Air the tires with Co2..?

yes, just make sure that you get one that has a sort of a trigger valve control instead of the screw on type. If you are not fast with the screw on type you tend to waist some of the CO2 in the process.

Airwreck.. said:

just getting into the road bike gear.. my mtb hand pump is too whimpy to air the 120psi road tires.. been checking out the CO2 gizmos for my ride kit.. is the CO2 equipment the way to go instead of a high pressure hand pump..?

thank you..

et..

CO2 is the way to go. You don't get a ton of pressure out of them but enough to finish your ride. The small frame pumps take a while and a lot of work to get the pressure up.

Airwreck.. said:

just getting into the road bike gear.. my mtb hand pump is too whimpy to air the 120psi road tires.. been checking out the CO2 gizmos for my ride kit.. is the CO2 equipment the way to go instead of a high pressure hand pump..?

thank you..

et..

CO2 is fine to carry for the rare on-the-road emergencies, but you'll want a good floor pump for everyday use at home. Get both; not a major investment here.

Airwreck.. said:

just getting into the road bike gear.. my mtb hand pump is too whimpy to air the 120psi road tires.. been checking out the CO2 gizmos for my ride kit.. is the CO2 equipment the way to go instead of a high pressure hand pump..?

thank you..

et..

Topeak Road Morph is worth a look.
I agree the a good floor pump at home is also needed.
When I tour I use Topeak Road Morph and carry CO2 as a back-up. I have never yet needed the back-up, but I still carry them in case.

PeterF said:

CO2 is the way to go. You don't get a ton of pressure out of them but enough to finish your ride. The small frame pumps take a while and a lot of work to get the pressure up.

If you go with the bigger cartridges (16 Gram I think), you can fully inlfate to 120-130 psi. I have never had a problem with the screw on type. The only problem I have, is the things get so damn cold when using them. I always carry at least two, usually three cartridges and two tubes. One tip is one changing a flat, slightly inflate the tube by blowing some air into with your mouth, this way you don't waste a shot of your co2, when seating the tube into the rim and tire. I've heard it's best to re-inflate your tires with normal air after using co2 on a ride. Go with co2 on the road and floor pump at home or in the car.

OCRoadie said:

If you go with the bigger cartridges (16 Gram I think), you can fully inlfate to 120-130 psi. I have never had a problem with the screw on type. The only problem I have, is the things get so damn cold when using them. I always carry at least two, usually three cartridges and two tubes. One tip is one changing a flat, slightly inflate the tube by blowing some air into with your mouth, this way you don't waste a shot of your co2, when seating the tube into the rim and tire. I've heard it's best to re-inflate your tires with normal air after using co2 on a ride. Go with co2 on the road and floor pump at home or in the car.

CO2 saved me again just the other day on the road. I got a flat on the same hill where I flatted last time. CO2 is quick, easy and fast for road bike, though I carry a Blackburn hand pump for MTB rides (less volume and usually pretty quick). CO2 is less dense than the air we breath so it is forced from the tube quickly. Always inflate your tire with a floor pump before every ride. Always carry something incase of a flat.

dhk said:

CO2 is fine to carry for the rare on-the-road emergencies, but you'll want a good floor pump for everyday use at home. Get both; not a major investment here.

I couldn't agree more. The co2 is just for emergency flats. A floor pump with an accurate gauge is a must. If you start the day with the right pressure, you'll be surprised how few flats you get.

If you haven't purchased one yet, look into the Ultraflate. I forget who makes it, but you can use either threaded or threadless CO2 cartridges. OCRoadie is correct in that the 16g will fill a 700-23 to 120 or better. That unit can use 12, 16 or 25g carts.

I have had excellent success finishing rides (including centuries) with CO2 in the tires. For a cheaper solution and especially for emergencies, you can purchase 12g carts that are made for paintball guns very inexpensively. They will fill the same tire to about 90lbs, which is probably better than you can get with a compact pump.

[quote="snails_pace"]If you haven't purchased one yet, look into the Ultraflate. I forget who makes it, but you can use either threaded or threadless CO2 cartridges. OCRoadie is correct in that the 16g will fill a 700-23 to 120 or better. That unit can use 12, 16 or 25g carts.

QUOTE]
That's the brand I use. I agree on the floor pump for home. I use the hand pump on the bike just to get enough air in the flat tube so that I can locate the leak and check the corresponding location on the tire to see if something's lodged there. I use CO2 to inflate the new tube. And, contrary to the suggestion it might not achieve 120psi, I've found you easily can over inflate with one of those. The LBS guy who sold me the thing warned that the first time he used one he blew up the new tube and had to call his mom to come collect him from the side of the road!

[quote="Ashley3"]

snails_pace said:

If you haven't purchased one yet, look into the Ultraflate. I forget who makes it, but you can use either threaded or threadless CO2 cartridges. OCRoadie is correct in that the 16g will fill a 700-23 to 120 or better. That unit can use 12, 16 or 25g carts.

QUOTE]
That's the brand I use. I agree on the floor pump for home. I use the hand pump on the bike just to get enough air in the flat tube so that I can locate the leak and check the corresponding location on the tire to see if something's lodged there. I use CO2 to inflate the new tube. And, contrary to the suggestion it might not achieve 120psi, I've found you easily can over inflate with one of those. The LBS guy who sold me the thing warned that the first time he used one he blew up the new tube and had to call his mom to come collect him from the side of the road!

PeterF said:

I couldn't agree more. The co2 is just for emergency flats. A floor pump with an accurate gauge is a must. If you start the day with the right pressure, you'll be surprised how few flats you get.

I'm with Peter F on this one. Since I got my good floor pump with gauge I've had for fewer flats. I attribute this to having correct pressure in my tires for the first time. For emergency CO2 is great.

OCRoadie said:

If you go with the bigger cartridges (16 Gram I think), you can fully inlfate to 120-130 psi. I have never had a problem with the screw on type. The only problem I have, is the things get so damn cold when using them. I always carry at least two, usually three cartridges and two tubes. One tip is one changing a flat, slightly inflate the tube by blowing some air into with your mouth, this way you don't waste a shot of your co2, when seating the tube into the rim and tire. I've heard it's best to re-inflate your tires with normal air after using co2 on a ride. Go with co2 on the road and floor pump at home or in the car.

Thanks. The inflator came with a few 12's, but once I use up the last two, I'll swith to 16's. The 12's work, but only seem to get 90-100 lbs.