# CO2 bike tire pump question
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 13, 2023, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447 "2023-06-13T19:43:07Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/1 "2023-06-13T19:43:07Z")
I just bought one of these today: [Review: Genuine Innovations Ultraflate CO2 Inflator | road.cc](https://road.cc/content/review/238063-genuine-innovations-ultraflate-co2-inflator) after some frustrating experiences with pinch-flats and a couple of failed mini hand pumps.
I have one question - is there any convention, safety or otherwise, saying that I should **not** connect the cartridge until time to use it. I intend to have it in my trunk bag at all times, whether I’m riding or not.
Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks
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### Author:  [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/2 "2023-06-13T19:55:18Z")
The cartridge is sealed by a completely leakproof metal seal before it’s pierced by inserting it into the inflater.
After that, it’s only sealed by the imperfect valve seals. So it will inevitably leak empty, given enough time.
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### Author:  [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/3 "2023-06-13T20:05:48Z")
> [@gnoitall](#):
>
> So it will inevitably leak empty, given enough time.
I also just read a review of it and it definitely suggested that, once connected/pierced, air will slowly leak such that the reliability after a couple of weeks might not be there. So I’ll keep it disconnected until the need.
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### Author:  [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/4 "2023-06-13T20:06:27Z")
ETA: Maybe ninja-ed enough, but …
IME with other CO2-powered things like that, “given enough time” is a matter of a couple hours, at most a couple of days. No way is it a couple of weeks.
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### Author:  [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/5 "2023-06-13T20:17:33Z")
A friend of mine carries one of those CO2 dealies, but also carries a regular pump “as back-up.” While I can see a little bit of logic in that, being that the CO2 will inflate faster, if you cannot trust that the thing will work well enough so you have also bring along a back-up pump, why not just promote the back-up to primary? Also, if you get \>1 flat on a ride (it does happen), then what?
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### Author:  [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/6 "2023-06-13T20:17:45Z")
As others have said, connect when you need it or there won’t be anything left when you do.
This is a bit different than the style I use, but I suggest you carry two cartridges until you are confident you can fill a flat with one. I wasted one the very first time I needed it and learned the process. Or, probably a better idea is to try it from the comfort of your garage.
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### Author:  [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/7 "2023-06-13T20:21:55Z")
> [@snowthx](#):
>
> A friend of mine carries one of those CO2 dealies, but also carries a regular pump “as back-up.” While I can see a little bit of logic in that, being that the CO2 will inflate faster, if you cannot trust that the thing will work well enough so you have also bring along a back-up pump, why not just promote the back-up to primary? Also, if you get \>1 flat on a ride (it does happen), then what?
Some folks cannot get away from the belt & suspenders mentality.
I carry two cartridges and I have had two flats on one ride, but not since I started putting sealant in my mtn bikes tubes (not switched to tubeless yet). BTW, it takes a larger CO2 cartridge for fat tires than my 23-28mm road tires (if that wasn’t obvious).
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### Author:  [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/8 "2023-06-13T20:28:31Z")
Agree. And that is the thing - if you need to bring along 2 cartridges, why not instead bring a mini-pump? The weight of the two cartridges plus the nozzle are starting to get close to the weight of the pump. But with the pump you no longer need to worry about the volume of your tires or getting two flats on one ride. Of course, the inflation time is much better with the CO2.
And yeah, going with sealant/tubeless will cut down the need for worrying about flats in the first place.
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### Author:  [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/9 "2023-06-13T20:29:22Z")
> [@snowthx](#):
>
> if you get \>1 flat on a ride (it does happen), then what?
I always carry two spare tubes with me because I currently live in the land o’pot holes and pinch flats, unfortunately. And I still mourn the days of the old-school frame pumps, which had some umph to them.
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### Author:  [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/10 "2023-06-13T20:30:49Z")
I carry CO2 for convenience and cost. I have small tail bags on four bikes and they all have what I need. No moving of stuff around depending on what I am riding.
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### Author:  [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/11 "2023-06-13T20:32:22Z")
> [@velomont](#):
>
> I always carry two spare tubes with me because I currently live in the land o’pot holes and pinch flats, unfortunately.
I grew up in the land of goatheads. Two spare tubes would get you a mile or so down the trail 🙂
[ ](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5c9bd9d751f4d48c8f2ed1f1/1587665596369-O7U5H3INVRZQBPYH59G8/puncturevine.seed2.jpg)
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### Author:  [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/12 "2023-06-13T20:35:01Z")
> [@snowthx](#):
>
> if you need to bring along 2 cartridges, why not instead bring a mini-pump?
The actual reason that I got the CO2 pump today is that I had a mini pump crap out after about six years. It failed a year ago and I successfully removed a 1 or 2 mm piece of gunk from the hose and it resumed working until about a month ago (when I needed it of course). Then I bought a different make, and needed it a week ago, and it crapped out (it had a short hose with a screw-on cap which, when unscrewed, extracted the core of my presta valve on two consecutive tubes, causing an immediate release of all air).
So I have just ordered another mini-pump which I expect to be better but it won’t be here for a few weeks, hence the CO2 thing as a stop-gap and back-up.
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### Author:  [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/13 "2023-06-13T20:35:40Z")
> [@wguy123](#):
>
> goatheads
What in god’s name are those things? 🙂
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### Author:  [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/14 "2023-06-13T20:36:50Z")
A bicyclist’s enemy. Altho, I can tell you my tubeless MTB is not bothered by them. I should say “a road bicyclist’s enemy.”
They are actually burs, evolved to get stuck in the feet of animals.
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### Author:  [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/15 "2023-06-13T20:38:17Z")
They look like mini caltrops.
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### Author:  [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)
#### Post date: [June 13, 2023, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/16 "2023-06-13T20:40:48Z")
Exactly. Dogs hate them. And I did too growing up as I stepped on them many times while barefoot. And our Schwinn Stingrays had perpetual flats until we bought solid core tubes that weighed 10 lbs each (or so it seemed).
I just realized they are in the caltrop family. You nailed it!
> **[Tribulus terrestris](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribulus_terrestris)**
>
> Tribulus terrestris is an annual plant in the caltrop family (Zygophyllaceae) widely distributed around the world. It is adapted to thrive in dry climate locations in which few other plants can survive.
> It is native to warm temperate and tropical regions in southern Eurasia and Africa. It has been unintentionally introduced to North America and Australia. An aggressive and hardy invasive species, T. terrestris is widely known as a noxious weed because of its small woody fruit – the bur – hav...
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### Author:  [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2023, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/17 "2023-06-14T05:14:41Z")
> [@velomont](#):
>
> Then I bought a different make, and needed it a week ago, and it crapped out (it had a short hose with a screw-on cap which, when unscrewed, extracted the core of my presta valve on two consecutive tubes, causing an immediate release of all air).
Try putting a drop of lube into the screw-on cap. That seemed to work when I had a pump that did the same. Every once in a while you may have to add another drop, since it wears away during use.
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### Author:  [@Princhester](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Princhester)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2023, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/18 "2023-06-14T06:37:13Z")
I’ve never found any need for anything less compact than this:
([https://www.letour.com.au/assets/full/AEA25GS.jpg?20230320161104](https://www.letour.com.au/assets/full/AEA25GS.jpg?20230320161104))
Your version looks far too bulky for my taste
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### Author:  [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2023, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/19 "2023-06-14T07:33:50Z")
> [@Princhester](#):
>
> Your version looks far too bulky for my taste
The version the OP has is the same that I use and prefer, and has a distinct advantage over the minimalist version you linked to: it can use an unthreaded CO2 cartridge, which are much cheaper than the threaded cartridges. The 16g unthreaded cartridges for bb guns work fine with the OP’s inflator.
Note that the inflator the OP has can store a full cartridge in the body, just flip the cartridge upside down so the business end is protruding out of the bottom. When you need to use it, flip it around and pierce the cartridge. It saves a bit of space in the saddle bag. I usually carry about 5 or 6 cartridges in my bag (There are some days that are just hell, if you ride a lot you know what I mean).
The advantage of the CO2 inflator over a mini pump is speed, especially if you have a high volume tire. I’ve seen some people start tires with a mini pump to about 25 psi or so, and then finish off with a CO2 because mini pumps get tiring when pumping at higher pressures. So I usually have both mini pump and an inflator with several cartridges, because there are some days…
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### Author:  [@velomont](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/velomont)
#### Post date: [June 14, 2023, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/co2-bike-tire-pump-question/985447/20 "2023-06-14T13:28:35Z")
> [@Princhester](#):
>
> Your version looks far too bulky for my taste
If I was 30 years younger I would be concerned about that I would agree. But now I’m an old fart 🙂 with less available time due to old, married peoples’ issues so, the heavier the better for fitness.
> [@Dag\_Otto](#):
>
> There are some days that are just hell, if you ride a lot you know what I mean
Bloody hell, I sure do! In fact, many years ago I knew a guy who was a serious cyclist and on his commuter bike he actually had a solid rear tire in order to avoid flats.
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