Bikealangelo

Hey, so I have some old 12gram CO2 cartridges leftover from paintball, is there a tire inflator that uses 12gram cartridges, or do they only use inconvenient, expensive cartridcartridges.I like the idea of using CO2, but at nearly $6/cartridge, it seems like a ridiculous price to me.

big john

Are they threaded? If they are they will probably work with any inflator which accepts threaded cartridges.

I never tried a 12 gram cartridge, always use 16s. You can find them on Amazon for around $1 each. I use a Genuine Innovations inflator which is very small.

Bikealangelo

The 12g cartridges that I have seen aren't threaded, but my portable inflator doesn't require a threaded cartridge. I am considering fabricating an adapter, because you can buy a whole box of 12 gram cartridges pretty cheaply,and they are slightly smaller so you could potentially save some space for other items with your gear.

Canker

https://www.amazon.com/EZI-BIKE-Pump...=AONP6OWZ5TLDG
I'm just posting that one because it is the first of that style that popped up, bunch of people make them. You will see it works with threaded or threadless 16 gram carts BUT!!!!! you can use 12 grams one too. 12g threaded just screw in of coarse while 12gram threadless you have to stick something in the plastic cage to take up the extra space. I've used a dime but I usually just find a small rock and drop it in the plastic bit, then drop in the 12 gram co2, and then thread the case on the head. Can be a bit annoying to find the right size rock but it works and the 12g threadless co2s are super cheap so worth it to me.

datlas 

Yes! I buy the 12g cartridges in bulk dirt cheap from Walmart (I think 20 bucks for 40 cartridges).

You need an inflator that takes UNTHREADED cartridges, typically they have a “base” that screws into the inflator.

Here is a pic of mine. Brand is “Hurricane” but there are others.

msu2001la

How often are you guys flatting?
40 cartridges would last me at least a decade. Probably longer.

big john

I didn't use a cartridge for about 5 or 6 months, then used 3 in 2 weeks.

datlas 

I am a ride leader for my bike club so I have to step up any time a rider on my ride gets a flat. This week we had one guy with 3 flats.

I personally only get a flat every few months.

The CO2 saves a few minute over a pump. When solo and mellow I use a pump but when we have a group waiting, it’s helpful to save a bit of time.

plumberroy

Any of ones that use the Threadless cartridge you can drop a small washer in the bottom and make the 12 gram cartridges work. I always have 12 gram cartridges because I have a pellet gun that uses them

Iride01 

12 grams might get a narrow tire fully inflated. But for a roadside emergency and just to get home or somewhere where you can make better repairs, who really cares?

The sticker on the side of my 16 gram cartridges claim to get a 622 x 23 tire up to 130 psi and a 622 x 28 tire up to 88 psi. I ride 25 mm wide tires and the few times I've used my inflator with that 16 gram cartridge, it had plenty to fill the tire up. With enough left over if a top off was needed later.

If you have an inflator that will use them, then I see no issues. You could always use two if you had a tire that holds more CO2 than one cartridge holds.

There are also CO2 cartridges for food service use that are threaded and unthreaded. They come in 16 grams and other sizes too if I remember correctly. And very inexpensive, maybe about a buck each. I haven't used up the cartridges that came with my inflator, so I haven't ordered those others yet.

Steve B.

The CO2 inflator companies figured out a few years ago that people were not buying cartridges from them, instead could buy the bulk 12g used in paintball and other uses. Thus they stopped manufacturing (as far as I could tell) 12g non threaded inflators and only produced the threaded type that uses 16g or 25g. Now you have to buy those cartridges from the inflator manufacturer.

Eric F 

I don't. I buy random brand 16g threaded cartridges off Amazon. The ones I bought in November are currently $16 for a box of 10, which seems to be a fairly common price-point.

Steve B.

I get flats so rarely I just don't need to buy,, so haven't been looking. My 2 mt. bikes are tubeless, and all my road bikes have pretty durable tires. Thus few flats. I still have some leftover 12G from the box of 50 I purchased at Sports Authority way back and still have non threaded inflators.

Bikealangelo

Well, I feel a bit stupid for not thinking of this. Thanks for the tip!

JohnJ80

You an buy CO2 in bulk from a variety of sources. If you buy from a bike store or bike retailer, it's crazy expensive.

That said, since I've gone tubeless, I haven't used a Co2 in years even riding 3-4000 miles per year.

rumrunn6

12 gram? sounds small, but could be OK, depending ... my Genuine Innovations G2673, AirChuck takes 16 gram & 20 gram
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

they are not $6 a pop
https://www.amazon.com/Genuine-Innov...g%2C100&sr=1-2

JohnJ80

Just search on Amazon for whatever you want without “bike” attached. I did this quickly and found 30 16g cartridges bulk for $39 or about $1.30 a cartridge.

genejockey 

Yes, but is it Artisanal Free Range CO2?

rsbob 

No, but it is hand-crafted and antibiotic free.

datlas 

Not carbon neutral.

DougRNS

Flats are like dead celebrities, they come in three's.

DougRNS

Serious question; why not this or similar?

big john

I have one of those. The CO2 is sooo much faster and easier which is a plus on group rides.

DougRNS

I see. All my rides are solo so I wasn't thinking about that.

MaxKatt

Addressing a flat is already no fun. That would just add to the suck. It's so great to just gas and roll again.