartridges

kps88

I believe i carry a 12g instead of the 16g (I carry two). Is one 12g enough to fill a 25cm road tire to 115-120 psi??

chasm54

CO2 cartridges are expensive, wasteful, and prone to operator error that leaves you stranded. A decent pump lasts for years, delivers free air, and if it is a really decent pump, doesn't take all that much effort. Anyway, what's the problem with effort? You're a cyclist, right?

datlas 

No. It will fill it to 80 which is plenty to get you home.

RPK79

+1

Seattle Forrest

Most cyclists can leg press a double decker bus, but can only bench press a napkin.

KevinF

While I can't argue with most of what you said, CO2 cartridges aren't really expensive, at least if you don't buy them from your LBS. The 12 gram version are used in air guns. A little Googling shows that you can get 40 12gram cartridges for less than $20. I bought a 20 pack of CO2 cartridges six or seven years ago and I still haven't used them all.

I always carry three or four CO2 cartridges in my seat pack in case of multiple flats. Frame pumps provide unlimited air, but you still have limited patches / tubes. There's always a limiting factor to how many times the Flat Tire Gods can strike before you're out-of-luck.

To each their own... This is one of the many religious debates in cycling as to "which is better".