road riding – small pump or CO2 ?

I currently use a small Lezyne high pressure pump that goes in a jersey pocket, along with a small Lezyne bag, holding tubes, tool, levers etc, but wondering about going to CO2 and putting it in a minimal seat pack along with some other current jersey pocket contents. Breaks ‘the Rules’ 🙂 I know, but lighter pockets would be nice ! Can’t frame mount a pump easily as most tubes are curved (Defy Composite)

Carry a pump regardless. Punctures will be n+1 where n=number of CO2 cartridges you are carrying.

I use a seat pack with the essentials in it (tool, patches, CO2, levers, tubes) so it’s always on the bike, and stick a pump in my pocket on the way out of the door.

Depends on your appetite for risk.

One CO2 canister gives you one inflation. Pumps don’t run out of air (unless it breaks).

Pump every time, used to carry CO2 too, but current seatpack too small. I did turn around and aid a cyclist on Sunday who it turns out had CO2 that were duds. Luckily I carry essentials and a track pump in the van 🙂

The only thing i carry in my pockets are snacks,money and my phone. I have a medium topeak saddle back that carries 2 spare tubes, tyre leavers multi tool 2 co2 cartridges and a mini pump that can be used with the cartridges. the co2 gets a road tyre up and seated then i finis the pressure off by hand

Pump. There’ll be a bracket for yours to go on a bottle boss?

Seatpacks rule, most “Rules” following riders suck.

FFS I recently read an article by the self-proclaimed Rules Author about how far down your calf your knee warmer should go* 🙄

*I bet someone will say he was being ironic.

I have a small pump that contains a CO2 cartridge. So best of both worlds, search eBay, there’s a few out there.

Both.

And both are frame mounted (in fact there’s even a spare CO2 cartridge).

It might not be the most aero layout but I can make up for that by shaving my legs.

Carry both. I’ve done just CO2 & you always end up worrying about whether you are carrying enough..

He was being ironic.

What was the correct answer by the way?

2x CO2 weighs more than a pump. Add in doing something like fixing one puncture only to find there were two and you’re stuffed.

Carrying hard things in pockets near your spine is really dumb and uncomfortable.

Depends how much you want to ditch the pump. In my experience there’s certainly no risk with just co2. I carry two cartridges along with an Air Chuck Elite. Tiny and light.

During the summer months I only carry CO2 and during the winter both, but only because the pump is permanently fixed to my winter trainer.

I’ve never not been able to cope with just CO2 for the last – who knows? – 10 or so years.
I conclude – that for me – the risks involved in not having a pump are negligible and even smaller if I have a phone with me.

I carry CO2 on the road and a pump off. The only time I’ve had to cycle home on a half inflated tube after a puncture was due to a broken pump while MTBing ironically.

On my road bike I have a tiny saddle pack with 2x CO2 cyclinders, inflator, tyre levers, patches, inner tube, multitool. All packed in very tightly so they don’t rattle (very important).

I don’t see it as too much of a risk, I can fill 3 punctures with 2 cyclinders and with CO2 you can get a good presure after the first puncture so a second is less likely than with a tiny mini pump that can only get to 75psi.

Taking a pump on road is always a compromise between bulk, looks and comfort.
Pump in saddle bag means a giant saddle bag and/or ineffective pump
Pump on frame looks naff
Pump in pocked is uncomfortanble, looks naff and might hurt if you crash.

(I have obviously now angered the puncture fairies so will be taking a pump with me on my next ride!)

Topeak do a pump that is pump at one end and inflator at the other. Sits neatly, along with two cartridges, on the down tube of my road bike. Not found a mini pump yet I can easily get to 100 psi.

I carry a couple of co2 cartridges, one tube and a set of glueless patches in the jersey pocket. Don’t bother with a pump unless it’s a properly long ride (take a small pump and an extra tube). But then most of my rides are a couple of hours or less.

If you do go the co2 route, I’d recommend getting one where you can control the flow of air easily. Some are all or nothing. Sometimes you want to be able to put a little air in the tube, check it’s all ok, put a bit more air in, check again, etc.

Saddlebags just look awful, can’t do it. Have everything I need in a lezyne caddysack. Pack it right and stick it in the middle pocket and I don’t notice it’s there.

Actually, most essential item recently has been a bit of stiff card to use as a tyre boot.

ordered one of these

Argh… 🙂

right, thanks for all useful replies. Happy to breeak The Rules so have ordered one of these[/url] and will pop my pump onto the bottle boss mount. Likling the idea of getting metal stuff out my pockets !

I have a tiny Topeak pump that will get a tyre up to pressure but is hard work, this is my emergency option as it weighs very little. I also have 2 CO2 cartridges as they are easy to use but are, stating the obvious, 1 use only.

What CO2 inhalators are you using? I had one with a screw on presta to schrader adaptor which froze to the valve stem, when i unscrewed it, it also unscrewed my valve core & dumped the air out.

Any recommendations for roadie pumps?

Do “high pressure” ones really make it possible to get more than about 40psi in after a roadside repair?

(soz for hijack)

Mos, was that a lezyne one? I’ve had that happen with mine, quite fiddly to screw on and off. Genuine Innovations ones usually get a good write up, I’m tempted to try this one[/url].

Any recommendations for roadie pumps?

I have this one : here

and can get to about 110 psi in 3 or 4 mins pumping

Just bought the 14cm of this, they do a 10cm version too, you should get 140, according to xcracer

Any recommendations for roadie pumps?

A proper old fashioned frame fit like the Zefal HPX

I use the topeak combined CO2/Mini pump.

Works really well and I’ve used it to get to 100+ psi on trips abroad where no CO2 was available.

Can get the pump, CO2, two tubes and a multitool in a small saddle bag or one of those spare bottle tool holders.

Personaly I like to minimise what I have in my pockets, especially hard lumpy things like multitools and pumps.

I this Specialized CO2 inflator. Press on and it controls the release of CO2 so if you don’t use it all you can save it for later. Very simple but great bit of kit. Tiny and light as well. I think it’s similar to the Genunie Inovations one.

Seatpacks? 1 x tube with tyre levers, patches, co2 & nozzle, 10speed quicklink and piece of tyre boot all in ‘laccy band in the middle pocket, with a Lezyne pump next to it.

Easy to pick up & go…

2xCO2 plus 2xtubes plus a small pump and minitool in an Elite tool bottle with a chain link, small first aid kit and a pair of gloves and emergency light.

When you can get it nice and hard with a bit of manual pumping and a good wrist action (!!) why bother with CO2 unless you are racing.

I got one of these small light and only time I used it a couple of weeks back got the tyre good and hard in a couple of mins.

Topeak Race Rocket[/url]

I’m going tubeless & ditching the lot.

Bontrager Air Support Long* is good.
Dunno what the end pressure was, but I was very happy with the time and effort it took to get a 25mm back up to the point where I could carry on with no noticeable difference to before.

*It’s not all that long- longer than something like a Pocket Rocket and too long for a jersey pocket, but much shorter than a proper frame pump.

Small seat bag for me with 2 tubes, 2 CO2 canisters, a chain link, £20 and some glue less patches. Tyre levers are taped to the outside. If it’s a long lonely ride I’ll bung the pump in my jersey pocket but rarely bother, someone always has a pump in the group 😛

[skinny fecker]Pockets are for food!

Pump means you can help out a fellow cyclist without thinking “shoot, that’s my last CO2 cartridge, sorry mate gotta ride on by”

pump mounted on bottle cage looks the way I am going – will I need CTC style sandals too ? 🙂

Lets see some pics to show that it doesn’t look ‘that bad’ please ! 🙂

This is the wee pack I have ordered for road bike, but shown couple of weeks ago on cx/tour (pump was in my pocket !)

Lets see some pics to show that it doesn’t look ‘that bad’ please !

Going to struggle with that. You’ll be riding audax next 🙂

[/url]
Untitled[/url] by monkeyfcuker[/url], on Flickr

Mine from a recent uber long one, frame mounted mini pump next to a Team Sky bottle! Strike me down!

I go for both….

http://www.lezyne.com/product-CO2-cfh-pressdrivecfh.php#.U8aTsY1dXi4

Monkeyfudger, was that bottle a Ribble freebie by any chance?

dazh, how well does that lezyne flex hose thing work as a co2 inflator? I’m guessing it’s all or nothing with co2?

I use a lezyne pump with a hose. Hoses are vital for any pump purchase I make.

Lezyne Pressure Drive CFH for best of both worlds.

HERE with much cheapness.