CO2...

R0B75

Yesterday, I was 20 miles into a ride from Derby to Skegness, which ended up being 104 miles, and I got a puncture. Now, I've never had a puncture since I got my road bike in August last year, nearly 1500 miles, so this was a first. Back then I also bought a CO2 pump. I always carry 1 tube and 2 canisters of CO2.

So having changed the tube for the spare I then attempted to use CO2 for the first time and I was a little nervous to be honest as I have a habit of spectacularly failing with new stuff first time, but learning from it. However, I needn't have feared as it was very simple to use. The thing that surprised me was how quickly it inflated the tyre to perfect pressure. I was gobsmacked. I'm now a complete convert and would highly recommend a CO2 pump to anyone, its simply brilliant.

No real point to this story other than to praise and recommend CO2, so if you're on the fence about it, give it a try.

Anyone else tried and hated CO2?

Anonymous

Glad you found it worked well ;-)
It is a lot less fuss. I just blow in the valve to get a bit of air in for fitting, then use a canister.

Which did you use, the small screw on the end of canister type or the thing with a trigger that you put a cartridge inside?
I have just got the later but think I prefer the simpler one.
Had to do 2 on a friends bike a couple of weeks ago and was quite fun 'reloading' though

simon_masterson

Wasteful and unnecessary unless racing or holding up a fast group. Use a pump. A framefit will do the job very quickly anyway.

R0B75

Carbonator wrote:

Glad you found it worked well ;-)
It is a lot less fuss. I just blow in the valve to get a bit of air in for fitting, then use a canister.

Which did you use, the small screw on the end of canister type or the thing with a trigger that you put a cartridge inside?
I have just got the later but think I prefer the simpler one.
Had to do 2 on a friends bike a couple of weeks ago and was quite fun 'reloading' though

I use this one http://www.tweekscycles.com/Product.do? ... tAods2cApg

Anonymous

Think I have one of those too but have never used it.
The one I have (other than the cartridge one) is just a tiny metal thing.
The advantage to the cartridge type is that you can use threadless canisters but I have never had any.

Personally for the amount of punctures I have I do not want a huge pump on my frame, and the little Lyzne one I have as a back up might not make it over 100 psi.

R0B75

Simon Masterson wrote:

Wasteful and unnecessary unless racing or holding up a fast group. Use a pump. A framefit will do the job very quickly anyway.

I would agree normally, but having used it now I've changed my opinion. I use a pump with my MTB and CO2 would be a waste for that, but on the road bike, its brilliant.

Cookie91

Simon Masterson wrote:

Wasteful and unnecessary unless racing or holding up a fast group. Use a pump. A framefit will do the job very quickly anyway.

Dare i say it, I have not had a puncture in over a year. I bought a minipump thinking that i couldn't be arsed to be replacing CO2 cylinders all the time. However given the frequency of punctures I would probably buy CO2 if i were buying again.

Bozman

Simon Masterson wrote:

Wasteful and unnecessary unless racing or holding up a fast group. Use a pump. A framefit will do the job very quickly anyway.

+1


Waste of money for the average Joe, almost seems idle to me.

duckson

Waste of money? They cost less than £10, insignificant when you weigh up how much you spend in bike and various attire.

goonz

duckson wrote:

Waste of money? They cost less than £10, insignificant when you weigh up how much you spend in bike and various attire.

For one canister????

Err unless you are made of money that is a waste of money.

pinarellokid

Pumps are £10 canisters are 50p each.

Cost isn't even worth talking about, but they certainly make a puncture slightly more fun to deal with.

But that may just be the kid in me

goonz

pinarellokid wrote:

Pumps are £10 canisters are 50p each.

Cost isn't even worth talking about, but they certainly make a puncture slightly more fun to deal with.

But that may just be the kid in me

To me they sound like more hassle, apart from the speed of inflation.

How do you get past the frozen canister and snapping the tube valve off which I heard happened to someone on here?

TakeTurns

I've tried out co2 myself, too. Personally, considering the amount of punctures I get (3 last year), co2 cannisters wouldn't be a wasteful option. But I choose not to, because a pump is far more reliable and robust. I've had times where I've lent my pump to others - doesn't work with co2.

It's just nice having a pump and not being a fancy pants with a canister which only saves you a fraction of a minute compared to my pump which can do up 160psi.

slowbike

Easy answer is to have both ...

I have a frame mounted pump - but if I'm in a hurry or a time important ride then I'll take a CO2 pump too ...

cookeeemonster

I've tried both, now settled on a pump.

If you ever go out for a ride of any duration and you get a puncture halfway, aren't you a little nervous you'll get another one? Maybe not and you can carry 2 or 3 canisters but imagine a ride with a couple of punctures, a canister failing (happened to me) and being left stranded miles from anywhere?

In reality it's very unlikely to happen to most people but I just prefer the ability to keep pumping up the tyres should I have a nightmare ride of multiple punctures

drlodge

I have both, Leyzene pump gets me to 80psi, but CO2 is so quick and achieves 110 psi. No brainer to carry both.

bernithebiker

Slowbike wrote:

Easy answer is to have both ...

I have a frame mounted pump - but if I'm in a hurry or a time important ride then I'll take a CO2 pump too ...

Or neither.....I take a small can of sealant.

Anonymous

I had a valve snap off, but that was using a pump that attached directly to the valve, not using Co2.

I now have a small Lezyne pump with flexible hose which should be much better if I need it.

The thing that can happen is that you can unscrew the valve core (if you have valves with removable cores) or a valve extender (if you have valve extenders) but this can happen with both Co2 and a pump I think, and it is when you use ones that screw on rather than push on.

The Co2 freezes and the pump gets very hot. In both cases just be careful and wait for the temperature to stabilise before unscrewing from the valve.

If you have neither valve extenders or removable valve cores (the majority of people who would winge about Co2) then thats not going to happen anyway.

My Co2 holder thing (and I think the OP's type) just pushes on anyway.

The OP was just trying to help people do things better and, as often happens on here, he seems to be being accused of being some kind of money wasting snob
The inner tube costs at least £3 so whats another pound on Co2 :roll:

cookeeemonster

Is it true you need to reinflate the tyre with 'proper air' once you get home anyway? Something to do with the CO2 leaking out of the inner tube faster than normal air would?

Not a reason to discount CO2 but it might be worth remembering if you do need to use it.

Anonymous

Not heard that before but would be worth doing if were true I guess.

g00se

After using CO2, I'm a convert too. Freezing? Most canister suppliers will ship with a neoprene sleeve now - or just keep your glove on. Breaking the valve - you could do that with a small pump. Like pumps, pick one that functions well and has good reviews - a badly designed pump can damage valves.

Best of both - get a Lezyne mini pump where you can also screw a canister onto the flex-hose rather than the pump itself.

I've heard about the CO2 inflated tyres deflating - but don't recall that. Then again, I don't get too many punctures to compare.

charlie_potatoes

Amazing!
This thread has got to the second page without anyone bleating on about the OP's Carbon Footprint

drlodge

CO2 will permeate through the inner tube more quickly than air. I pump my tyres up before everyride so its not a problem.

bsharp77

If you are out on a ride, the last thing you want is to be mucking about with a puncture at the side of the road. Over winter I had loads, and the Lezyne C02 pump was amazing. You can easily keep 3 refills in the smallest of saddle bags and they inflate the tyre in seconds.
I can understand some of the reluctance to rely on such a thing, as I had the same initial reluctance, but after so much reliable use over the past few months, id never go back to a pump.
Of course once you get back you'd want to pump the tyre properly with a track pump - but this is designed to get you up to full pressure quickly and back on your ride.

chrisaonabike

I got the CO2 device after trying the Giant-brand road pump I got with the bike. First time I used it I could get to 80 PSI without too much trouble, but more than that was an upper-body workout that I didn't particularly want just before a bike ride.

At the moment, I still have tennis elbow, and I'm probably physically incapable of using a road pump to get anywhere near even 80 PSI. So CO2 is a must for me till it gets better.

Anonymous

Get a track pump for at home and in the car Chris
I had a cheapie one which is fine, but got a Topeak Joe Blow by default with xmas vouchers and it is really good.

lotus49

CO2 is cheap and quick. Frame mounted pumps are ugly. Mini pumps are hard to get up to full pressure and make snapping a valve off a real possibility.

Each to his or her own, but I'm with the OP.

simon_masterson

Pressure is a non-issue. A decent pump (eg. good framefit; HPX) can do it without fuss.

The cost is worth considering (though if you are getting punctures all the time you might need to reconsider your choice of tyres), but it's the environmental implications that matter most here. If you don't race, and you are physically capable of operating a pump, it is an irresponsible waste to use CO2; just like every other unnecessary/excessive packaging waste and other environmental laziness that drives our mindlessly destructive western lifestyle. It is as simple as that. If I got a puncture on a group ride and so did you, the difference that your CO2 would make over my framefit would be unimportant.

You can put one on the seat tube, under the top tube, or on the seatstay of some bikes too, before anyone tries that excuse. And if you think that a pump looks ugly on your bike, what are you doing sitting on it?

Anonymous

lotus49 wrote:

CO2 is cheap and quick. Frame mounted pumps are ugly. Mini pumps are hard to get up to full pressure and make snapping a valve off a real possibility.

Each to his or her own, but I'm with the OP.

Me too
Most people knocking Co2 have not tried it and seem to have some weird angry attitude to it :?

simon_masterson

And the people who don't accept that it's a waste unless racing are in denial.

g00se

Simon Masterson wrote:

...but it's the environmental implications that matter most here. If you don't race, and you are physically capable of operating a pump, it is an irresponsible waste to use CO2; just like every other unnecessary/excessive packaging waste and other environmental laziness that drives our mindlessly destructive western lifestyle.)

Just to clarify this. The CO2 in canisters is initially drawn from the atmosphere as CO2 - so the gas contained in the canister does not add to greenhouse gas pollution. The canisters are steel and are 100% recyclable. However, there is a environmental cost in the manufacture of the canister and in the power used in extracting/compressing the CO2.