Having read a couple of threads about how various gases diffuse through the butyl rubber in tubes, I wonder if an inert gas would be better? Argon is fairly abundant and its atomic radius is pretty big as well, if that matters.

I hear air is pretty abundant, can be compressed by hand and is surprisingly affordable.

I prefer a mix with about 20.9 % oxygen in my tires. I hear its the best

The other two posters have it right but I still have to ask; what problem are you trying to solve?

Don't forget to put fresh air in your tires regularly!~! I ran nitrogen once in my 2wd truck. Absolutely no difference in my humble opinion.,,,,BD

Ah, FFS people, why does every thread here have to turn into stupid stuff like this?

Personally, I would never dream of using anything but a regular old pump to fill my tubes. I've never even used a CO2 thingy.

Can't you for one second think about something theoretically? Are you really that narrow in your thought processes, that you find that impossible?

View this as a question in the same vein as a question such as "Are we alone in the universe?"...

Because the threads start with questions like this?
Ah, a theoretical technical discussion about "thingys".
Yes, it's true. I am mired in pragmatism. I need to watch more Star Trek or something.

Good question. Given threads like this, there has to be more intelligent life out there somewhere.

Well, the questions about the gases used in bike tires can be tested for effect using currently available technology. The "are we alone in the universe" questions will require some additional development time.

Race cars use pure nitrogen in those tires because ambient air can have too much moisture. When that moisture boils, you can have all kinds of problems. We cyclists never deal with anything close to those kinds of speeds and cornering forces. The same can be said of our street cars.

Argon is a bit pricey to be filling bike tires. i'll stick to using my argon with my tig welder

Forget the practicalities and focus on the chemistry and physics of it.

I fill my tires with chocolate, that way when it punctures I get a delicious treat as well.

From here.
There goes my personal methane recycling idea...

I can forget about NAWS for my bike too.

you just gave me a brilliantly awesome, evil idea to carry out on unruly customers.

aron is still smaller than CO2

Haha..

"Need help with that flat?"
"Need some CHOCOLATE, BABY!!!!?"

It's gonna slow you down: argon has a density of 1.784 kg/m3 while air's density is 1.2 kg/m3. Think of all that extra mass to accelerate.

I'd have gone with aircraft use it because of the fire *********** in case of blowout, and race cars followed suit, but hey...

I thought race cars use Nitrogen because it doesn't expand from heat as much as ambient air???

Size isn't the only factor -- polarity will affect the diffusivity as well.

I think you should fill your tubes with UF6, which has a very low speed of sound. That way, everytime you braked you'd get little sonic booms in your tires.

**for all you physicists out there: yes, I know. work with me here...

https://www.straightdope.com/columns/070216.html

aron who?

Personally I consider it highly important to change out the air every Spring and Fall.
alf

We ARE the Universe, and the universe is us. Any attempt to classify or organize various parts of it are purely arbitrary.

D'oh! What was I thinking!?