Are co2 inflators the way to go?

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screenman

Legendary Member
CO2 and mini pump attached as we speak to any one of the 5 bikes I might want to ride today, another bike is on the turbo and one is my old mtb kept for sentimental reasons.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
I have a selection of pumps but never carry one because being crouched over a bike performing rapid hand movements while going red in the face looks like an act of onanism. A cylinder is quick and painless and a secondary consideration is that living on the edge of the nastiness of Manchester and the mill towns I do have a small worry about being mugged for my bike by scrotes in a van. A blast of freezing CO2 in the face might just shock them for long enough for me to make my escape.
 

Fab Foodie

hanging-on in quiet desperation ...
Location
Kirton, Devon.
On the Thanet Platinum 200 Audax yesterday, me and @Salty seadog chanced across a lightweight roadie with bike upturned. We were on a road in a forst mikes from anywhere. Being of a kind disposition, Salty stopped and offered help.
Rider has no pump at all and only had 2. CO2 cartridges and both had failed. Salty offered pumpage, called him an idiot and sent him on his way!

I’m certain that one decent full size Zefal pump (which inflates a tyre in very short time) is about the same weight as a mini-pump plus CO2 cylinders. You don’t have to keep buying cylinders, it’s better for the planet.
Also some tossers just discard their empties by the roadside.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
I always used to carry a £2.99 plastic Bluemells pump in my backpack while mountain biking and time and again it came to the rescue when other riders had run out of puff trying to inflate 26 x 2.4" tyres with mini pumps.
 

Globalti

Legendary Member
Anybody who lives in a city will have noticed the proliferation of used nitrous oxide cylinders lying around after being used by kids to get a high. They are cheap and readily available off Eblag, I wonder if they could substitute a CO2 cylinder? They are smaller but the nozzle looks the same size.
 

Salty seadog

Space Cadet...(3rd Class...)
Anybody who lives in a city will have noticed the proliferation of used nitrous oxide cylinders lying around after being used by kids to get a high. They are cheap and readily available off Eblag, I wonder if they could substitute a CO2 cylinder? They are smaller but the nozzle looks the same size.

I'm sure I read on here r recently that it was not a suitable gas. Cannot remember why.
Co2 is not expensive though, I got 48 for about £8 online how long will they last as I will primarily pump.
 

faster

Über Member
It depends on each persons individual circumstances and attitude to risk.

For me, it's CO2 every time, as it's more convenient and cheaper than buying a mini pump. I've only had three punctures out on the road in the last 12,000 miles, so I only carry an inflator, one cartridge, one inner tube, one of those tiny packs of Park patches (about the size of a postage stamp!), and a tiny schrader/presta converter thingy so I could use a pump at a garage in an emergency. The whole lot fits into a zip lock bag about the size of a fag packet, so it easily fits into a jersey pocket.

Obviously, there is a risk I might not be able fix a puncture if I have more than one, but I think the risk is acceptably small. Realistically, there is more risk of something else going wrong like a broken spoke/rim or a slashed tyre. I take a phone and some cash with me, so I'll probably be able to get home somehow!

I've seen more problems caused by over furious pumping tearing the valve out of the tube than I've seen with CO2. It's not easy to get to a high enough pressure for narrow tyres with a mini pump, and you need the right pump. Some are useless.

If I had a pump attached to the bike, it would probably get destroyed by the salt over winter anyway. I don't understand the cost argument - the inflator heads are a couple of quid from Wiggle and cartridges are about a pound each.
 

betty swollocks

large member
They are handy to seat a tubeless tyre.
But I always carry a mini pump, some of which are very good.
 

screenman

Legendary Member
I'm sure I read on here r recently that it was not a suitable gas. Cannot remember why.
Co2 is not expensive though, I got 48 for about £8 online how long will they last as I will primarily pump.

This is a cycling forum, it will always come down to how much^_^
 

screenman

Legendary Member
The very definition of stupidity...paying for air in a canister when it's abundantly free all around :rolleyes:

I charge upwards of £50 and hour for my labour, the canisters save me time and time is money:rolleyes:. That is not the reason I use them though
 
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