Originally Posted by chefisaac

You can pop a tire with anything that gives out air and pressure.

One not about CO2: It does escape from the tire quicker FYI. So usually when I have a flat, I will always use my Road Morph to pump it up. Never rely on just having CO2. Case in point:

I was out riding one day with some friends and saw a cyclist broken down, changing a tire on the side of the road. As always, I asked if he was OK as I was riding and he said no so I turned around to help out. He used his last cartridge of CO2 and was screwed so I got my frame pump out and pumped his tire up.

The lesson, just because you carry CO2 means nothing if you are out of cartridges. Its just like brining a tube..... I always carry an extra one PLUS a patch kit just in case. I carry CO2 because it can be faster but its really not my go to way of pumping up a tire.... its my frame pump I go to 99% of the time.

On a last note, don't buy CO2 cartridges from the bike shop, there is an online guy that sells them much cheaper and more reliable. If you would like his info, let me know and I can dig it up.

On an environmental note: Using the cartridges is a one and done sorta thing before you trash them. I cringe when I see cartridges on the side of the road, empty. There is another guy, I forget who it is, that sells them and then you send the empties back to him for recycling.

And a heads up: Sometimes you will get a dud cartridge. Its very hard to tell when you have one before using and it really sucks to need one and then no air comes out because it is a dud. Hence the need, still, for a solid frame pump.