Air hand pump or CO2?

Xommul

Anyone have an opinion on which is better and why?

My new bike arrives in a few weeks and I'm buying bits for it, want to balance cost and effectiveness

Xom

Monty Dog

Depends on whether you enjoy long walks in your cycling shoes or you have an obliging friend / partner / spouse whose prepared to come and collect you?

CO2 isn't 100% reliable, so what happens when it doesn't work? Fine in a group if someone's carry a pump - if not, you're $crewed.

sharky1029

CO2 is so much easier than a hand pump but if you get more punctures than cannisters you have a problem. It is also very difficult to get 100+ PSI on a hand pump no matter what the manufacturers say.
Simple solutions are:
carry 2 or 3 cannisters with you
carry CO2 and handpump
buy a combo pump such as http://www.genuineinnovations.com/bicyc ... arbon.html


P.S If you are going to buy a CO2 pump get a cupped one as it stops frost bite when the air is rushing out. e.g. http://www.genuineinnovations.com/bicyc ... one-2.html

northpole

CO2 is great when it works but as Monty Dog says, it may not work every time.
I have given up on CO2 and rely solely on a Lezyne mini pump. It weighs next to nothing and is more than capable of providing 100psi on the very rare occasions when it is required.

Peter

Thunder1

+1 on the combo pump

you can't go wrong at £9.50

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/genuine-innovations-second-wind-co2-carbon-road-pump/

buckmulligan

I got me a Crank Brothers Power Pump Alloy. Not the smallest (9" long), or the cheapest but easily reaches 100+ psi, has shraeder and presta heads and lifetime warranty from Crank Bros. Top buy.

Fenred

Pump...Simple is good!

Tillynaught

Went 2 years without a puncture, in the last two months i've had 8. I've used CO2 every time and never had a problem, the first four canisters had been in the seat bag for 2 years.

Wheelspinner

Pump.

I find it easier to fit tubes and get tyres re-installed if the new tube has just a little bit of air in it, enough for it to sort of hold shape without creasing. I put a few puffs in with a pump to get started, fit tube and tyre, a few more puffs to get the tyre bead seated correctly, stop and check, then pump up to full pressure.

Can't do that with CO2 canister.

desmosedici

I use CO2 for quick inflation on group rides so no one has to wait too long for me. Sometimes carry a pump and puncture kit for rides above 80 kms when crossing state borders.

dombo6

Decent frame pump will get you to 100+ psi easily. Lean the wheel against a wall or post so you can push against this for the last few psi.

Xommul

Thank you all for the advice, i just bought a combo pump, sems the best of both worlds. I guess at some point i will get a home pump too to top up tyres to correct amount.

It seems some people prefer 110 or 120. Is this down to tyres recommended settings or can you vary it on personal choice?

Cheshley

Wheelspinner wrote:

Pump.

I find it easier to fit tubes and get tyres re-installed if the new tube has just a little bit of air in it, enough for it to sort of hold shape without creasing. I put a few puffs in with a pump to get started, fit tube and tyre, a few more puffs to get the tyre bead seated correctly, stop and check, then pump up to full pressure.

Can't do that with CO2 canister.

Of course you can, Co2 pumps come with a trigger release or a screw head valve to release the contents as quickly or slowly as you need to. It's not a case of releasing it all at once!!!

gsk82

will these take any threaded cartridge or does it have to be the pricey GI ones?

Monty Dog

I do have a CO2 inflator, I carry it in races or where I know I can get support but would never rely on CO2 as my only means of inflating tyres. There is a reason that the Innovations combi pump is cheap - its useless at being both! This is based on years of riding in all conditions, not just a couple of dry summers. Frame fit or one of the Lezyne pumps is best - most mini pumps are useless bike ornaments IME (I have a box full of ones that I bought based on manufacturer's recommendations that failed to deliver or simply stopped working) Lezyne Micro Floor Drive or Road Drive are probably some of the best at present - built like they'll last years too.

MattL30

Wheelspinner wrote:

Pump.

I find it easier to fit tubes and get tyres re-installed if the new tube has just a little bit of air in it, enough for it to sort of hold shape without creasing. I put a few puffs in with a pump to get started, fit tube and tyre, a few more puffs to get the tyre bead seated correctly, stop and check, then pump up to full pressure.

Can't do that with CO2 canister.

Sorry, but that's toss.

I use CO2 and just release a tiny touch, then fit, release a tiny touch, and seat, then inflate in sub 20 seconds.

I use the same technique as you so maybe you're being a little heavy handed or have used an inferior model?

small_bloke

Get yourself one of these pumps for £10 from Wiggle at sale price.

I bought one recently and it works great. After much frustration using useless mini pumps this is my current pump of choice. No broken valves and gets you up to 100 psi without any sweat.

Make your mind up about CO2 later after you've been riding a while.

There are other good pumps out there but cost much more than £10. This will do the job for now easy.

Edit - forgot the link

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/axiom-enforce-a ... road-pump/

Wheelspinner

MattL30 wrote:

Wheelspinner wrote:

Pump.

I find it easier to fit tubes and get tyres re-installed if the new tube has just a little bit of air in it, enough for it to sort of hold shape without creasing. I put a few puffs in with a pump to get started, fit tube and tyre, a few more puffs to get the tyre bead seated correctly, stop and check, then pump up to full pressure.

Can't do that with CO2 canister.

Sorry, but that's toss.

I use CO2 and just release a tiny touch, then fit, release a tiny touch, and seat, then inflate in sub 20 seconds.

I use the same technique as you so maybe you're being a little heavy handed or have used an inferior model?

You may well be right. I bought one from LBS, which was the recommended one at the time. It wasn't cheap, but at least small and light. It works fine inflating a tyre, but not for start and stop inflation at all, so it's been consigned to the drawer...

weapons

Pump. Think of the environmental consequences of using CO2 cannisters - a lump of steel that has to be pressed and then put into landfill all for the sake of saving you three minutes effort.

inkyfingers

I went through a stage of using CO2 but got put off when on a sportive I had a puncture and then found that the valve on the bit that screws onto the canister was duff and had to wave down another rider with a pump (feeling like a complete numpty). If that wasn't bad enough I was commuting to work this winter and got 3 punctures in 10 miles (after heavy rain and the road was covered in mud and small stones washed off the fields) but only had 2 CO2 canisters...cue me having to get somebody from work to come and pick me up...and once again feeling like a complete numpty.

I have now gone back to using a mini pump, it's not perfect but it's the best solution in my opinion and can get enough pressure to finish the ride and get home. I would suggest testing it every so often at home as you don't want to find out in a layby 30 miles from home that it's broken.

sc999cs

I'm looking to buy a frame pump for an audax bike - tyre pressures around 120-130psi. Has any one any experience with the Park PMP5 pump?

ilm_zero7

Thunder1 wrote:

+1 on the combo pump

you can't go wrong at £9.50

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/genuine-innovations-second-wind-co2-carbon-road-pump/

this is a great deal - bought one a year ago, now bought a spare too for when it wear out or gets lost

gsk82

i've just tried by second wind and it wrked fine. the co2 was as expected and the pump did an ok job. is it right that you have to use their own cannisters or will other threaded ones do?