C02 Cartridges- are they single use?

BikerDan

I'm thinking about using C02 cartridges but they seem expensive. Are they single use? I mean are they empty when you fill a tyre up from flat?

Chris`I

Yes, they are single use only in most cases. With some you may be able to use more than once if the adapter allows you to keep the cartrdge connected and close it off, but its pretty unlikely.

Try somewhere like http://www.tyreinflators.co.uk/ for cheap cartridges, they dont cost much from there, and much easier than carrying a proper pump

S_J_P

A standard 16g CO2 cartridge will fill a decent sized MTB tyre to around 35psi, so you'll probably need a pump as well, or use the (very expensive) larger cylinders.

As Chris'l says, tyreinflaters sell boxes of CO2 cartridges at a very reasonable price (though P&P will bump it up a bit), I bought a box of 32 last year and they'll keep me going for ages. It's almost a pleasure gettinga flat when you have a CO2 inflator in your pack, I'm so surprised they're not more popular :?

Make sure you get a Neoprene sleeve, the cylinders get very cold and frosty when they're discharged :shock:

Chris`I

I can also recommend the Planet-X minipump that tyreinflators do. It has a CO2 port on it so you can pump most of the tyre up wth that and finish it with the pump. I even tried pumping it all the way with no CO2 and it didnt take that long. Its pretty small and light, and worth addition to your pack

And +1 on the neoprene sleves, they get icy cold! Would use gloves as well just to be sure.

Bikerbaboon

The seal on the top of the cylinder does look replace able. does any one know of a recycling service that you could post the dead cylinders to ?

Chris`I

Bikerbaboon wrote:

The seal on the top of the cylinder does look replace able. does any one know of a recycling service that you could post the dead cylinders to ?

Taken from tyreinflators webbie:

Recycling
The chargers cannot be re-used so must be recycled as scrap steel. Extracting iron-ore requires massive environmental pollution and foreign interventions in support of (often) despotic regimes, so we urge you to recycle your used steel. You can return them to us or put them in your council recycling bins as scrap steel or drop them to a local authority recycling centre.

Would've been good if they made cylinders with some kind of seal that was replaceable, they'd save a fortune if they could refil them!

abbots_mike

hehe, i have the specialized combo2 pump + co2 inflator thing. works brilliantly.
and +1 on the cold thing. my pump is fairly well protected and the ally body does get cold, but when i first got it i couldnt figure out the valve head, flipped the locking lever down, which pressed the button and discharged 16g of CO2 straight over my fingers. me dad found it funny. i couldnt feel my hands for 30 mins :oops: