The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. Topeak road morph, you're welcome. Get a tiny frame bag and stop being a weight weenie. Or just keep walking.

+3^^^

My Zefal HPx can inflate 23 tires to 100psi, no problems. If I want to save space (I don't care about 50grams more or less) I carry a mini pump that can inflate to 80psi and get me home.

I carried a Topeak Mini Morph, with a Performance Bike clip (which seems to be discontinued) to fit it next to my water bottle. (Why doesn't Topeak supply this mount? It easily fits next to the water bottle.) With the hose, and pressing down with the pump end on the ground, it's easy to pump up. But I counted about 200 strokes to get it close to 90 psi. Slow. The regular Morph is probably a lot faster.

I've seen riders with CO2 that fumble loading the cartridge or otherwise end up with CO2 escaping and nothing in the tire. I hear comments like "I hope it works this time."

Now, after reading recommendations on BF, I carry the tiny Genuine Innovations Air Chuck. With 16 gram threaded cartridges, it fills a 25-28c tire. And it's simple and reliable. It worked perfectly the first time, no drama. I cut a section of old inner tube to make a sleeve for the CO2 cartridge, to cover the threads when it's in my saddle bag, and as insulation when using it.

Just screw the chuck onto the cartridge. Press onto the Presta valve. Now push down on the spring loaded chuck to feed CO2. It's very easy to feed just a little CO2, pull the chuck, check that the tire bead is seated, then continue with more CO2. The rate of inflation is very controllable.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=497897

That's because they don't want to wait all day for you to pump up your tire with a pencil pump.


I ride 700x25 on my road bike and 700x28 on my fixed gear.
I carry 2 tubes, 2 16g threaded CO2 cartridges, a tire tool and a Lezyne inflator head in my saddle bags.

16g is enough to fill a 700x25, the 700x28 will be a bit soft, but perfectly ride-able.

I cut 3" sections of old inner tubes and put them on the CO2 cartridges. This keeps them from rattling and insulates them when you use them.

I've seen 16g threaded cartridges at $3-5 a piece at bike shops. I get mine from eBay and they're a bit over a buck each with shipping.

This link will eventually die, but here: 30 CO2 Cartridges 16g Threaded C02 Bike Tire Inflator Pet Convincer 16 Gram HVAC | eBay

You can always Google search: ebay 16g threaded co2


I'm pretty old school.
I have custom steel frames with brazed on pump pegs.
I have matching, custom painted Silca pumps with Campy pump heads.

But I don't carry or use them anymore. They always sucked and took too long.

All you boys with your CO2! A frame pump will take too long.. get a better one!. What's the matter, afraid to upset your Strava Time? Get real.. slow down and enjoy the day.

And now a question for JYL in Portland... WTF are you doing riding 25mm tires in Portland in January?.. to a bar (pub)?
I mean, you locked the bike up with a lock, but you don't want to carry extra weight via pump or extra cartridge? Unless you leave the lock outside the pub because you go there every day.
I say you made this story up!!!

So far I have preferred to make use of my frame pump. As Reynolds said and it applies to me "I'll take reusable over disposable". Having said that if I decide to start doing group rides, I would definitely have a CO2 pump and a couple cartridges in my kit, so I can minimize any disruptions to the group. I also see the value when it is cold or very hot, to be able to inflate quicker.

I would guess you have never been to Portland. I am there often and are right at this moment and can see every manner of cyclist. I tend to visit one of the 84 (as of this date) breweries in the metro area almost every night and JYL would be on the low end of the unusual scale.

I used to carry a pump. Then a hybrid pump/CO2 inflator. And after having used the CO2 inflator part of that thing a couple of times, only a CO2 inflator. I don't "hope" the CO2 inflator will work, I know it will because I've used it successfully in the past.

If one cartridge isn't filling a 25c tube to pressure, instead of two cartridges, get a single bigger cartridge. They come in different sizes... Although limping home on a slightly underfilled tube is perfectly acceptable.

To many of us, standing by the side of the road with traffic whizzing by at 60mph in 100F, sweating profusely while pumping up a tire with a frame pump is NOT an enjoyable part of the day. But I'm glad you like it so you should carry on.

This is a very fair question. Here is the sad answer. I went to take my around town bike, that has a full tool kit in a Carradice saddlebag plus a Silca frame pump. But apparently mice in the garage discovered the gel packets and energy bars I also keep in the saddlebag, and were somehow able to get up on the table that the bike was leaned against. They chewed big holes in the bag and left debris everywhere. So I grabbed the roadie bike and threw my roadie tool kit including CO2 inflator, and a U lock, in my backpack and rode off. We just had a snow/ice event and the bike lanes and shoulders are littered with gravel. I suspect a piece of flint punctured my tube, although I didn't find the cause of the puncture when I was changing the tire by streetlight. So that is what happened.

I'm going to go back to carrying a mini pump in my jersey pocket. Even for roadie rides. Maybe I'll carry one CO2 cartridge and the minimalist inflator. When I'm 40 miles from home, seems I need to be prepared with more than a single CO2 cartridge.

Normally, on my group rides, anyone who flats gets left behind and has to ride extra hard to catch up, or he converts the group ride to a solitary amble.

a single 12g cartridge will get you plenty of air for even a lengthy ride home on a 25. and take a lesson from the marines. 2 is 1 and 1 is none. just carry an extra cartridge. honestly when I'm riding long distances unsupported I carry two co2s AND a pump. nothing like getting caught on a country back road alone with no way to inflate.

to answer your question why? co2 is light and fast and works well for club riding or unsupported racing where fixing a flat quickly is more important. it's not fun watching your buddies ride away while hammering on your minipump.

yea rodents, like mice, do like things they perceive as potential food.

I had a flavor packet from a pack of TopRamen transported to another room,
the foil packet nibbled thru then abandoned once they tasted the contents ..



[Weather] I took a trip into Clark County fairgrounds for the hearing on the Potential Oil Export Rail to Sea Terminal , Van.. WA
last week .. icicles on the road side cliffs started appearing a few miles in from the coast ..

12/22 I took a Pratfall in the US26 Rest area on top of the Coast range ..
a thin sheet of black ice covered the parking lot.


Well Known: NO2 will make you faster..

I love CO2 vs pump threads!

I don't care which one you use - just please stop telling the other side they're doing it wrong. Pick one, stick with it, or change - or pick both.

Adding to the conversation though - I have the insulated kind of inflator and when I'm done with my repair, I leave the cart in there - then if I'm lucky, there's still some gas in it when I get my next flat so the low pressure CO2 in the old cart can give me a head start filling the tube, and the new CO2 cart gives me a higher finishing pressure (repeat).

I have a Silca Impero with a Campy Head, which I like because it's a Silca Impero -- with a Campy Head! And I got it free! But in terms of practicality I have a very hard time getting more than 60psi out of it. So I keep it on my daily commuter which is wearing 700x50 marathon supremes, so 60 is the max pressure I would use anyways. But on a bike that needs >100 I would take my zefal hp.

Worrying about grams is just plain foolish.

+1

Something about our sport, or maybe BF, or the water, but certain subjects always lead to debates about the one best way. CO2 joins chain lube, wheel tension, helmets, lane placement, and others in the pantheon of "you're wrong!"

Now that makes sense! You could even use that last gasp to to the initial inflation to check for a good bead seat.

Funny. In my racing days, I used the Zephal HP to the sneers of the Campy crowd. Until they flatted. Then they would suffer the indignity of borrowing my pump to get back to full pressure. (At a time trial, our fastest master, a small, skinny guy, put 120 psi in both tires with my HP.)

I see posters above who say frame pumps break off valves. Yes they do if you hold them incorrectly. I wrap my fingers around the pump head and a spoke, thumb over the tire. Pump and tire move together and no force is put on the pump head. I have broken maybe a half dozen valves in 4 decades. (Riding sew-ups, you value those valves a little more!)

Ben

That is a good answer, good reply even though I was a little harsh.

And for EasyUpBug, I have been to Portland. In fact my parents and grandparents born in OR.. and in the tree-killing business.. (but they won't let us kill any right now.)... Today I am headed northeast in my 4x4 loaded with a couple of cases of French Vanilla Coffee Creamer...! :roflmao2:

I've always been able to hit 90-100 pounds, but I admit it's a workout!

I'm one who mentioned rigid frame and mini-pumps can break valve stems if you are careless or in a rush and don't pay attention to the correct technique. Your own admission of breaking a half dozen, even if it took 40 years, supports that claim. I've only broken one in 31 years but it was at the worst possible time, in a cold rain and halfway through a century ride. Since mini-pumps with a flex hose are available, I consider them a useful precaution.

I use both co2 and a pump, the pump will not fill a tubeless tire that came off the rim.

Biking rather than driving home from the bar? Good for you.

Riding at night with glass, gravel, and possibly ice in the bike lane? Bad for you.

I know many people ride at night. Some have no choice, for economic or other reasons. Long ago, I bike-commuted, but gave it up when the days got shorter. I loaded the bike up with lights and a generator and wore reflective gear, but I still felt like I'd eventually end up as road-kill. Around here, when a bicycling fatality makes the news, it's almost always someone riding after dark - a poor stiff riding home from a restaurant job. That's when the drunks, crazies and drag-racers are out in their cars.

I ride after dark quite often. Remember at this time of year, it gets dark around 6 pm, I was riding around 7 pm. I'm not a fan of riding very late on weekend nights for the reason you mentioned.

Last night I had two bright taillights on the bike (one flashing and one steady), a flashing taillight high on the backpack, two flashing white lights on the handlebars, a bright white spotlight on the helmet. Plus reflectives on jacket. There's no issue with drivers seeing me. Of course some drivers don't notice even though they see - so I watch my helmet mirror for overtaking cars, and use my helmet spot to light up cars that might try to pull out in front of me. And I know the stretches of road to avoid.

It's not as safe as staying home, but it is safe enough - in Portland, anyway. We have a lot of bike lanes, traffic speeds are fairly slow, and there are so many bikes around that drivers get used to watching for them. We average about 2-3 cycling deaths a year, for the whole city including suburbs. Some other cities would be a different story.

I've been riding on city streets for >40 years now. Zero accidents with cars (or pedestrians, or other bikes). A few solo falls (mostly low speed).

Using a mini pimp for 35 years instead of a frame pump to save 6 valves? 2 of those were sew-ups. So:

First, a few assumptions (of my experience, not anyone else's):

15 years of nothing but frame pumps and sew-ups. A tire a week inflated.
20 years of clinchers and a floor pump. A tire a month inflated with the frame pumps.
90 strokes/inflation for the HPs and HPXs. (A few less with 23s, right on with 25s, more with bigger tires)
200 strokes with mini pumps (no experience here, just surmising this from the thread)

15 years X 50 weeks X 90 = 68,000 pump strokes (X 200 = 150,000 pump strokes with a mini pump)
20 years X 12 months X 90 = 21,000 pump strokes (X 200 - 48,000 pump strokes with a mini pump)

With a frame pump, 89,000 strokes. With a minipump, 198,000 strokes.

That's 109,000 strokes I saved with the frame pumps. Those pumps cost me (2) $20 sewups and (4) $6 innertubes = $64 over nearly 4 decades. If those extra 110 strokes per inflation saved me $64 in 109,000/200 = 545 tires inflated, that's a cost of 12 cents per inflation. (Those broken valves never left me stranded. Most happened at home where I tended to be a little less careful.) And if the frame pump saved me 2 minutes per tire, that's 1090 minutes = 18 hours. ($64/18 = $3.55/hour. Even as a dishwasher over summer vacation in highschool, my time was valued a lot higher than that.)

Ben