Originally Posted by
stapfam
Regular bike service will also include a check that the pump works- and every 3 months it is stripped down- seals checked and Re-greased where necessary ( "Special" grease for rubber seals) and then tested.
Hmmm. That's a good point. I carry a Zefal HPX on my retro grouch bike but I haven't used it in years. I ASSUME it still works but I can't say for sure. I don't get very many flat tires but the last several have been either on the tandem or on my poseur points bike. Those bikes carry CO2 only.
I stopped carrying a frame pump on the tandem when I realized that I hadn't used it for roughly 10 years. There's no good way to carry a full sized pump on my Klein and I don't want to mess with minis because they take way too many pumps to get a road tire up to pressure.
After fixing a flat with CO2 I've never had a bad experience and I don't worry about getting home but the tire is noticeably soft by the next morning. I generally top off my tires (with a floor pump) before every ride anyway so who cares?