Co2 vs Hand Pumps?

[traumadiver]

pros and cons? How many tires can you fill to what pressure?

[johnandjerri]

I was a hand pump guy (hand pump....that's funny). But I recently went with co2. Went to sedona recently and I am glad I had the co2. 3 flats on the last day there. You get back on the trail quickly and withouth pumping all day. It's just more convienent. I carry two 16's with me ...one for front and one for rear. I think you can fill 2 mtb tires with a 32.

[traumadiver]

how about a 29er tire?

[Pato]

CO2 pros: Fast, effortless
CO2 cons: Expensive (relatively), single use cartridges, wasteful if cartridges are not recycled, may require more than one cartridge to inflate larger volume tires

Hand pump pros: Limitless use, no cartridges to carry/buy, cheaper, free upper body workout/training
Hand pump cons: Slow, bulky

I use a combo unit that is a mini hand pump and CO2 pump. I'll usually pump up the tire manually until it starts to get difficult then I'll empty the cartridge in there. I buy my cartridges (use the threadless ones for airguns) from a sporting goods store. It's a lot cheaper. Comes out to about $0.50/cartridge vs. $1.50 at the bike shop. One thing to keep in mind also is that CO2 will permeate the rubber much faster than normal air so the tire will go flat again within a day or so. This doesn't mean you have another leak or hole in your tire/tube. Just inflate it again with your regular floor pump or air compressor and you'll be fine.

Duc

[TCB]

One word Stan's I have never had to fix a flat in two years

[jeffj]

I found CO2 dispensers on clearance at Performance a few years back for $2.00 each and bought four of them.

You can get 25 of the 12g unthreaded size CO2 cartridges at Walmart for around $12.50. That's about $.50 per cartridge.

I usually carry the CO2 setup, especially when I just want to use water bottles and a seat bag instead of lugging a Camelbak. I usually carry both a CO2 and mini-pump in the Camelbak on longer rides.

[graves.z]

I have both. I prefer to use the hand pump unless I'm in a hurry. If I'm riding without the pack I might consider just using the C02 as it could just fit in my pocket.

Thanks Jeffj for the walmart tip. I didn't even know they had CO2 cartridges there.

btw, do they make nitrogen cartridges? Would be nice to have less bleading of the gas.

[Rockinthecasbah]

I like both . but if you have a cartridge leak in your camel back it gets cold really fast

[0gravity]

I think the answer is both: CO2 for road, and hand pump for mtn bike.

Here's the thinking: I use an "Air Innovations" air chuck for road biking. It's very small, fits in in a rear jersey pocket (not wearing a camelback), and instantly fills up my tire to 100-plus PSI. I'm off the sidewalk and on my way.

Mountain bike, however, I think its better to use a pump. First up, it takes two CO2s to fill one mtn bike tube (the cost adds up). Since I wear a camelback, then I have plenty of room for a handpump, and it's easy to pump up to the desired pressure (35 PSI for mtn versus much higher road PSI of 120).

Both have their place.

[jeffj]

Originally Posted by graves.z

Thanks Jeffj for the walmart tip. I didn't even know they had CO2 cartridges there.

They're in the sporting goods section with the BB gun supplies.

[Clyde S Dale]

I mostly run UST tires with a scoop or two of Stan's so flats are seldom an issue. BUT at least once or twice a year I manage to puncture a tire with something about as thick as a small piece of rebar or a dowel. That necessitates removing the tubless tire, patching it from the inside, and reinstalling it. Some brand of tubeless tires can be a pain to reseat and inflate. For quick trailside repairs a CO2 pump is indispensible for "blowing" the tire back on the rim to seat the bead and get rolling again quickly.

[DeeZee]

Originally Posted by traumadiver

pros and cons? How many tires can you fill to what pressure?

haven't had a pump for over 10 years. As posted buy the CO2's at Wally World

[BrewMaster]

can anyone recommend a good combo pump + CO2 unit?

[jeffj]

These two both performed well, but have diferences:

I liked the Topeak Turbo Morph while it held together, but mine was constantly coming apart in various ways and finally gave it up after a few years. But I did appreciate the flip down foot hold and gauge and it pumped well. An absolute pleasure to use on the trail.

On the other hand, I still have the fiirst Blackburn Mammoth I bought back in 1996. Just a shot of oil and cleaning occasionally and it's good to go.

As for CO2 dispensers, I just have a cheapie plastic bodied one, with a "Slime" label on the package, and it works great. I store the full cartridge in it upside down until I'm ready to use it. It takes a full 12g cartridge and part of another to inflate a 2.5" Nevegal to enough pressure to support my oversized carcass... YMMV.

The ones that accept threaded cartridges don't require a "holder" to keep the cylinder attached to the fill head so they are more compact.

[m210]

buy your co2's at a bike shop. not walmart or any other non bike shop.
i dont care if its the same thing for 25 cents less.
nuff said.

[jeffj]

Originally Posted by m210

buy your co2's at a bike shop. not walmart or any other non bike shop.
i dont care if its the same thing for 25 cents less.
nuff said.

If they were just a quarter more per cartridge, I would be thrilled to pay 50% more to buy them from the LBS. I might even be convinced to pay DOUBLE the cost to support my LBS.

Jenson charges $85.99 for a box of 50 12g non-threaded cartridges. That works out to $1.71 per cartridge IF I buy 50 at a time.

That is just shy of 3 and a half times the cost.

Performance sells 10 for $12.90, which is a mere 2 and a half times the cost I pay.

I buy plenty of things from the LBS knowing full well I could get them for less elsewhere, but this is one place I draw the line.

If I had to pay $1.71 per cartridge, I would not even bother with CO2. I'd just pump them up by hand.

[Waldo]

Can't believe this thread has gone this long without a mention of CO2 use with UST tires and long-term incompatibility with Stans. My understanding is that C02 makes it much easier to seat the bead on a UST tire if needed, but that the gas degrades Stans sealant if left in after a trailside fix. Right or wrong?

[DeeZee]

Originally Posted by m210

buy your co2's at a bike shop. not walmart or any other non bike shop.
i dont care if its the same thing for 25 cents less.
nuff said.

The shop by my work sells them for FOUR times the cost at Wally World

[m210]

doesnt matter. i'll support a bike shop over walmart or a sporting goods guns-n-ammo department.
guess i'm just old fashioned that way.

[dstepper]

I have a collection of pumps I try to sell each swap meet, including CO2's. I carry a big air and air chuck in my saddle bag when I don't bring a Camelback.

In my Camelback is a Topeak Turbo Morph, half hand pump, half floor pump, not small but pumps up a tire very fast.

Dean