I inherited a CO2 inflator recently and recently found out it is preferred to pump the repaired tube a little before using the CO2 inflator, so now instead of replacing the pump I've added yet something else ... :(

Another good reason I'm not doing a triathlon. I barely get to rides with shoes, bike and helmet...

the minimal amount of are you need to get started you can do by mouth

Pump, tube, and just-in-case patch kit.

On one bike I have a Topeak Road Morph G, on the other, a Zefal frame pump. Either one pumps up so easily that if the floor pump is in the basement, it's not worth walking down the stairs to get it when I top off before a ride. Pumps seem easy and cheap to me, so I've never been tempted by CO2--don't really need another thing to spend money on and keep track of.

Also, tweezers. They are the wonder tool for extracting that sliver of glass or wire from your tire.

I'm curious if there is a gender difference on pump vs. CO2--personally, I'm not particularly eager to be biking alone in the boonies 50 miles from home, and worrying about getting one more flat than I have CO2 (what would that be? F = C+1?) But as a woman, I also grew up being told not to do something as idiotic as walk down a street alone at night, much less get stuck with a flat alone in the middle of nowhere.

Or maybe it's just my slightly neurotic/OCDness that likes to vividly imagine worst case scenarios, and tell me "I told you so" if they come to pass, and has nothing to do with gender.

I thought the inflators had sort of an adjustable valve so you can control inflation, so you can put in a little, pop it off, then put in the rest... I've never used CO2 so maybe I'm mistaken. Do they just burst the whole cartridge into the tube?

Im still quite new in the game, and I couldnt find a pump that fitted my saddle bag so I bought a co2 In there I only keep a spare tube, tyre levers, two co2 cartridges (in case I mess up my first attempt, cellphone and some cash. What do I do if I get a second puncture? I have no idea.

It is a stupid, stupid hobby, I grant you that.

It's fun though.

Odds are, you may get more than 2 flats. I NEVER go for a ride without a small hand pump. Just because the odds are, you WILL get more than 2 flats as I did more than twice. Once I went threw the extra tube and four patches. That adds up to 4 flats. 2 Co2 would have only got me half way through the ride. In the middle of bum-F$#k Egypt with no cell signal, and the faint sound of a banjo playing in the distance, is no time to have a flat and an empty Co2 inflator! Carry a hand pump, get home safe.
Cheers,
Rick in Tennessee

The pump is nice to add a little air into your tube to give it shape and get it on the rim. But really it's your safety net (just like the pre-glued patches). CO2 can fail, but your pump will be able to get you home.

Just last Saturday I had a double flat 15 miles from home. Changed both tubes and rode home without further incident. But if I DID get another flat, I would have needed to use a patch and the pump to avoid a call of shame to the wife.

I'm not in a race. I don't need to worry about a few extra grams on the bike. I seldom do rides under 60-70 miles, and that can put me WAY out of walking distance home. Feeling like you have the tools to get yourself home is worth another lb, in my opinion.

My aero bento box, which is always on and all I carry for races, is two CO2s, tiny chuck, two tire levers, and a tube. In the first aid case for the jersey I have another CO2, chain tool, multi-tool, and second tube. Good enough for the rides I do, which are short by the standards here.

Pumps can fail too. It's happened to me.

If you carry only two cartridges and get a 3rd flat, its really a simple solution... Stop a fellow biker, and borrow his pump.

I carry 2 Co2, a small patch kit, a pump, levers and a tube. It's overkill; however, I ride in some remote areas and it would really suck to have to foot it back to civilization or wait for a ride. Admittedly, the pump is a last ditch back up and I don't plan to patch on the road but I've had multiple flats before and was glad I had my kit.

Where I bike there aren't a lot of fellow bikers to stop.

Unless that fellow biker had the same plan...

Haha.

On a serious note. This is one of my biggest fears, being miles from civilization and out of tubes and/or cartridges. My plan before I find a better solution is to ride in populated areas if I ride alone.

I have a solution. Get a pump and some patches.

yeah, I thought so too but someone told me that they don't always work well, meaning it's best to expect them to be a one shot deal. you can always inflate the tube a little by mouth

I carry a Lezyne mini-pump, CO2 inflator with one cartridge, and two spare tubes. This past weekend I came across a rider who had flatted, but discovered that his spare tube also had a hole (probably from rubbing against a mini-tool, etc). It was hotter than hell out (sweat was rolling off the poor guy), so I just gave him my extra spare tube.

Better to have stuff and not need it, than vice-versa.

Let me give you some real-world experience from yesterday. Went by a fellow cyclist on the MUP yesterday who was stopped, so I circled back and asked if he needed help and he had a flat so I stopped to help. He had nothing; no spare tube, no pump, no tools. Luckily I carry enough to fix about 10 flats since I ride alone and have no one to bail me out if I get in trouble. Since I get so few flats (shout out to Gatorskins) I'm not very good with my micro pump and sure enough when we (mostly me) were filling up his tire after I patched it the pump failed (ok, it's really me that failed to figure out how to use it properly) so I ended up doing the whole thing with my CO2, which led me to wonder why I needed the micro pump in the first place? Like others have mentioned I use it to pump up the flatted tire to find what the issue is, and also to get the new tube started, but I'm thinking you could do both of those things with a couple of judicious pumps of the CO2 cartridge.

Let me add also that he was riding some type of mountain bike with really wide tires, so I couldn't have given him a spare tube even if I wanted, so without a patch kit I couldn't have helped him at all.

Well it sounds like it's good to have a little bit of everything... I guess I'll keep the pump, but adding CO2 might be redundant. Either way, I should probably throw a second tube in my wedge pack and at least a patch kit, probably preglued patches... after getting a flat the last thing I'll want to deal with is glue.

This is pretty cool: http://www.amazon.com/Lezyne-Metal-P...ords=patch+kit
The instructions have an adhesive backing and can be used as an emergency boot.

1 tube, 1 patch kit, CO2 w/ 2 carts.

Usual other stuff, multi tools etc, some change and like $10 in cash.

Haven't carried or needed a pump in many years, plus never been much of a flatter getter either. I can only think of one time I had more than one flat on a ride less than one full day long over my lifetime so Im comfortable with my kit.

Lezyne makes sexy products, for sure.

I use this pump, by the way. Blends in nicely to my black frame.
http://www.topeak.com/products/Pumps/MicroRocketCB

And my patches/boots are Park.
http://www.parktool.com/product/super-patch-kit-gp-2
http://www.parktool.com/product/emer...tire-boot-tb-2

Pump. One tube on a group ride. Two if solo. Patch kit on tour.