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Is the Mini Inflator Replacing the CO2?

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Is the Mini Inflator Replacing the CO2?

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Old 02-24-26 | 09:05 AM
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I run tubeless setups on all of my bikes including three road bikes, three gravel bikes and two mountain bikes. In almost 40K miles of riding I have never flatted a tire in a way that has required me to put a tube in. I have had to plug punctures twice, in bath cases with a Dynaplug which worked fine. So, flatting is not a problem for me.

I stopped riding with tubes two years ago. I carry a Dynaplug racer and a Cycplus AS2 Pro in a jersey pocket. I ought the Cycplus last year for about $80 and it's a great little pump. I find the Cycplus to be less fiddly than CO2, it works well with sealant and it can pump 3-4 road tires from flat to full pressure. I like the pump so much that I've stopped taking a track pump with me when I drive to a ride: if I need to top up pressure, I just use the Cycplus.
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Old 02-24-26 | 10:06 AM
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As Mtracer and a few others have said, my reluctance (if I ever exhaust my current supply of CO2s) is the battery. Not if a full charge will replace the pfffft of two CO2... if the full charge will be there when I finally need it. I mean, I suppose the inflator could be number 8 on the list of things that have to be charged up to leave the garage, e.g. Di2, computer, phone, tail light, headlight, power meter, HR strap...
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Old 02-24-26 | 11:24 AM
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Originally Posted by Zaskar
As Mtracer and a few others have said, my reluctance (if I ever exhaust my current supply of CO2s) is the battery. Not if a full charge will replace the pfffft of two CO2... if the full charge will be there when I finally need it. I mean, I suppose the inflator could be number 8 on the list of things that have to be charged up to leave the garage, e.g. Di2, computer, phone, tail light, headlight, power meter, HR strap...
I can imagine a power strip with 8 cords all connected to your bike like monitor leads in the ICU.

Of course I am one to talk since I charge headlight, Varia, Garmin head unit and have wireless shifting on deck. Then there’s all those batteries for power meter/cadence sensor, speed sensor, HR strap…. Between 3 bikes, I am constantly switching out batteries.

Being a Luddite, I still carry a mini pump as backup to CO2, but haven’t used either in years.
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Old 02-24-26 | 11:34 AM
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Originally Posted by rsbob
I can imagine a power strip with 8 cords all connected to your bike like monitor leads in the ICU.
You know, in a few years, we'll just have charging pads for our bikes. Actually... I kinda like that idea.

Last edited by Zaskar; 02-25-26 at 10:08 AM.
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Old 02-24-26 | 04:37 PM
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How are you tubeless riders re-seating the bead when it blows? You doing it with a mini-pump?
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Old 02-24-26 | 05:09 PM
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Originally Posted by I.B.Roots
How are you tubeless riders re-seating the bead when it blows? You doing it with a mini-pump?
It doesn't. I've never had a tubeless tire come off the bead.
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Old 02-24-26 | 07:31 PM
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Originally Posted by Sierra_rider
It doesn't. I've never had a tubeless tire come off the bead.
It's rare, but it can happen. Fabio Jakobsen crashed earlier this year after his front tire, plus a foam insert that was inside the tire, blew off the rim. The wheels had what the manufacturer describes as mini-hooks or something like that.

Fabio Jakobsen's tyre and foam insert are seen fully off the front wheel of his bike on stage 4 of the UAE Tour
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Old 02-24-26 | 08:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Trakhak
It's rare, but it can happen. Fabio Jakobsen crashed earlier this year after his front tire, plus a foam insert that was inside the tire, blew off the rim. The wheels had what the manufacturer describes as mini-hooks or something like that.

Fabio Jakobsens tyre and foam insert are seen fully off the front wheel of his bike on stage 4 of the UAE Tour
No one was going to reseat a tire on that rim regardless. He hit a large rock which destroyed the wheel and tire flange causing the blowout.
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Old 02-24-26 | 09:18 PM
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Originally Posted by I.B.Roots
How are you tubeless riders re-seating the bead when it blows? You doing it with a mini-pump?
Never had one "blow". I'd never try seating a tire on the road, I'd tube it if a tire became unseated. Seating is done at home with a floor pump and possibly a canister.

I've tubed a damaged tire on brevets, 4 or 5 times.
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Old 02-25-26 | 12:03 AM
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Originally Posted by Sierra_rider
It doesn't. I've never had a tubeless tire come off the bead.
Glad to hear this. I was gonna say the same but my gravel riding is the opposite of hardcore. I have never even burped my tire.
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Old 02-25-26 | 10:21 AM
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Originally Posted by Sierra_rider
It doesn't. I've never had a tubeless tire come off the bead.
Well, it certainly does happen.....it's happened to me. So, I'm interested in how riders have dealt with that when they didn't have a CO2 cartridge or how they plan to deal with it.

Someone up stream said they'd throw in a tube and roll on. That is a great way to solve the issue. What else can be done if say, the tube you're carrying has a stem too short for a deep rim?
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Old 02-25-26 | 04:03 PM
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No more than electronic shifting had replaced mechanical or disc brakes replacing rim brakes…… Oh wait, maybe they won’t replace CO2 but I bet all the younger riders will be fast to adopt it while us older folk will steer clear of unnecessary tech.
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Old 02-25-26 | 04:10 PM
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Originally Posted by ghazmh
no more than electronic shifting had replaced mechanical or disc brakes replacing rim brakes…… oh wait, maybe they won’t replace co2 but i bet all the younger riders will be fast to adopt it while us older folk will steer clear of unnecessary tech.
fify.
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Old 02-25-26 | 04:57 PM
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Originally Posted by I.B.Roots
Well, it certainly does happen.....it's happened to me. So, I'm interested in how riders have dealt with that when they didn't have a CO2 cartridge or how they plan to deal with it.

Someone up stream said they'd throw in a tube and roll on. That is a great way to solve the issue. What else can be done if say, the tube you're carrying has a stem too short for a deep rim?
Not much. Carry the right tube

Worst I’ve had was I once burped all the air out on a hell of a pothole and I couldn’t get that to reseal properly and had to borrow a tube. Once in 5 years ain’t bad.
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Old 02-26-26 | 08:19 AM
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The main thing keeping me from getting one of these mini inflators is that I haven’t found one that will fit in the down tube storage of my Domane SL5. A CO2 cartridge and inflator head do.

I don’t like riding with stuffed pockets, either.

Any Domane riders have one that fits?
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Old 02-26-26 | 11:25 AM
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Originally Posted by DirePenguin
The main thing keeping me from getting one of these mini inflators is that I haven’t found one that will fit in the down tube storage of my Domane SL5. A CO2 cartridge and inflator head do.

I don’t like riding with stuffed pockets, either.

Any Domane riders have one that fits?
Why not print (or have a friend with a printer) something like this?
https://www.printables.com/model/941...n-tube-storage

It doesn't have to be that exact model, but something that size should fit an electric mini pump.
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Old 02-27-26 | 12:01 AM
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Originally Posted by Ghazmh
No more than electronic shifting had replaced mechanical or disc brakes replacing rim brakes…… Oh wait, maybe they won’t replace CO2 but I bet all the younger riders will be fast to adopt it while us older folk will steer clear of unnecessary tech.

Thems are fighting words. But then again, I must be one of the ‘younger riders’, so thank you. (Says the 71 YO owner of electronic shifting on 2 bikes and 3 bikes with discs). I feel so youthful, but wonder how really old you must be.
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Old 03-01-26 | 10:14 AM
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I bit the bullet and bought a Cycplus AS2 Pro inflator. I debated between this and the Pro Max version but ultimately decided the Max would be overkill and potentially too bulky. I wasn't looking for weight savings, but this pump weighs less than carrying two 16g CO2 cartridges and an inflator head with gauge.


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Old 03-01-26 | 11:04 AM
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I'm starting to see demand for an automotive-style wiring harness in the bicycle frame with standardized connectors for headlights, taillights, computers/navigation, and a few auxiliary outlets for cell phone charging and mini pumps. Power the whole bike off one battery - size of your choice - and massively reduce your chances of running out of charge on any one gizmo.

Electronic shifting would be a different ball of wax because if you wired it, it wouldn't be wireless.
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Old 03-01-26 | 11:19 AM
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Originally Posted by ScottCommutes
I'm starting to see demand for an automotive-style wiring harness in the bicycle frame with standardized connectors for headlights, taillights, computers/navigation, and a few auxiliary outlets for cell phone charging and mini pumps. Power the whole bike off one battery - size of your choice - and massively reduce your chances of running out of charge on any one gizmo.

Electronic shifting would be a different ball of wax because if you wired it, it wouldn't be wireless.
So what you’re saying is people are requesting to remove all the batteries from the devices you listed and have them hard wired onto the bike?
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Old 03-01-26 | 11:24 AM
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Originally Posted by ScottCommutes
I'm starting to see demand for an automotive-style wiring harness in the bicycle frame with standardized connectors for headlights, taillights, computers/navigation, and a few auxiliary outlets for cell phone charging and mini pumps. Power the whole bike off one battery - size of your choice - and massively reduce your chances of running out of charge on any one gizmo.

Electronic shifting would be a different ball of wax because if you wired it, it wouldn't be wireless.
Going from my e-bike to an analog, I debated on that since all my lights are wired and they are automatic. So I debated on doing this with blinkers, but I just got motion-activated blinkers and set a reminder to charge them.
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Old 03-01-26 | 01:32 PM
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Originally Posted by Atlas Shrugged
So what you’re saying is people are requesting to remove all the batteries from the devices you listed and have them hard wired onto the bike?
No. My first thought was essentially leaving your devices permanently charging.

If you did have a system on your bike like I described, you could get devices/adapters so that each didn't even have its own battery.
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Old 03-01-26 | 02:02 PM
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Originally Posted by JW Fas
I bit the bullet and bought a Cycplus AS2 Pro inflator. I debated between this and the Pro Max version but ultimately decided the Max would be overkill and potentially too bulky. I wasn't looking for weight savings, but this pump weighs less than carrying two 16g CO2 cartridges and an inflator head with gauge.
I ordered one earlier this afternoon as well. Spare tube, patches, and this will suffice I hope. I will still carry my Lezyne mini pumper a while too. I like to have backups; I still occasionally print a boarding pass in addition to the digital one on my phone.
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Old 03-01-26 | 04:03 PM
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Originally Posted by ScottCommutes
No. My first thought was essentially leaving your devices permanently charging.

If you did have a system on your bike like I described, you could get devices/adapters so that each didn't even have its own battery.
If charging is your goal then a standard dynamo hub system will do what you need.

For myself I don’t find charging the onerous task many on this forum do. All my devices use a usb-c connector so when touring I bring a battery pack with a cable for emergencies otherwise I charge as needed.
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Old 03-01-26 | 04:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Atlas Shrugged
If charging is your goal then a standard dynamo hub system will do what you need.

For myself I don’t find charging the onerous task many on this forum do. All my devices use a usb-c connector so when touring I bring a battery pack with a cable for emergencies otherwise I charge as needed.
A common engineering design goal is the reduction of probability of failure.

A common social goal is demonstrating superiority. Complexity provides a means to this end, whether overtly with games and puzzles, or covertly with unnecessary complexity.

Connector, cable, battery pack, the need to charge. So many potential faultures, the FMEA would be many rows, most requiring prevention, detection, and mitigation actions to get the risk of failure down to an acceptable level. Horrid design, puts so much burden on the user. But does achieve the goal of enabling people to feel and claim superiority.
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