I was curious to find out if anyone here has any experience using both compact hand pumps and/or C02 inflators on tour. I'm leaving on a 1000km tour in three weeks and I'm wrestling between these two inflation options. My current hand pump only puts out 80psi at best, so it's imperitive I get a better one before leaving.

Get a better pump. Air is free, and you're not likely to run out. CO2 cartridges are not free, and you can run out.

I've used and like the Topeak Road Morph, but would also like to try out Lezyne's counterpart.

Good point. An LBS in Edmonton has a nice looking stainless steel pump that boasts 160psi for about $50CAD. It has a foldable leg for floor-pump-like operation.

I tried a co2, didn't work as well as I would have liked. Keep it as a backup in case of raion on the road w 2 spare carts. Helped out a rider once who forgot to pack an extra cart.
Love my Road Morph G.

CO2 doesn't seem to make a lot of sense to me for touring.

One key to using a hand pump is being patient and using slow and firm strokes to drive the pump.

I use a Lyzene pump.

CO2 is a poor choice for a tour.

CO2 is basically for emergencies, particularly for racer types who need to inflate as quickly as possible. The gas leaves the inner tubes much faster than air. Also, you will need to top off your tires every few days, and CO2 is not great for that. Just pick up a better pump.

Road Morph is practical , and compact , you press against the ground, like a floor pump.
it is a mini floor pump, you can carry it in your bags or there is a clip to mount under the waterbottle cage.
that will get the PSI up there to where you need it to be.

My experience of using a gas cylinder was trying to pump up the tube after replacing it with the spare and finding that the spare had a hole worn into it. Cylinder wasted. No second chance to pump it up as you have with a hand pump. You also need to carry more than one cylinder and would need to look for replacements after using some. I pump a little air into the tube when fitting the tyre back on to position it easier. Rather difficult to achieve this with a cylinder (but not impossible). Finally, one cylinder is not enough to pump a tyre up to 80psi which a hand pump can do (with lots of effort).

I have used the road Morph and Turbo Morph. I prefer the Turbo Morph even though it is a little thicker than the RM. I like the flip-down analog gauge on the TM. It is rated up to 160psi, which should be enough for most tourers. Has the foot and hose similar to RM as well.

I've used the Topeak Road Morph w/gauge, Topeak Turbo Morph, Lezyne Pressure Drive, as well as CO2. Vastly prefer the Topeak pumps to anything else I've used. They Lezyne Pressure Drive is nicely machined, but it's a bit fiddly and doesn't have a gauge... unless you want to pay $22 for their Pen Gauge.

I have a turbo morph G pump and CO2. CO2 is good for my bikes that a frame pump does not fit properly. The problem with CO2 is that it takes one cartridge to find the leak and 1-1/2 cartridges to fill the tire. If the patch is leaky then it will take more cartridges. How many cartridges do you plan to take on a tour? Pumps don't run out of air. Also if you use the treaded inflators the cartridges are real expensive, get the type of inflator that does not use treaded cartridges and buy them at a sporting goods store for about $.50 each in boxes of 25.

For years, I been using cheap Walmart BB gun CO2 carts since giving up on frame pumps.
Dang easy to use.
But I will have to try to find Morph videos on YouTube, 'cause sounds like I should have went that route instead!
Besides, both my bikes run fat tire rims now, way easier cardio workout than the old 105 lbs 27".
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EDIT: OH NO!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9S-QmxrXwwk

Funny how they come in pairs:

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...better-for-you

I won't waste money on anything but Topeak pumps anymore. Their road morph is fantastic.

CO2 doesn't cut it for touring for a number of reasons IMO. I like my Topeak Mountain Morph pump much better for touring. I do use CO2 for around town on my road bike.
A few of the problems with CO2 for touring:

1. A limited number of fills can be carried
2. Bleeds out of tires much faster so it requires more frequent topping off
3. Can't fly with CO2 cartridges
4. More expensive in the long run

I have had a Road Morph for a number of years and it has held up well, worked every time I needed it. I wanted a second pump to mount on a another bike vs always having to switch the pump from bike to bike, but went with a Lezyne. I really like some of its features, changes easily from Presta to Shrader value, has a longer hose, better pump handle, and better attachment to the value.

I have not tried the Topeak pumps so I have no comment on them.

I recently bought a Lezyne Micro Floor Drive HPG and I think it is a really good pump. Very easy to get 100 psig and I suspect it will do a lot more. Rated for 160 psig, but the gauge only goes up to 120 psig. You have to thread it on to the presta valve, I do not mind that but some don't like that method of attachment.
https://www.lezyne.com/products/hand-...drive-hpg.html

I used a Zefal HPX before I got the Lezyne. I like it a lot, but for high pressure the Lezyne has it beat. For lower pressure tires (MTB), I prefer the Zefal over the floor type pumps.

CO2? Yesterday I rode 75 miles with two friends. It was a long dusty day in the heat, for me it was a five and a half bottle day - meaning one water bottle of coffee, three with diluted sports drink and one and a half with water, bottles are 24 and 28 oz. With 10 miles to go, I got a flat. Change the tube on a 26X2.0 size tire, one friend pulls out a CO2 cartridge and I said "don't do that, you will need at least 10 cartridges", he said "just trying to help get things started" and he proceeds to do something wrong and looses all of his CO2 to atmosphere before he can get his cartridge hooked up to the tire. I pull out my cheap pump (not the Lezyne, it is a cheap one that I don't mind if it gets stolen) and I have my tire half pumped up before he can get a second CO2 cartridge out which he never got a chance to use.

I carry CO2 (2 cartidges) on tour and will use it first for speed reasons. But I would never go on tour without also carrying a floor-style mini-pump. Too risky, and as people have noted, the gas bleeds out more quickly.

Too mean to pay for air, personally. Topeak Morph here, too. Excellent pumps, don't seem to break much.

You can run out of CO2. You'll never run out of pump.

I had one day when I had to do 5 inflations. Road morph just made it decent exercise, not a mojor headache. I used the RM pump with both arms. I use my right a bit like holding a pistol grip, and I bring my left so the web of my hand is bearing down over the base of the other hands thumb. Lots of power.

Get the Topeak Road Morph and you'll never look back

Road Morph. Nuff said.

CO2 is most appropriate for road riding type applications. It is for when you are in a big hurry. I don't go bike touring to be rushing things.

I picked up that steel pump. Tried it out, and can't believe how easily it get my tires up to 110psi compared to the old one. Set me back $60, which I believe were well spent.

Lezyne Micro Floor Drive.



https://www.lezyne.com/products/hand-...drive-hpg.html

Except for the longer hose, the Topeak Turbo Morph is the same, at a little over half the price.