Frame pumps

[Dogmama]

OK, it's time to ditch my oh-so-cute but useless little mini pump. It's a blackburn & I'm luck to get 80 pounds in. Is there a frame pump that can deliver 120 pounds? I have good upper body strength so it isn't a matter of not being able to push that sucker.

Anybody use CO2 cartridges? I saw somebody blow a tire off a rim one time, but maybe he screwed up (duh, ya think?) rather than the cartridge being too powerful.

I had a flat today & had to gingerly ride home after getting ~ 80 pounds in and worrying about pinch flats. I want to be able to keep riding. Whaaa!

[Veronica]

I use the CO 2 cartridges and haven't had any problems. I've only had one flat on the road where I used one, but when I first switched out my tires I used the cartridges rather than the floor pump for practice.

V.

PS I don't inflate my tires often enough and when I do, usually discover that I've been riding on 40 or 50 psi.

[syklnsoph]

i (and the mr.) use the CO2 cart. work great. we couldn't get our tires pumped up high enough either, and went to the cartridges. finish long rides and when we get home, just check the tire pressure then. 'course we have an air compressor at home which helps. but to answer the question, ditch the pump and go with CO2.
soph

[caligurl]

hubby and i both use co2 pumps on our bikes!

[aka_kim]

If you do stick with a frame pump, the Topeak Mountain Morph works very well. It has a gauge, an extending hose, and a small foot rest (well, whatever that thing you stand on is called). I have less-than-optimal upper body strength but can still pump my tires to 100 psi quickly and easily. There's also a road bike version of this pump, which is slightly larger and provides higher psi. I use the mountain version because it was easier to find space to mount, and I don't pump my tires over 100 psi.

But, the more I hear about CO2, the better and easier it sounds.

[pedalfaster]

Another vote for the Morph, if you want a pump that can get your tires to 100psi.

CO2 is great for fast rides and races and can also be a real life-saver when late for work or for a woman riding alone who just needs to get rolling quickly.

The downsides?

They can be expensive ( although the non-threaded canisters can be bought more cheaply in bulk at your local big-box discount store).

They are wasteful (anyone know of anyplace that recycles those suckers?).

And the big downside: you still *should* carry a pump. Yes I've been on rides where the two or three cartriges were not enough. There are a couple of CO2 devices that also function (barely!) as a mini-pump in a pinch.

[Dogmama]

Pedalfaster wrote: "And the big downside: you still *should* carry a pump. Yes I've been on rides where the two or three cartriges were not enough. There are a couple of CO2 devices that also function (barely!) as a mini-pump in a pinch."

Good point. Glad I'm not a weight wienie!

There are different sizes of CO2 cartridges. What is the size for a road bike?

[maryellen]

I use a Road Morph and love it (though I only have to pump my tires to 100).

[spazzdog]

I had a Road Morph for my old TREK1000. I loved it. I don't use it anymore because I can't get the PSI I need on my new bike (grown weaker over my yrs of inactivity).

[pedalfaster]

Originally posted by Dogmama
There are different sizes of CO2 cartridges. What is the size for a road bike?

Many people carry the 12 gram unthreaded. These are usually the cheapest cartridges you can buy.

I prefer the 16 gram threaded. I carry just the nozzle-type CO2 device. I use this size for both the road and mtb.

The CO2 device package will have inflation guidelines on the back (i.e. # of cartidges needed to get to X psi).

[KTeach]

Another vote for Road morph & Mountain morph pumps. Both are relatively powerful pumps.

[echidna]

Zefal HpX's can reliably deliver 90+ psi.
CO2 cartridges work great. If someone blows it off the rim, either they've got the wrong size cartridge, or they may have pinched the tube when they put the tire back on.
A 12 gram CO2 cartridge is plenty. What I do is to use the frame pump to get things started, double-check to see that everything is seated well at about 15-20 pounds, and then finish it off with the gas. That way you let the cartridge do the hard work, and you get to be certain that everything is okay before you give it the big push.
This time of year a CO2 system can literally be ride-saving. If you have to stop toooo long for a flat change you can get awfully cold if you've been riding hard.

[JanT]

I do the same as echidna. You can get a box of CO2 cartridges at Walmart that amounts to about $.50 a cartridge, so make sure you get an inflator that takes the unthreaded cartridges. Also, my next pump will be a Topeak Morph, as one time when I had a problematic change on my mountain bike, a passing biker pumped my tire in nothing flat with a mtn. morph he carried in his Camelbak. It was lightweight, unfolded to work like a floor pump, and was very efficient. However, I live in the Phoenix area, and using any pump in the summer sun is nasty, so I always carry several cartridges of CO2 in the saddlebag.

[Dogmama]

Well, I bought the Topeak Morph and when I went to install it-the little plastic gizmo that holds the pump in the bracket broke off! I called Cambria (where I ordered it) and the guy was really irritated: "You mean, you broke it and now you want us to give you back your money?" No, knuckle head....Anyway, he said they'll refund my money. We'll see.

But, just a word of warning - if you have a small bike (like me) this is a big pump width-wise. I could not have installed it because my bike bag is one of those triangle wedge things that fits between the seat down tube & the top tube. I cannot put two water bottles on the bike because I don't have enough room, so behind the seat is a double water bottle holder (imperative in the desert.) Thus, my bike bag goes between the two tubes.

Anyway, I'm back to CO2 cartridges shopping...

[syklnsoph]

ok girrls,
i know how i am and i've seen some other women on bikes. i am always wanting to bring another snak, trying to find a way to get another h20 bottle on the bike, (same problem as dogmama), would like to take my cd/mp3 player on those longer rides, lipgloss, chamois buttr, id, some $$, cellphone, maps, CO2 cartridge, and the inflator, blah, blah, blah. the list goes on. it ended up being better to have a hydration pack with extra storage. but i have gotten better too! i did find the coolest thing at Wally World (walmart). for $10. it is a pack that velcroes to the handlebars. it is small, maybe 8x8x3", it unfolds and has small compartments for most of the above, including cd player, and a fold down flap with clear plastic to show ur maps. it looks somewhat compact on the front and is pretty efficient. also, is has a belt that you can then put around yourself, like a booty bag if you need to go moble. when not in use, it neatly tucks inside.
just ideas for those Christmas presents.
soph