The whole CO2 inflator thing

[Mick F]

depends on the CO2 gizmo you are using. Some are pretty useless, others are (with caveats about their inherent nature) OK. They are certainly not all the same.

I'll bow to that.
Mine is an Innovations Air Chuck.
https://www.genuineinnovations.com/uk/p ... -chuck.php

[Scunnered]

Alternatively...
I run tubeless tyres, so I carry a pump to top up a tyre after a puncture, as it usualy looses some pressure before it re-seals.
On the other hand, CO2 can be helpful to get a brand new tyre to seal on the rim when first fitting (I'm too cheap to buy a blast pump).

[RickH]

Alternatively...
I run tubeless tyres, so I carry a pump to top up a tyre after a puncture, as it usualy looses some pressure before it re-seals.
On the other hand, CO2 can be helpful to get a brand new tyre to seal on the rim when first fitting (I'm too cheap to buy a blast pump).

When I started dabbling with tubeless I got an SKS RideAir to supplement my track pump for seating tyres, rather than buying a whole 'nother pump.

It also fits in a bottle cage (although it needs a strap to stop it rattling in a metal cage) so you could take one on a group ride (possibly overkill solo, except perhaps in the winter) to work, effectively, as a pre-pumped tyre. And, if you've already used it once on a ride, you can be pumping the air for after a flat while someone else is doing the mending (patching or replacing tube, depending on preference/circumstances). Whilst a track pump works best for getting it up to pressure you can do a reasonable job with any pump, even (probably) a mini pump (I must get round to seeing what pressure I can get to with my "Pocket Rocket" - it claims to do 160psi - and how long it takes).

[pwa]

Alternatively...
I run tubeless tyres, so I carry a pump to top up a tyre after a puncture, as it usualy looses some pressure before it re-seals.
On the other hand, CO2 can be helpful to get a brand new tyre to seal on the rim when first fitting (I'm too cheap to buy a blast pump).

When I started dabbling with tubeless I got an SKS RideAir to supplement my track pump for seating tyres, rather than buying a whole 'nother pump.

It also fits in a bottle cage (although it needs a strap to stop it rattling in a metal cage) so you could take one on a group ride (possibly overkill solo, except perhaps in the winter) to work, effectively, as a pre-pumped tyre. And, if you've already used it once on a ride, you can be pumping the air for after a flat while someone else is doing the mending (patching or replacing tube, depending on preference/circumstances). Whilst a track pump works best for getting it up to pressure you can do a reasonable job with any pump, even (probably) a mini pump (I must get round to seeing what pressure I can get to with my "Pocket Rocket" - it claims to do 160psi - and how long it takes).

I have a couple of Pocket Rockets on a shelf at the back of the garage and they only come out when I lend a pump to someone. They are hard work. 160psi is way beyond what I could get with one. I might get 100psi if I was in the mood to struggle on for that long.

[MikeDee]

How do you remove Michelin wires (come from steel belted radial tires that are worn down too far)? Would a strong magnet work?

[robc02]

I have a couple of Pocket Rockets on a shelf at the back of the garage ................. They are hard work. 160psi is way beyond what I could get with one. I might get 100psi if I was in the mood to struggle on for that long.

That's what I find as well. I have given up with Mini pumps and now use Zefal HPX on my road bikes. The weigh a bit more but I can quickly get up to full working pressure at the roadside. This has never been the case with any mini pump I have used. I also find that whenever I am out with others they always want to borrow my pump rather than use their own mini pumps!

I used to use CO2 pumps on my road racing bike, as all I needed was a way to get back to the race HQ or finish in the event of a puncture. I reckoned that a spare tube plus CO2 would do this.

To use CO2 pumps on a normal road ride I felt obliged to carry a spare canister or two (and some advise a mini pump as a backup as well). So the weight saving over a frame fit pump had all but disappeared, so I decided to go the whole hog and get Zefal HPX all round.

[mjr]

My issue with CO2 is why do so many throw the empty canisters away on the side of the road.

Most don't. Most of the discards are from kids huffing nitrous from canisters that are a bit bigger and often different colours.

[Brucey]

My issue with CO2 is why do so many throw the empty canisters away on the side of the road.

Most don't. Most of the discards are from kids huffing nitrous from canisters that are a bit bigger and often different colours.

I (apparently wrongly) blamed CO2 users for the discarded gas cartridges I see by the roadside too. I think the nitrous theory holds water (or gas...?) in that on one local route much used for training, one commonly finds discarded inner tubes but I don't think I have ever seen a discarded gas cartridge.

Re magnets for removing shrapnel from tyres; I don't think that will work very well. The reason is that the field strength in the steel part (and therefore the force) is limited to between 1.8 and 2T (depending on the exact type of steel). This gives quite a low force on a small object, even if you can get a strong permanent magnet to touch it, which might not even be possible if it is buried in the tyre. I think you are stuck with mechanical methods of removal.

On the other hand dangling a strong magnet above a tyre whilst the wheel is rotated slowly might be an excellent way of at least locating such debris...?

cheers

[andrew_s]

I have given up with Mini pumps and now use Zefal HPX on my road bikes. The weigh a bit more but I can quickly get up to full working pressure at the roadside. This has never been the case with any mini pump I have used. I also find that whenever I am out with others they always want to borrow my pump rather than use their own mini pumps!

The basic rule with pumps is that the bigger they are, the better they work.
Good design helps, but won't overcome a larger size difference. For example, I find that a Topeak Road Morph (which isn't particularly small) is about the same as a size 2 Zefal HPX, but noticeably poorer than size 3 or 4.

I get my HPX borrowed by others too. In fact, I usually offer before they ask, as being less of a nuisance than waiting whilst someone struggles to get a decent pressure with a mini pump.

[brucelee]

Did an experiment, inflating a tyre, with no loss due to pre-inflation for fitting, and got 70PSI. Dumped another full canister in but was then unable to measure the pressure; I guess because the valve had frozen, but the tyre was hard enough. My concern is that the pressure would now be too high... And the pressure gauge on the tool having conked out... Having done it a couple of times now, I have more confidence in the system and will start using it in place of a pump - just have to carry a couple of canisters around with me. Still think the seat post pump is a good idea but there don't seem to be many out there.

[MikeDee]

The Zefal HPx (and other full frame pumps) are great, but many bike frames today can't fit them, thus the mini pump was born. I don't think the HPx makes for a good mountain bike pump though, since it's designed for high pressure rather than volume. Couldn't fit one on my mountain bikes anyway.

[Brucey]

you can fit a HPX under the top tube of most bikes, provided you fit something around the seat tube (and/or head tube) to stop the thing from sliding downwards if the frame tube lengths/angles don't quite work out in your favour. Zefal make plastic band-on pump pegs if you really can't think of another way.

Note that whilst a size 3 or 4 fits in most full-size frames there are shorter models too; these can often be fitted in places you wouldn't at first expect such as behind the seat tube or elsewhere in the rear triangle. Some of the advantage is lost when these pumps are made shorter (size 2 and even size 1) but they are still way better than any mini-pump I have used.

cheers

[RickH]

you can fit a HPX under the top tube of most bikes, provided you fit something around the seat tube (and/or head tube) to stop the thing from sliding downwards if the frame tube lengths/angles don't quite work out in your favour. Zefal make plastic band-on pump pegs if you really can't think of another way.

Note that whilst a size 3 or 4 fits in most full-size frames there are shorter models too; these can often be fitted in places you wouldn't at first expect such as behind the seat tube or elsewhere in the rear triangle. Some of the advantage is lost when these pumps are made shorter (size 2 and even size 1) but they are still way better than any mini-pump I have used.

cheers

Whilst I don't disagree that a frame fit pump works better in absolute terms, it is a balance.

For the single day it is needed each year (maybe 2 or 3 times on a really bad year), the bigger pump is mostly just dead weight.

If, like me, most weeks involve a journey that involves getting a bike on & off at least 2 trains the downside of having a pump that gets in the way of grabbing frame tubes to lift the bike (either up & down station stairs or on & off trains) is a much bigger disadvantage.

[robc02]

The basic rule with pumps is that the bigger they are, the better they work.

Yes. Fortunately I am tall enough that all of my road frames can take an HPX 3 or 4.

I prefer to fit them under the top tube, as I normally have a bottle cage on the seat tube, but one bike has the pump on the seat tube because of an obstruction from a clip-on cable stop on the top tube.

[Bmblbzzz]

My issue with CO2 is why do so many throw the empty canisters away on the side of the road.

Most don't. Most of the discards are from kids huffing nitrous from canisters that are a bit bigger and often different colours.

What colours do you see? The ones round here are all shiny steel. Might be just the local supplier though; I see a randomly selected online shop has grey too:
https://www.creamsupplies.co.uk/cream-w ... m-chargers