Question about CO2 cartridges

graeme_s-2

I used my one and only CO2 cartridge last night after I got a puncture on the way home from work (while I was trying to get to the card shop before it closed to get a V-day card for the Mrs. - by the time I actually got there it was closed).

I've ordered some replacement's from on-one, but they have two different cartridges listed:

CO2 Cartridge Threaded Twelve Gramm £1.50
CO2 Cartridge 16g Threaded £0.80

Now I would have assumed that 16g would be bigger than Twelve Gramm, but if that's the case, why are the Twelve Gramm one's more expensive? I decided to have a look at the empty cartridge that had come with my Planet X CO2 inflater, and on that I found this little gem:

size [12] [16]

I ordered some of the 16g ones, but what's the difference?

As an aside, I was so vexed by this, that this morning on the way into work, as I approached the place where I fixed my puncture, I started thinking about it again. I was so distracted that I took a wrong turning, on my commute to work, which has been exactly the same for nearly 2 years now

dbg

Very sad!

Gav2000

Send Planet X an email and ask them, they seem to be very prompt with responses if my query about their Ti frames yesterday was anything to go by.

Gav.

Pirahna

Buy them from www.tyreinflators.co.uk, they're lots cheaper.

il_principe

You want the 16gm ones. Oh and buy them from: http://www.tyreinflators.co.uk 5 for £2.84!

graeme_s-2

So the measurement does refer to capacity then?

My next order will be from tyreinflators. I've already placed the order with on-one, there were a couple of other things I wanted anyway.

il_principe

Graeme_S wrote:

So the measurement does refer to capacity then?

Yes.

dennisn

You might want to have more than one co2 cartridge or a pump just in case your co2
tire filling doesn't go as planned. In a perfect world you simply push it on the tire valve
and let the air go in and bingo, you're on your way. However, in the real world this
perfect concept can go wrong and you're left with a flat tire and nothing to fill it with.
Also, more than one flat on a ride is a real possibility, but you knew this. Right?

Dennis Noward

il_principe

I always carry a minipump and 2 co2 canisters.

redddraggon

jashburnham wrote:

I always carry a minipump and 2 co2 canisters.

Ditto, (+ two tubes, ofc)

graeme_s-2

dennisn wrote:

You might want to have more than one co2 cartridge or a pump just in case your co2
tire filling doesn't go as planned. In a perfect world you simply push it on the tire valve
and let the air go in and bingo, you're on your way. However, in the real world this
perfect concept can go wrong and you're left with a flat tire and nothing to fill it with.
Also, more than one flat on a ride is a real possibility, but you knew this. Right?

Dennis Noward

Yeah, I'd been planning to order more CO2 cannisters anyway, but I'm good at putting these things off. The PX CO2 inflater I have doubles as a mini-pump, so I don't need a separate one. I'll carry a couple of cannisters from now on.

Thanks for everyone's help in this thread

blackhands

Some cartridges have a thread at the end and others don't - which may explain the difference in price - ie 12g threaded, 16g not threaded.

mdg1157

Got a box of 30 for £21 delivered from tyre inflators . co uk. (16 gram threaded)

andrew_s

Graeme_S wrote:

The PX CO2 inflater I have doubles as a mini-pump, so I don't need a separate one.

I should recommend actually trying it out as a mini-pump before relying on it to put a useful amount of air in your tyre.

Also, note that inner tubes are somewhat porous to CO2, so if you don't want to find a soft tyre when you pick up your bike for the next week's ride, let it down and pump it back up with a track pump after you get home.

biking_mongoose

And remember to buy a tree so as to offset all this CO2 usage!!

craigenty

Hi Graeme,

I use these and have found that I can only get my tyres as hard as I want them with the 16g cartridges.

I found the difference is about 20- 30 psi less with the 12g.

Cheers

cougie

However did the recreational cyclist live without CO2 cylinders for all those years ?
:oops:

Garybee

cougie wrote:

However did the recreational cyclist live without CO2 cylinders for all those years ?
:oops:

You can manage perfectly well without many of the modern components we have on our bikes/person. Integrated shifters, decent clinchers, clipless pedals, gears, LED lights etc. We don't 'need' any of these things. They're handy though.

normanp

CO2 cartridges are not exactly a good environmental choice - what about the energy required to make the cylinder? The weight of a micro pump (a pretty useless device) + 2 cartridges must be similar to a good 100psi mini pump!
I can see the advantage if you are racing but not otherwise.

Nuggs

normanp wrote:

CO2 cartridges are not exactly a good environmental choice

You're having a laugh aren't you? I hardly thnk that CO2 pumps are killing the planet.

Stop navel gazing and try a spoonful of reality :roll:

simbil1

I agree with NormanP - CO2 is not environmentally friendly and is a lazy convenience unless you are competing. If you are not against the clock, why not just take a decent pump and spare inner tube? That'll save you some cash too.
As for CO2 pumps 'killing the planet', well of course not on their own but all the choices you make add up and this ain't a cool one.

graeme_s-2

andrew_s wrote:

Also, note that inner tubes are somewhat porous to CO2, so if you don't want to find a soft tyre when you pick up your bike for the next week's ride, let it down and pump it back up with a track pump after you get home.

That would explain why I've been suspecting a slow puncture on my rear tyre for the last week then! Can't be much CO2 left in it now as I've topped it up twice with my track pump, but I'll let it down and reinflate it tonight just to be on the safe side.

cougie

If you're racing - then yeah - CO2 - good idea. But for out on a training ride - use your pump. Less to go wrong.

C02 canisters for sunday runs is the cycling equivalent or people who drive to the gym and then spend 10 mins trying to get the parking space nearest the entrance, and then go and walk on the treadmill anyway.

LangerDan

andrew_s wrote:

Also, note that inner tubes are somewhat porous to CO2, so if you don't want to find a soft tyre when you pick up your bike for the next week's ride, let it down and pump it back up with a track pump after you get home.

Shouldn't be any great difference in porosity - CO2, O2 and N2 are all fairly similarly sized molecules (in fact CO2 would the largest of the three). Its not like you're filling your tubes with helium. (Now theres a thought )

Possibly more to do with the fact that cartridges won't get to as high a pressure as a track pump so normal tube losses over a week are more noticable.

Garybee

cougie wrote:

If you're racing - then yeah - CO2 - good idea. But for out on a training ride - use your pump. Less to go wrong.

C02 canisters for sunday runs is the cycling equivalent or people who drive to the gym and then spend 10 mins trying to get the parking space nearest the entrance, and then go and walk on the treadmill anyway.

If you're racing you're not going to be fixing punctures anyway. On the (very) rare occasion that I go out on a Sunday club run, if I puncture then I would definately use CO2, even if I carried a pump. I think it is bad manners to hold the rest of the group up for any more time than is absolutely necessary.

simbil1

God forbid we'd put the environment in front of manners

It takes me less than a minute to inflate to 110 psi with my frame mounted morph pump. The time it takes to change the inner tube is the bigger delay.

CO2 is definitely a good idea for long timed rides like the bike stage of a triathlon though.

Garybee

Yes, using a CO2 cartridge to inflate a tyre every now and again is going to KILL THE PLANET, give me a break.

I have no idea what a 'morph pump' is but i'd hazard a guess that it's quicker to use a CO2 cartridge. You're right, the inner tube is probably the majority of the delay. I still think it's polite to chop as much time off the whole process as necessary though.

simbil1

Garybee wrote:

Yes, using a CO2 cartridge to inflate a tyre every now and again is going to KILL THE PLANET, give me a break.

I have no idea what a 'morph pump' is but i'd hazard a guess that it's quicker to use a CO2 cartridge. You're right, the inner tube is probably the majority of the delay. I still think it's polite to chop as much time off the whole process as necessary though.

I already said its not going to 'kill the planet' on its own but every choice you make adds up into how much impact you have on the environment and if every cyclist decides to use CO2 rather than pumps it becomes more significant again. For the sake of 45 seconds of delay it seems like a shoddy decision to me, but each to their own I guess.

A morph pump is one that changes into a mini-floor pump. Because of that it really is effortless and easy to get quick high pressure inflation. All it takes is one person in the group to have a decent pump.

I'll get off my soap box now

Peace

redddraggon

simbil1 wrote:

I already said its not going to 'kill the planet' on its own but every choice you make adds up into how much impact you have on the environment and if every cyclist decides to use CO2 rather than pumps it becomes more significant again.

Even if every cyclist used a CO2 canister every day it's still pretty insignificant to the amount of CO2 cars throw out. Something like 225g per Km for a car? 16g for a CO2 canister?

APIII

redddraggon wrote:

simbil1 wrote:

I already said its not going to 'kill the planet' on its own but every choice you make adds up into how much impact you have on the environment and if every cyclist decides to use CO2 rather than pumps it becomes more significant again.

Even if every cyclist used a CO2 canister every day it's still pretty insignificant to the amount of CO2 cars throw out. Something like 225g per Km for a car? 16g for a CO2 canister?

Common sense prevails at last!

simbil1

Ah, I see the misunderstanding. Its not about the tiny amount of CO2 inside the canister, its the energy taken to manufacture a steel canister, ship around the country etc. Its a disposable rather than reusable - unlike the humble bike pump. If the canister could be sent away to be refilled it would be better, but I don't think that service is offered?