Inflators

[brewer45]

The typical 16 gram inflator cartridge puts a 700x23 tire at about 130 psi. We're riding 700x28 Conti Gatoskin tires. Any guess at what the inflation psi from a 16 gram cartridge for a 700x28 tire might be?

[masiman]

by ratios it would guess ~106.

[72andsunny]

I've never had a gauge handy when inflating my tires with a CO2 cartridge.

1 cartridge seems to leave my tires a little soft...maybe 100 pounds. Somewhere >1 cartridge is more than enough to blow the sidewall out of a 700x28 Gatorskin (while making the loudest sound I have ever heard).

[brewer45]

I've never had a gauge handy when inflating my tires with a CO2 cartridge.

1 cartridge seems to leave my tires a little soft...maybe 100 pounds. Somewhere >1 cartridge is more than enough to blow the sidewall out of a 700x28 Gatorskin (while making the loudest sound I have ever heard).

LOL. That's exactly what I would like to avoid!

[BreakingWind]

All I know is that I accidentally put an entire 16g cartridge into a 700x23 tire the other day and experienced the big bang theory firsthand.

[lmzimmer]

I use a hand pump to get things started and then finish with a C02 cartridge- works good enough to get me home with 28's

[regomatic]

I use a hand pump to get things started and then finish with a C02 cartridge- works good enough to get me home with 28's

What lmzimmer said.

[brewer45]

Thanks to all for the feedback and cautionary tales. I had hoped to get by without carrying a pump, but it seems that both a pump and a pressure gauge (or a pump with gauge) are in order.

Cheers!

[dvs cycles]

All I know is that I accidentally put an entire 16g cartridge into a 700x23 tire the other day and experienced the big bang theory firsthand.
There was something else that caused it. I just inflate my tires to the point that they are just seated with my pump and add a full 16g and don't get over 120psi. No way will 16g overinflate to the point of exceding burst point. You probably had the tube pinched..

[zonatandem]

We use a Topeak Mt. Morph pump. Neat gizmo that unfolds into a mini-floor pump; and some come with a guage. 100 pump strokes gets us 100 lbs pressure in 700x25 tire. More strokes = more pressure.
It's 'almost' a pleasure to get a flat with this pump!
Pedal on TWOgether!
Rudy and Kay/zonatandem

[jgg3]

I had my first flat ever on a tandem today. The comments here were well in my mind. It just went soft, no blowout. I was carrying a minipump, a 16g inflator (1), and a spare tube (1). Couldn't find the source of the problem, which was a little worrying. Filled the tube a little for assembly, then a little more after, then went to the inflator. Thought I got it all, but wasn't quite sure, there was some pressure left when I unscrewed the cartridge. Not a whole lot. About 90-100 in the tire (700x28).

This was after more than 2000 miles, so I guess it is ok. Tire is getting thin in the middle, but I will remove and inspect carefully tonight. I still wish I knew what caused it; it would give me confidence that it just won't happen right away (we rode about 8 miles home after).

The thing is, with my wife on the back, I have no one to call! That little safety net has let me just drag one (tubular) tire and inflator around for ages on my single, but I just don't feel confident getting further away from home with nothing left on the tandem. So I probably need to carry two cartridges and two tubes to have some confidence on the tandem. Maybe a good pump is a better idea and I can just deal with the tubes.

[moleman76]

A "cage rocket" in one of your bottle cages could hold several tubes, several CO2 cartridges, etc.

[zonatandem]

Cheapo 'cage rocket' = empty CoffeeMate plastic container.

[justcrankn]

Topeak has a line of 5 different "morph" pumps that work well. After bad experiences with several CO2 inflators and 2 pumps that decided to quit on the ride, I now always carry a Morph pump, tube, patches, and a tire boot. Now we're prepared for most tire problems. While stranded on the side of the road most bikers will stop and help. Several that stopped for us discovered that their CO2 didn't work or was missing something.

[Old Hammer Boy]

Road Morph, Road Morph, Road Morph.... Use one and you'll never go back!!!

[brewer45]

I replaced one of the bottle cages with a Road Morph. So now I've got the inflator AND the pump. I double dare the road deamons to mess with my tires!

Thanks again for the tips.

Cheers!!

[Retro Grouch]

The typical 16 gram inflator cartridge puts a 700x23 tire at about 130 psi. We're riding 700x28 Conti Gatoskin tires. Any guess at what the inflation psi from a 16 gram cartridge for a 700x28 tire might be?

I don't use a gauge but I strongly suspect that 130psi in a 23mm tire is pretty optomistic.

I generally pump my 23mm road bike tires up to 110psi. When I have a flat I blow a little air into the inner tube to give it shape, install the tire, and inflate it with 1 full 16 gram cartridge. Subjectively I don't think they are any harder than what I get using my pump and gauge. No way am I getting 130psi.

On my tandem I use 28mm tires. It's been awhile since I had a flat on the tandem, but I use the same 16 gram cartridge. My wife and I aren't the lightest team in the world, but that's enough to get us home without pinch flatting.

[cornucopia72]

[QUOTE=jgg3;6583897]I had my first flat ever on a tandem today. The comments here were well in my mind. It just went soft, no blowout. I was carrying a minipump, a 16g inflator (1), and a spare tube (1). Couldn't find the source of the problem, which was a little worrying. QUOTE]

We always mount the tires with the colorful label aligned with the valve. Depending on the tubes being used one can mount them in a way to be able to ID the general location of the problem that caused the flat. We pump a few strokes on the bad tube and run the whole tube very close to our upper lip to find the whole. Then we can go back to the tire and look very closely in the target area and usually (but not always) find the culprit.

[specbill]

"We always mount the tires with the colorful label aligned with the valve"
+1 on that..it sure makes it easier to locate the resulting hole and/or remnants in the tire, of the puncture causing intrusion.
Bill J.

[jgg3]

We always mount the tires with the colorful label aligned with the valve. Depending on the tubes being used one can mount them in a way to be able to ID the general location of the problem that caused the flat.
Yes, sorry I should have been clearer. I do all that, and in fact am sort of anal about it, and known as the cause-finder in our group for mysterious flats. But I had not touched these tires/tubes since they came new in the box from CoMotion, and thus the tube was not marked, and while repairing on the road, we could not find the problem. That was what worried me.

After getting it home, and re-mounting it the next day (with marks and appropriate placement), I was able to find the place. The glass or whatever was gone, so it was good to keep rolling on it. And in fact, we have another 50 miles since then.