Why Use CO2 Cartridges?

[Clydesdale Scot]

not a new idea

[boss]

i now put the pump up my knick leg, with the rubber grippers most knicks have it's never going anywhere, and i never notice it.

That could do some damage in a crash!

[gdt]

I use a minipump. But a good road bike minipump is expensive -- the cheap ones won't get the necessary pressure or will let you down in the middle of nowhere. That has changed a bit (eg, Cellbikes has the Lezyne Road Drive for $40), but the economics still strongly favour CO2 for weekend warriors ($10-15 for the inflator, $2-5 per cylinder).

[schroeds]

Something to be aware of, the C02 pumps sometimes fail, well mine did, and i got stranded. I suppose pumps sometimes bust too. Anyway If I'm going far from help by myself I sometimes take both. Generally though my mate rides with a pump and i take co2 so best of both worlds!

[skull]

I always carry both.

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[JustJames]

Why would anybody bother to ride a bike for transport, when it's so much easier to just sit there cocooned in a bus/train/car?

Why would anybody ride a bike for exercise - going to the gym is safer, you can watch TV while you exercise, or listen to music and check out the hotties (ymmv).

In other news... peoples' tastes and opinions vary. Full details tonight on Today Tonight's Current Affair, later today.

[ColinOldnCranky]

I am probably a lot oler than m ost of y ou guys. So I can recall "the good old days" sories of which all oldies regale the youth with.

There was a time in my life when we laughed at Americans and europeans for buyig bottled water.

CO2 cartridges? I am waiting for bottled air to be the next big thing.

But I can still see some legitimate purpose as well. If I ever get around to it and can get cartridges at buck each then I may join y'all - just to reduce the weight and size of what I carry daily for a rare instance. And to not worry that I am gonna tear the stem out of my tube when I am trying to disconnect the pump from it.

[smileNnod]

Quite simply - It's lighter and less cluttered than a pump. Even if you flat, the CO2 fails and your partner won't pick you up.

If you haven't got a contract at least look the part.

[scotto]

I have to say that I really don’t understand the popularity of CO2 for tyre inflation. It seems to me to be yet another example of resource consumption for really very little reward. I admit, I’ve never used a CO2 cartridge, but I have fixed many flats on the road, in all sorts of weathers. With a half decent pump, it is simply not that hard to get a reasonable amount of pressure into the tyre. It can take a while, but unless it’s a race where time is super critical, why would you consume all the resources required to make that CO2 cartridge available, just for a little convenience?

Greenie stupidity . Use one then ask the same question. The ones from Trek use sustainable co2 and recycled metal.

[scotto]

I have to say that I really don’t understand the popularity of CO2 for tyre inflation. It seems to me to be yet another example of resource consumption for really very little reward. I admit, I’ve never used a CO2 cartridge, but I have fixed many flats on the road, in all sorts of weathers. With a half decent pump, it is simply not that hard to get a reasonable amount of pressure into the tyre. It can take a while, but unless it’s a race where time is super critical, why would you consume all the resources required to make that CO2 cartridge available, just for a little convenience?

Greenie stupidity . Use one then ask the same question. The ones from Trek use sustainable co2 and recycled metal.

[ColinOldnCranky]

I have to say that I really don’t understand the popularity of CO2 for tyre inflation. It seems to me to be yet another example of resource consumption for really very little reward. I admit, I’ve never used a CO2 cartridge, but I have fixed many flats on the road, in all sorts of weathers. With a half decent pump, it is simply not that hard to get a reasonable amount of pressure into the tyre. It can take a while, but unless it’s a race where time is super critical, why would you consume all the resources required to make that CO2 cartridge available, just for a little convenience?

Greenie stupidity . Use one then ask the same question. The ones from Trek use sustainable co2 and recycled metal.

If you are serious scotto then perhaps there is a pot somewhere talking to a kettle.

Plain greenwashing. For the effort the product saves it still will use substantial resources. EVERYTHING is recycleable if we try hard enough. And if there is a collection and an awareness and a willingness. But how many people here would return a cartridge to a recycling point? Even then there are further costs before it finds it's way into production feedstock.

Without doing a complex life-cycle analysis you can be certain that, environmentally, the use of a CO2 cannister to pump up the tire of someone who rides for fitness benefits is a loser.

I can see some sense in a person using one (as I earlier posted I could see a benefit for myself even), but that does not make the greenie argument faulty.

[RonK]

I have to say that I really don’t understand the popularity of CO2 for tyre inflation. It seems to me to be yet another example of resource consumption for really very little reward. I admit, I’ve never used a CO2 cartridge, but I have fixed many flats on the road, in all sorts of weathers. With a half decent pump, it is simply not that hard to get a reasonable amount of pressure into the tyre. It can take a while, but unless it’s a race where time is super critical, why would you consume all the resources required to make that CO2 cartridge available, just for a little convenience?

Greenie stupidity . Use one then ask the same question. The ones from Trek use sustainable co2 and recycled metal.

If you are serious scotto then perhaps there is a pot somewhere talking to a kettle.

Plain greenwashing. For the effort the product saves it still will use substantial resources. EVERYTHING is recycleable if we try hard enough. And if there is a collection and an awareness and a willingness. But how many people here would return a cartridge to a recycling point? Even then there are further costs before it finds it's way into production feedstock.

Without doing a complex life-cycle analysis you can be certain that, environmentally, the use of a CO2 cannister to pump up the tire of someone who rides for fitness benefits is a loser.

I can see some sense in a person using one (as I earlier posted I could see a benefit for myself even), but that does not make the greenie argument faulty.

Agreed. I see no justification for them. A decent pump will inflate tyres easily.
I rarely use my gas canister camping stove any more for similar reasons - the canisters cannot easily be recycled. I mostly use a metho stove now.

[toolonglegs]

I carry both ( pump and a couple of CO2 canisters ) ... usually I use the pump. Well rarely I use the pump and very rarely I use the CO2 as I don't get many punctures.
But I did use one the other day as I had a front tube explode on a corner, stopped to fix it and all the trucks going past made me want to get out of there quick.
When it is really cold I use them too... dripping in sweat and stopping to change a tyre at -5 or even -15 isn't very nice... getting the tyre off is painful enough with out having to stand there pumping the thing up .

[Ozkaban]

I carry both - a lezyne road drive and an inflator with a couple of cylinders.

If you wait til they're on sale (usually at cell bikes) you can pick them up for $1 each. I'd buy 10 and they last yonks - at least until they're on sale again . I use more on other people's tyres than my own it seems.

I like them cos I get to spend more time pedalling, but each to their own.


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[Ozkaban]

duplicate post

[Mulger bill]

Jeez there's a lot of echoes in here lately

Never bombed, never carried. I can see the case for using them some times but for me, occasionally pumping a flat is like cleaning a chain and gasping my way up that hill to reach the descent, just another small part of the enormous spirit enhancing whole that is la vida velo.

[ColinOldnCranky]

...
I rarely use my gas canister camping stove any more for similar reasons - the canisters cannot easily be recycled. I mostly use a metho stove now.

I have an old trangia that has been getting occasional use for about 20 years or so. I think that if kitchen gas ranges introduced a cowling system similar to a trangia to direct flame all around a pot we would have less burning of the rice at the base and a more efficient way of using the energy.

They are a bit on the slow side compared to a gas job. But for one person or two on a light camping trip they are quite brilliant.

[skull]

Jeez there's a lot of echoes in here lately
\

I noticed that too.

Might be a glitch in the matrix.

[ldrcycles]

Got my first flat in AGES today (tube split right at the base of the valve stem). My $25 mini pump got it up to pressure in maybe 30 seconds, and could have been a lot quicker if i was in a hurry.

[toolonglegs]

Crit tracks are short... Hefron is what 2 minutes per lap, with CO2 I have had a puncture, stopped, repaired and been up and running in time to jump back on using the one lap out rule... apart from the fact that you will often be asked to take a pump off your bike or out of your pocket before a race, you wouldn't be up and running that quick with a pump... see CO2 is great .

[warthog1]

I have always used a pump, but the topeak micro rocket that fits into jersey pocket struggles to reach about 70 psi and is slow Thus i hold bunch rides longer than necessary on the odd occasion I do flat. What is a good co2 inflator people can recommend?

[warthog1]

Double post iPhone 4 tapatalk combo?

[warthog1]

Double post iPhone 4 tapatalk combo?

[boss]

I have always used a pump, but the topeak micro rocket that fits into jersey pocket struggles to reach about 70 psi and is (i)slow(/i). Thus i hold bunch rides longer than necessary on the odd occasion I do flat. What is a good co2 inflator people can recommend?

From what I understand, co2 inflators are much of a muchness, the major difference is the tap style inflator or on/off style inflator.

I got one from CELL for $15 with a cartridge. Build quality is adequate, works well - I have used it regularly over the last few weeks while waiting for a floor-pump to arrive... I know some of you say you can hit 100psi on your hand pumps, but mine is a cheapie and taps out at around 60psi.

A bit wasteful, I know, but I'm quite acquainted with my cartridges and inflator which makes me feel comfortable not carrying a hand pump.

[Cruiserman]

My current hand pump is a Topeak something or other that cost $25, i can get that to 110 no problems, and it doesn't take long. My tip re hand pumps, after having my nice Lezyne pump come out of the frame mount and get mangled in my rear wheel, i now put the pump up my knick leg, with the rubber grippers most knicks have it's never going anywhere, and i never notice it.

Is that a pump up your shorts or are you just glad to see me