I've had this happen to me a number of times (in 2004 I was getting 1-2 flats everytime I rode....crappy stock tires couldn't even handle 1000 miles). I get a flat on my road bike, change the tube and inflate with CO2. I ride home and all is well. The next day, that tire will be flat as a pancake. I pump it up and and I'm back at it again. I've never understood it.Originally Posted by mtbdarby
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Thread: Tire inflation?
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06-10-2006, 12:46 PM #1
XC/CX racing
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Last edited by madisongrrl; 06-10-2006 at 12:48 PM.
Just keep pedaling.
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06-10-2006, 12:57 PM #2
"Ride lots!"
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I guess we have special CO2 in California then.
V.
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06-10-2006, 05:12 PM #3
Inner Geekette
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Remember you have to match the source of the CO2 to source of the tube. French air for your Michelin tubes, Italian for Torelli tubes, English for the Contis, etc..
Frends know gud humors when dey is hear it. ~ Da Crockydiles of ZZE.
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06-10-2006, 07:35 PM #4
Lookin' for tailwinds
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What if I have Conti tires & Michelin tubes?
World War III underneath my saddle! 
To train a dog, you must be more interesting than dirt.
Trek Project One
Trek FX 7.4 Hybrid
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06-10-2006, 07:51 PM #5
Inner Geekette
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We may have to call for a UN sanction and send in some peacekeepers.
Frends know gud humors when dey is hear it. ~ Da Crockydiles of ZZE.
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06-18-2006, 09:28 PM #6
Sue
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I had never heard of that until here ... and then last week on the ride some of the guys were talking about it happening to them. They thought that CO2 went through the tire faster than regular air - the rule of thumb was that if you used CO2 you should always empty and refill with regular air when you get home.
I wanted to use helium last week to lighten up.
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06-19-2006, 06:48 AM #7
Grease Monkey
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Here's an explanation that actually might make sense, posted by Erik Lindeberg on cycleforums. In fact, if the solubility and diffusion rate are responsible, then we might expect that different tube compositions would affect the diffusion rate, and thus the widely disparate claims of CO2 leaking or not leaking could all be possible.
CO2 Inflators
> I've heard that
> since CO2 is a smaller molecule, tires lose air quicker.What has been
> people's experience with them? Viable alternative? Weight & reliability?
>
Small molecules e.g. helium, may diffuse faster than larger molecules
through some materials. The CO2 molecule is, however, larger than
the main constituents of air, oxygen and nitrogen, both with respect to
molecular weight and size. There are other properties,
though, that contribute to how fast the gas molecules
diffuses through the rubber, in particular how easy they
dissolve in rubber.
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