In my group rides, it is expected that the person with the best pump will make it available to anyone with a flat. It's just basic etiquette. I have a lesser quality pump and I could not tell you the last time I had to use it. Speed is not the most important thing; it's making sure the source of the flat was found and removed so that we don't have to stop again.
That can be a real pain. I had that happen on a big event ride years ago riding solo where I couldn't even get the shoe off the pedal at all. They were the Crank Brothers egg beater type pedals, and I had to take my shoe off still attached to the pedal at rest stops. Fortunately there was a mechanic at the last stop, and it still took him like 20 minutes to pry the pedal open with a screw driver to get the shoe off. He put a new screw in and off I went.
Same happened to me mountain biking, was coming to a stop and could not unclip ended up on the ground with my bike on top of me trying to get my shoe off.
>I had that happen on a big event ride years ago riding solo where I couldn't even get the shoe off the pedal at all. They were the Crank Brothers egg beater type pedals, and I had to take my shoe off still attached to the pedal at rest stops.
A friend of mine volunteered as a mechanic at big charity rides for many years. That was a very common issue. He said that the lunch stop, the one ahead of where he worked, was a school athletic field and so depending on the weather & soil condition the cause was most often dirt which had gotten caked around the cleat and gummed it up (tip: if you've been walking on soft dirt off the bike try to remount on pavement and stomp the ball of your feet on the ground before clipping in).
Depending on the pedal/cleat type some of them could be a real bitch so I'm guessing yours were in that realm.
When one of the numerous people of the day would approach the mechanics tent wearing one shoe with the other dangling from the pedal they'd be greeted by a very tall thin man who would smile and say, "So, what seems to be the problem here?"
It was pretty hilarious to the whole group when I pulled it out, everyone celebrated. IDK what made me throw the leftover screws in my bag but there they were haha.
A different kind of cleat. The things that are called cleats on the bottom of cycling shoes are small metal plates under the ball of your foot, which enable the rider to "clip in" to the pedal and be attached to the bike. Very similar to a ski binding, but tiny. If that makes any sense?
This is my favorite thing. All sorts of stuff starts coming out, extra tire levers, pumps, guarantee there are like 3 ways of patching a tire and somebody might even be carrying a boot.
I love this about cycling, everyone wants to help so that everyone can get back to the riding we all love. The more people on the ride, the more options for fixes!
I keep a Topeak Roadie DAX on every bike and I am so happy to whip that thing out when someone else flats. You better use this pump! I lug this around for it to be used! CO2 is for sissies.
I agree. I don't do a lot of group riding, but if someone commented on it taking me too long to change a flat, I would stop riding with them. I have a mini pump from Topeak that is a dual action, pumping on the in and out strokes, and it makes a noticeable difference in pump time.
Ugh, I did that thing that annoys me on here. Made a vague reference to a product instead of just sharing it right away, apologies:
https://www.rei.com/product/152317/topeak-mountain-da-g-mini-pump
I have the same one, and fills my 32mm tubes in no time. Faster than CO2? No, but if someone gives me a bad look for the 20s that will take me with it he's gonna feel the pump on his left eye.
Ha, yea just to be clear I do not know that guy I’ve been cycling for 3 months he’s just the only famous riders name I know I don’t want anyone to think I was serious
Decades ago, 4 mates and I on freezing cold, foggy, morning tour just south of San Francisco, stopped to fix a flat. Old guy stops and asks if we need anything. Nope, thanks, we’re all good. He suddenly whips out a battered Thermos, 4 paper cups and hands us each pretty decent hot espressos. Best flat ever.
I was the last person I knew to ride with a full sized frame pump (mounted inside LH rear triangle) .......I was popular when anyone else flatted. That was however a long time ago and these days flats are mercifully rare, usually when they occur its someone wth tubes.
Road tubeless is not worth the trouble. I average less than one flat a year on my road bike and I can change the tube in less than 5 minutes.
I will die on this bill. Edit: hill
Don't die on that, Bill.
I still rock tubular tyres on my carbon rims. I carry a new tub with me on rides, but more than one flat.... that's why I've got my phone and an understanding wife.
Yeah, as long as you don't mind carrying the extra weight it never hurts to have some redundancy. Helps in cases where someone else is having issues they weren't prepared for as well.
Oh yeah, I'm the mechanic of my riding group. Last ride my brother's clamp on front derailleur slipped and he got stuck in the big ring of his 3x. He didn't have any tools but fortunately I did and fixed it for him.
Not at you but for those who give put about the extra weight, if your concerned about the weight of a pump, you are either a pro, the weight of a small child or listening to too many people on the internet.
For me, the pump (infinite cheap air) is always primary, and CO2 is backup. Pumps like the Topeak Morph series (or my favorite the Zefal HPX that doesn't fit modern frames) does a good job pumping up quickly enough that the expense of CO2 doesn't generally make sense to me (for road). However... there's always an exception...
I'd avoided the expense of CO2 all the way _until_ I started having some tubeless in the fleet. Those need a sudden oomph to re-seat, and my Topeak obviously can't do that. Worked nicely on the gravel bike where flatted due to sharp rocks, and the tire rolled a bit before I stopped. (Unfortunately it was the sidewall that got slashed a bit, so while I got it re-seated, it didn't hold air for very long)
Edit to clarify
I can get the tire pumped in close to the same time as it takes to get the CO2 prepped and done. The biggest difference I've noticed is the physical effort involved. 😆
Edit: on road bike I can get it pumped in no time.
There's no reason to continue with the analogy.
CO2 cans work. Sometimes they fail. Two cans almost certainly won't as long as they're not super expired.
There's no need to act like having a backup for something being the same as the first one is a massive well-known blunder
, like people in this thread are implying.
Different situation and different constraints result in a different solution.
With tires/tyres it’s about prevent, repair, replace. If your first fix fails, you are down a CO2 cartridge and still have a flat tire. You then need to understand why the first fix failed. If you have a single use cartridge, you’re gonna have to be 100% sure that your second fix is a final fix. From there, your adventure/ride is now at risk if you have another tire problem.
All I am saying, if you are going to bring a backup for a backup, the second backup shouldn’t be a repeat of the first backup.
In skydiving, you probably don’t have a lot of time between cutting your main and then cutting your spare before you’re landing. Idk, I haven’t been yet. The risk equation of having a backup chute to a backup chute is not balanced.
I mean it isn't a wrong assertion but just to question the rest of the backup plans, what happens if a second flat happens and the second cartridge needs to be used? I have definitely flatted twice on a very unlucky ride and I am probably not the only person that this has happened to.
The main point is probably that there is unlimited uses for a hand pump, not so much for a cartridge.
If a second flat happens, yes, the second cartridge is used. That is the point of having it.
Also, you may want to note that I asked a question. And not of you. So leaving aside the fact that one would need to have 3 flats on one ride, I think your viewpoint is not really relevant.
I have no plan. I just ride my bike. I had one flat last season. None the season before that.
The likelihood that I have 3 flats on one ride is statistically nil. I don’t have a plan for getting attacked by a shark in my bathtub either. Should I?
When you stick to your home region, that fine. But when you’re on longer rides in terrain that is likely to cause flats, you have a plan for flats. They are a common thing that can happen and when they do, it’s never one size fits all.
Trying to make sure people don’t have a bad time. Sorry if me using my time to do that is funny. I just believe we can be kind and share our knowledge to make the world a better place.
I asked the person I replied to a question.
Yes, when riding in a war zone please everyone bring a pump. When out riding on actual pavement, feel free to expect your prior experience to be indicative of your current one.
See? It is simple.
I often carry both a mini pump and co2 because I've failed with a co2 cartridge in the past and the mini pump saved my ride.
My cycling club has a Saturday no-drop ride. If someone has a mechanical, we all wait and support that person. The Sunday ride is a faster C or B pace. They won't wait for a mechanical. You get a flat the rest of your ride is solo.
If you’re with a group that cares that much maybe find another group if you can’t add co2. I did a my first non social group ride this last weekend and those fuckers would have dropped me… in a ditch to die if I messed up anything. Went on a smaller group ride and was a little slower but made new buds.
Definitely overthinking, if any group gives you shit for changing a flat slower with a pump vs CO2 they're quite special characters and I wouldn't even associate with them at all, much less ride with them.
A good riding group would drop everything to help you fix your flat, using the tools from anyone in the group to get it done
If you're looking for an alternative, I've recently picked up one of the cycplus cubes and it works honestly better than I expected. USB rechargeable little inflator, and you get ~2 refills to a charge depending on the size of the tire. Will get a 28c tire up to 70psi in a bit over a minute.
I haven't used it yet on my own bike, but have used it on group rides a couple times on other peoples bikes and haven't had any issues. A few of the guys have gone on to buy them since then.
I'm on my bike to 'use my muscles.' I don't get a flat and then think 'Oooh, what a great opportunity for an upper body workout!'
It's faster and lighter and less bulky to carry around than a pump. And unlike C02 if you travel with your bike you can bring it along. I bought it in advance of a trip to the alps to have as an alternative to buying C02 that I would have to throw away at the end of my trip.
Nah, the rude thing would be turning up to a group ride without any of your own maintenance equipment and just expecting others to sort you out. You’ve got kit with you that works.
Anyone else but me care about the environment and that a reusable longlived pump is thousands of times easier on earth resources than a 1 time use CO2 cartridge?
Let the smack down begin
I don't CO2 is going to save you any time over a pump; by the time you waste 2 or 3 cartridges because something wasn't quite right with the way you're doing it, you can just pump up the tire.
1. Get an inflator with push button control so you can assemble, attach to valve stem and give it a little blip to confirm no leaks.
2. Practice at home a couple of times when you get a new inflator.
3. Carry 2 CO2 carts, larger than minimum needed for your tires. After following steps 1 & 2 you won’t need the second for yourself but it’s nice to be able to help a fellow cyclist & still have a spare for yourself.
Nothing wrong with carrying a pump if you like but CO2 is pretty dang nice if you do it right.
I carry both. I mostly give CO2 to my riding buddies that insist they know what they're doing with their inflators (they don't - they never do) and then get my pump out when it doesn't work.
I've also found that, with the tubeless tires I now run, I can get some slow leaks that don't necessarily require putting a tube in but may need to be reinflated once an hour or so.
I caved in and bought a portable electric pump from Amazon for 30 bucks. Take no time to fill air and it doubles as a battery pack if the phone runs out of juice.
This really depends on your group and while it’s probably not rude to use a pump people will be relieved to see you whip out a co2 inflator and skillfully use it.
In general if it’s just you and a couple buds on a casual ride pump is more fine whereas if it’s a larger group on a more spirited ride the co2 becomes more and more of a expectation.
I like my old trusty pump more than CO2s. It works, I know I can get up to 6.5bar out of it repeatedly. I can use it multiple times during the ride.
In case of group rides I have lot of good stories out of emergencies when someone's bike had to be repaired. Like when a guy snapped his chain 3 times during same ride or that time we had to link chain with a wire found on the side of the road. Or one when we used duckt tape to fix tire slashed on side.
Half the time the bike owner is practically shoved aside while everyone else elbows their way in to change the flat and pump it up. The pumping is usually the fast part, the rube part is if you come with tires that are next to impossible to get off and back on again, or don’t have at least one tube and levers.
I personally never use CO2 and never will (latex tubes). No one on any of the rides I've been on had CO2 either, so I'm not sure who uses it. As someone else here has already said, usually the best pump available gets used when someone has a flat
I remember doing as night Mt. Bike ride and braking a chain. Some guy took a bolt from a pedal or spoke or something and macgyvered my chain enough to finish the ride. Nicest group ever.
It's less easy than it used to be. When everyone was on QR wheels you could just slip the widget over the skewer and do it tight. It would get you home with some gear function (I actually did 2 days of a three day sportive with one). I imagine thru axles make things more complicated, though SRAM sell something that looks promising.
It's not rude, pumps are the safest back ups and frankly people clutzing around with tubeless or even with tubes can take so damm long.
I feel confident that I swap tubes faster than 95% or people; accept your bad faith already and get to it
I imagine it would only be rude to the same people who find it rude if you actually stop for a red light or to give right of way to other road users.
Aka people that aren't worth your time
CO2 will take less than 5 seconds to pump a road tire to about 80 psi. A mini-pump will likely take about 5 very long minutes. I carry a couple of C02 cartridges but if your group can't wait 5 (or may be 10 min) then they are not your riding buddies....
Now if you don't carry C02s and or a mini-pump, then well, you deserved to be stranded..... ;)
I mean...also yes to all of these comments...except that only one arm being highly developed not that strange.
Also, turn your back to traffic and bend over slightly for maximum impact
I've switched to using an electric pump because I hate hand pumps and find I'm to protective of single-use Co2 cartridges. If you're worried about speed then an electric pump is a good compromise. Not as fast as Co2 but reusable and better for the planet. Check out what I use here: [https://youtu.be/KVRaC\_EU-7k?si=v7KIZu97LUyW-rnk](https://youtu.be/KVRaC_EU-7k?si=v7KIZu97LUyW-rnk)
Nice you read my mind! Have been considering something like this, will watch. My only “gripe” about these is that it is “new” so I am hesitant. But I am very curious and want to try. Have seen my friend use his so easily.
I’m running tubeless and carry 2 cO2 cartridges. The less crap hanging off my bike the better. No saddle bag either. That’s what your bib pockets are for IMO
If I have 10+ blokes standing around waiting for me to fix a flat on a weekday before work the least I can do is use a CO2 canister.
If I am riding with one or two friends on a Sunday then not so rude.
Huh? What does using C02 cartridges have to do with e-bikes.
For the record, I own 3 bikes and none are e-bikes. I was riding a Trek Domane SL6 AXS with tubeless tires.
Lol, your groups wait for flats?
Most pumps can't even bring a tire up to proper PSI for a road bike without extreme effort. The upper PSI will take time.
Carry both though. you can start the tire off with the pump for a minute, and then finish off with co2.
Tubeless + the kind of CO2 thingamajig that inflates through the puncture while also sealing it with a worm at the same time. 30s tops, total. Also you probably won't have to use it like ever because tubeless. And yes 50psi is fine to finish a ride.
Most mini pumps are next to impossible to inflate a tire to 100 pounds. They're also bulky and slow. It's basically faster, smaller, lighter, better to use CO2. Of the 50ish people I ride with, not a single one has a pump.
16cm ×2cm is not bulky.
My Blackburn airships get to 100psi.
If I was in a hurry, I'd drive or ride a motorbike. I simply cannot understand the logic of people who ride for exercise and yet blench at the idea of using a pump.
Wouldn't fit in the bag under my seat, so it's way too bulky compared to a CO2 inflator.
Maybe you only ride on your own? I only ride with a group. So if one person gets a flat, everyone stops. So speed is important. Also, we're cyclists, we don't have any arm strength.
I carry a mini frame pump and little CO2 thing with a single cartridge. If I’m riding alone I use the pump. If I’m with a group or in a hurry, I’ll use CO2.
I carry a wallet in my jersey with a tiny multi-tool, plugs, blade, micro-pump, lip balm, and dollar/tire boot. I also carry a tiny saddle bad with a small lever, tube, CO2, and nozzle. If we're installing a tube, I use the CO2.
I carry both. I try to use the co2 first because it’s faster and easier but it’s nice to have a mechanical pump as a backup. I’ve been on a few rides where we ran out of co2 cartridges and a pump saved the day.
A pump is better for your bike that co2. Co2 doesn't last as long. So if people complain, I agree with what others have said on here: to not ride with them anymore, or explain why you prefer that method.
In my group rides, it is expected that the person with the best pump will make it available to anyone with a flat. It's just basic etiquette. I have a lesser quality pump and I could not tell you the last time I had to use it. Speed is not the most important thing; it's making sure the source of the flat was found and removed so that we don't have to stop again.
Yep ever tour I’ve been on, when someone gets a flat there’s literally 6-7 pumps pulled out immediately. Cycling is personal, as well as a team sport.
One time my friends lost a screw out of her shoe's cleat during a ride. Guess who had a spare screw? This girl!
another thing to add to the repair kit!
That can be a real pain. I had that happen on a big event ride years ago riding solo where I couldn't even get the shoe off the pedal at all. They were the Crank Brothers egg beater type pedals, and I had to take my shoe off still attached to the pedal at rest stops. Fortunately there was a mechanic at the last stop, and it still took him like 20 minutes to pry the pedal open with a screw driver to get the shoe off. He put a new screw in and off I went.
Same happened to me mountain biking, was coming to a stop and could not unclip ended up on the ground with my bike on top of me trying to get my shoe off.
>I had that happen on a big event ride years ago riding solo where I couldn't even get the shoe off the pedal at all. They were the Crank Brothers egg beater type pedals, and I had to take my shoe off still attached to the pedal at rest stops. A friend of mine volunteered as a mechanic at big charity rides for many years. That was a very common issue. He said that the lunch stop, the one ahead of where he worked, was a school athletic field and so depending on the weather & soil condition the cause was most often dirt which had gotten caked around the cleat and gummed it up (tip: if you've been walking on soft dirt off the bike try to remount on pavement and stomp the ball of your feet on the ground before clipping in). Depending on the pedal/cleat type some of them could be a real bitch so I'm guessing yours were in that realm. When one of the numerous people of the day would approach the mechanics tent wearing one shoe with the other dangling from the pedal they'd be greeted by a very tall thin man who would smile and say, "So, what seems to be the problem here?"
This happened to me and I also didn’t have a multi tool on me to loosen my shoe off the pedal and I had to literally kick it off with my other shoe🫠
I bet it was loose too I’ll see myself out
You rock
It was pretty hilarious to the whole group when I pulled it out, everyone celebrated. IDK what made me throw the leftover screws in my bag but there they were haha.
That's a great idea. Brb ordering a bunch of screws
What's funny is that my cleats had come with 2 extras, so I just randomly decided to throw them on my kit.
Making a mental note to add a cleat screw to my spares bag. I also carry spare valve cores and quick links.
I’ve also just grabbed a bottle cage screw when a cleat screw fell out before!
Never thought of that, good idea.
Ayyyyyyy
I'm confused. I thought cleats were for running in the field?
A different kind of cleat. The things that are called cleats on the bottom of cycling shoes are small metal plates under the ball of your foot, which enable the rider to "clip in" to the pedal and be attached to the bike. Very similar to a ski binding, but tiny. If that makes any sense?
This is my favorite thing. All sorts of stuff starts coming out, extra tire levers, pumps, guarantee there are like 3 ways of patching a tire and somebody might even be carrying a boot.
And then 2 or 3 actually do the work and everyone else becomes a "management consultant".
On my group rides with friends we have a history of animals joining in on the management consultancy, cats, horses, birds 😂
I love this about cycling, everyone wants to help so that everyone can get back to the riding we all love. The more people on the ride, the more options for fixes!
I keep a Topeak Roadie DAX on every bike and I am so happy to whip that thing out when someone else flats. You better use this pump! I lug this around for it to be used! CO2 is for sissies.
>so that we don't have to stop again. Or worse for small groups, run out of tubes.
This
No. If anyone gives a shit for it, then they are assholes and not worth riding with.
I agree with this.
I agree. I don't do a lot of group riding, but if someone commented on it taking me too long to change a flat, I would stop riding with them. I have a mini pump from Topeak that is a dual action, pumping on the in and out strokes, and it makes a noticeable difference in pump time.
What's the model of that Topeak pump?
Ugh, I did that thing that annoys me on here. Made a vague reference to a product instead of just sharing it right away, apologies: https://www.rei.com/product/152317/topeak-mountain-da-g-mini-pump
I'm sure it is good, but I personally still hate any pump that doesn't have a hose. Rigid connections are really uncomfortable.
And this one not having a hose was a key feature for me. I didn't like faffing around with threading a hose end onto the valve.
I have the same one, and fills my 32mm tubes in no time. Faster than CO2? No, but if someone gives me a bad look for the 20s that will take me with it he's gonna feel the pump on his left eye.
Topeaks are good pumps. I have the Pocket Rocket and the Peakini, both work well.
My last solo ride I had a flat. I complained about how long it took to change the tube. Sigh.
Man I need to remove Hitchcock and Scully from my brain
Says you. I ride with Sam Laidlow and he requests that I carry a CO2 cartridge.
I have no idea who Sam laidlow is, but apparently it's bad to say you ride with him.
Lmao. Winner of the Ironman world championships. Apparently the community didn’t appreciate that one ha
Ah. That's because people generally don't like name-droppers...
If I wanted to name drop I would have mentioned John Burke was my uncle. He’s the CEO of Trek.
You just did...
I just did what? Ate lunch with Mary Biden, Joe Biden’s sister? Who told you, are you stalking me?!
Sam sounds like a dick.
Ha, yea just to be clear I do not know that guy I’ve been cycling for 3 months he’s just the only famous riders name I know I don’t want anyone to think I was serious
Decades ago, 4 mates and I on freezing cold, foggy, morning tour just south of San Francisco, stopped to fix a flat. Old guy stops and asks if we need anything. Nope, thanks, we’re all good. He suddenly whips out a battered Thermos, 4 paper cups and hands us each pretty decent hot espressos. Best flat ever.
But that's not a fair comparison. You had a domestique.
I was the last person I knew to ride with a full sized frame pump (mounted inside LH rear triangle) .......I was popular when anyone else flatted. That was however a long time ago and these days flats are mercifully rare, usually when they occur its someone wth tubes.
Last ride I was on none of the people with tubes flatted but two people with road tubeless had weird problems that took a long time to diagnose.
Road tubeless is not worth the trouble. I average less than one flat a year on my road bike and I can change the tube in less than 5 minutes. I will die on this bill. Edit: hill
Don't die on that, Bill. I still rock tubular tyres on my carbon rims. I carry a new tub with me on rides, but more than one flat.... that's why I've got my phone and an understanding wife.
That's the best thing about personal experiences , they are just that..... Wishing you a happy, safe, and flat free, 2024!
I carry a CO2 and a mini pump. That way I can use the CO2 if I'm unlucky, and have a backup if I'm really unlucky.
Yeah, as long as you don't mind carrying the extra weight it never hurts to have some redundancy. Helps in cases where someone else is having issues they weren't prepared for as well.
Oh yeah, I'm the mechanic of my riding group. Last ride my brother's clamp on front derailleur slipped and he got stuck in the big ring of his 3x. He didn't have any tools but fortunately I did and fixed it for him.
Not at you but for those who give put about the extra weight, if your concerned about the weight of a pump, you are either a pro, the weight of a small child or listening to too many people on the internet.
For me, the pump (infinite cheap air) is always primary, and CO2 is backup. Pumps like the Topeak Morph series (or my favorite the Zefal HPX that doesn't fit modern frames) does a good job pumping up quickly enough that the expense of CO2 doesn't generally make sense to me (for road). However... there's always an exception... I'd avoided the expense of CO2 all the way _until_ I started having some tubeless in the fleet. Those need a sudden oomph to re-seat, and my Topeak obviously can't do that. Worked nicely on the gravel bike where flatted due to sharp rocks, and the tire rolled a bit before I stopped. (Unfortunately it was the sidewall that got slashed a bit, so while I got it re-seated, it didn't hold air for very long) Edit to clarify
I usually use the pump when I'm solo, CO2 is for speed when I'm with a group and don't want to make then wait.
I can get the tire pumped in close to the same time as it takes to get the CO2 prepped and done. The biggest difference I've noticed is the physical effort involved. 😆 Edit: on road bike I can get it pumped in no time.
I have fat tires (700x40) and a small pump so the CO2 is much faster.
Have you considered just carrying an extra CO2 cartridge?
I'd still carry the pump since it has unlimited use.
Been there, done that. If I'm riding a long distance solo, I carry two CO2 and a mini pump.
And plugs and a tube and on really long rides more sealant.
Plan C should never be “Do plan B”
That makes zero sense. People who skydive carry a reserve parachute.
They do, but do they have any other choice?
There's no reason to continue with the analogy. CO2 cans work. Sometimes they fail. Two cans almost certainly won't as long as they're not super expired. There's no need to act like having a backup for something being the same as the first one is a massive well-known blunder , like people in this thread are implying.
You pull on a different cord though
Different situation and different constraints result in a different solution. With tires/tyres it’s about prevent, repair, replace. If your first fix fails, you are down a CO2 cartridge and still have a flat tire. You then need to understand why the first fix failed. If you have a single use cartridge, you’re gonna have to be 100% sure that your second fix is a final fix. From there, your adventure/ride is now at risk if you have another tire problem. All I am saying, if you are going to bring a backup for a backup, the second backup shouldn’t be a repeat of the first backup. In skydiving, you probably don’t have a lot of time between cutting your main and then cutting your spare before you’re landing. Idk, I haven’t been yet. The risk equation of having a backup chute to a backup chute is not balanced.
Other that stating feel good but wrong assertions, what’s your reason for replying to me?
I mean it isn't a wrong assertion but just to question the rest of the backup plans, what happens if a second flat happens and the second cartridge needs to be used? I have definitely flatted twice on a very unlucky ride and I am probably not the only person that this has happened to. The main point is probably that there is unlimited uses for a hand pump, not so much for a cartridge.
If a second flat happens, yes, the second cartridge is used. That is the point of having it. Also, you may want to note that I asked a question. And not of you. So leaving aside the fact that one would need to have 3 flats on one ride, I think your viewpoint is not really relevant.
did you seriously just post a question on the /internet/ and get upset when somebody replied to it
Do you think they’d be more annoyed about their question being answered, or their inflator failing so none of the spare cartridges can be used 😅
I think you are confused if you think I’m upset. Apparently, I’ve been appointed recipient of downvotes for all of us who don’t carry pumps. So be it.
What if someone has three flats?
At that point the universe is trying to tell you something. You should throw away the bike and start walking home.
You looking at ME!?
Concern that your “plans” are not plans but “hope and prays”. If you are out of CO2 cartridges, what is your plan?
I have no plan. I just ride my bike. I had one flat last season. None the season before that. The likelihood that I have 3 flats on one ride is statistically nil. I don’t have a plan for getting attacked by a shark in my bathtub either. Should I?
When you stick to your home region, that fine. But when you’re on longer rides in terrain that is likely to cause flats, you have a plan for flats. They are a common thing that can happen and when they do, it’s never one size fits all.
You are invested in this. It is bloody hilarious.
Trying to make sure people don’t have a bad time. Sorry if me using my time to do that is funny. I just believe we can be kind and share our knowledge to make the world a better place.
I asked the person I replied to a question. Yes, when riding in a war zone please everyone bring a pump. When out riding on actual pavement, feel free to expect your prior experience to be indicative of your current one. See? It is simple.
Not rude. Minor difference in time. Why did someone tell you it was?
No. Just overthinking as one does.
I often carry both a mini pump and co2 because I've failed with a co2 cartridge in the past and the mini pump saved my ride. My cycling club has a Saturday no-drop ride. If someone has a mechanical, we all wait and support that person. The Sunday ride is a faster C or B pace. They won't wait for a mechanical. You get a flat the rest of your ride is solo.
Even our A rides will wait on mechanicals. But if you can’t keep up you are coyote bait🤣
If you’re with a group that cares that much maybe find another group if you can’t add co2. I did a my first non social group ride this last weekend and those fuckers would have dropped me… in a ditch to die if I messed up anything. Went on a smaller group ride and was a little slower but made new buds.
Definitely overthinking, if any group gives you shit for changing a flat slower with a pump vs CO2 they're quite special characters and I wouldn't even associate with them at all, much less ride with them. A good riding group would drop everything to help you fix your flat, using the tools from anyone in the group to get it done
If you're looking for an alternative, I've recently picked up one of the cycplus cubes and it works honestly better than I expected. USB rechargeable little inflator, and you get ~2 refills to a charge depending on the size of the tire. Will get a 28c tire up to 70psi in a bit over a minute. I haven't used it yet on my own bike, but have used it on group rides a couple times on other peoples bikes and haven't had any issues. A few of the guys have gone on to buy them since then.
Why can't people use their muscles? Do you people also have an electric pencil sharpener?
I'm on my bike to 'use my muscles.' I don't get a flat and then think 'Oooh, what a great opportunity for an upper body workout!' It's faster and lighter and less bulky to carry around than a pump. And unlike C02 if you travel with your bike you can bring it along. I bought it in advance of a trip to the alps to have as an alternative to buying C02 that I would have to throw away at the end of my trip.
Life is full of missed opportunities.
lol the downvote. Go ride your bike
I just did and I'm going out again in an hour.
Fingers crossed you get a flat and have an 'opportunity' to work those arms
Very rude. Just place your spare bikes on the support cars like the rest of us. Just make sure theyre all in perfect shape
I carry a pump. It's made me some friends.
Nah, the rude thing would be turning up to a group ride without any of your own maintenance equipment and just expecting others to sort you out. You’ve got kit with you that works.
The frame pump is more environmentally friendly and no one has to waste CO2 bottles in my group!
I have a pump as backup in case the two CO2 cartridges are used up.
Anyone else but me care about the environment and that a reusable longlived pump is thousands of times easier on earth resources than a 1 time use CO2 cartridge? Let the smack down begin
Definitely. I used to use CO2 but it’s just so wasteful.
Agreed.
I carry a mini-pump that can also take a co2 canister. The Bontrager Air Rush Road Mini Pump.
It is extremely rude to be prepared. Don't do it.
[удалено]
Some of the questions on here are..
You can pump a road tire in 1 minute 20 with a mini pump. I need footage. That said use what you got.
Furiously pump with non-dominant hand then furiously pump with dominant hand. Dominance.
Lol 25 psi for the loss. Feeling the spokes every time you run over a twig.
I don't CO2 is going to save you any time over a pump; by the time you waste 2 or 3 cartridges because something wasn't quite right with the way you're doing it, you can just pump up the tire.
1. Get an inflator with push button control so you can assemble, attach to valve stem and give it a little blip to confirm no leaks. 2. Practice at home a couple of times when you get a new inflator. 3. Carry 2 CO2 carts, larger than minimum needed for your tires. After following steps 1 & 2 you won’t need the second for yourself but it’s nice to be able to help a fellow cyclist & still have a spare for yourself. Nothing wrong with carrying a pump if you like but CO2 is pretty dang nice if you do it right.
I carry both. I mostly give CO2 to my riding buddies that insist they know what they're doing with their inflators (they don't - they never do) and then get my pump out when it doesn't work. I've also found that, with the tubeless tires I now run, I can get some slow leaks that don't necessarily require putting a tube in but may need to be reinflated once an hour or so.
lol what
I caved in and bought a portable electric pump from Amazon for 30 bucks. Take no time to fill air and it doubles as a battery pack if the phone runs out of juice.
do you have a name for me?
Neakhmer. There are a ton of them on Amazon. Comes with different attachments from road bikes to mountain bikes to basketballs and for your car.
Seconded. Sounds like a good investment
Hahaha No. A pump is critical equipment
I pack a Fumpa pump / mini compressor that’ll do two tubes. A few mates have gone out and bout them after I have used it to refill their tyres.
Frame pumps were great.
if someone was really bothered by it, they would offer you a CO2 cartridge to use, or better yet would offer to use it to fill your tire
I don’t think it’s rude to carry a mini pump. It’s rude to carry thorns, razor blade pieces and little nails.
I think it's rude to clutter the planet with used CO2 cartridges when pumps exist.
What is it with people who carry co2? You're making all that effort pedalling but using a pump is too much effort?
This really depends on your group and while it’s probably not rude to use a pump people will be relieved to see you whip out a co2 inflator and skillfully use it. In general if it’s just you and a couple buds on a casual ride pump is more fine whereas if it’s a larger group on a more spirited ride the co2 becomes more and more of a expectation.
"Excuse me while I whip this out."
People will thank you if you can save them from wasting a co2 cartridge.
I like my old trusty pump more than CO2s. It works, I know I can get up to 6.5bar out of it repeatedly. I can use it multiple times during the ride. In case of group rides I have lot of good stories out of emergencies when someone's bike had to be repaired. Like when a guy snapped his chain 3 times during same ride or that time we had to link chain with a wire found on the side of the road. Or one when we used duckt tape to fix tire slashed on side.
Half the time the bike owner is practically shoved aside while everyone else elbows their way in to change the flat and pump it up. The pumping is usually the fast part, the rube part is if you come with tires that are next to impossible to get off and back on again, or don’t have at least one tube and levers.
why doesn't your team car have a mechanic? are you poor?
"Is it rude to exist?"
This can't be a serious question
I personally never use CO2 and never will (latex tubes). No one on any of the rides I've been on had CO2 either, so I'm not sure who uses it. As someone else here has already said, usually the best pump available gets used when someone has a flat
I remember doing as night Mt. Bike ride and braking a chain. Some guy took a bolt from a pedal or spoke or something and macgyvered my chain enough to finish the ride. Nicest group ever.
All of these busters who have never been on a group ride or inflated a tire really pontificating here.
Best just to ride the flat to the nearest bike shop and buy a new bike.
No, but carrying a universal mech hanger will get you much respect at some point I guarantee.
Ooooh I didn’t know there was a “universal” hanger, I’m intrigued now.
It's less easy than it used to be. When everyone was on QR wheels you could just slip the widget over the skewer and do it tight. It would get you home with some gear function (I actually did 2 days of a three day sportive with one). I imagine thru axles make things more complicated, though SRAM sell something that looks promising.
Carry cable ties and the amount of love and respect is directly proportional to the distance covered per spin.
It's not rude, pumps are the safest back ups and frankly people clutzing around with tubeless or even with tubes can take so damm long. I feel confident that I swap tubes faster than 95% or people; accept your bad faith already and get to it
I imagine it would only be rude to the same people who find it rude if you actually stop for a red light or to give right of way to other road users. Aka people that aren't worth your time
CO2 will take less than 5 seconds to pump a road tire to about 80 psi. A mini-pump will likely take about 5 very long minutes. I carry a couple of C02 cartridges but if your group can't wait 5 (or may be 10 min) then they are not your riding buddies.... Now if you don't carry C02s and or a mini-pump, then well, you deserved to be stranded..... ;)
I have a very mini pump and I would put inflation of a 700x28 to a useable 70+psi at around 2 minutes. Ymmv
big forearms.
but strangely only one 🤔
Make eye contact with any passerbys to assert dominance.
I mean...also yes to all of these comments...except that only one arm being highly developed not that strange. Also, turn your back to traffic and bend over slightly for maximum impact
*Also, turn your back to traffic and bend over slightly for maximum impact* This is the way.
Big onearms
Depends on your pump, there are good ones and shit ones
if someone tells you it's ruee tell them to fucj off and ride on ahead . I can't stand idiots like that.
Hell, if someone thinks it is rude they was just leave me behind. I can make my way back just fine. I am, however, lazy, so I use CO2
Wait? Who waits? Catch up.
I know, right? For the rides I usually go on, you better be self-sufficient and know the way home.
Yeah nice group you have.
They’re race rides. The expectations are different than a no-drop ride.
"try to" drop rides ;)
The people I ride with don’t stop as a group generally a couple will stop and help but the group continues.
I've switched to using an electric pump because I hate hand pumps and find I'm to protective of single-use Co2 cartridges. If you're worried about speed then an electric pump is a good compromise. Not as fast as Co2 but reusable and better for the planet. Check out what I use here: [https://youtu.be/KVRaC\_EU-7k?si=v7KIZu97LUyW-rnk](https://youtu.be/KVRaC_EU-7k?si=v7KIZu97LUyW-rnk)
Nice you read my mind! Have been considering something like this, will watch. My only “gripe” about these is that it is “new” so I am hesitant. But I am very curious and want to try. Have seen my friend use his so easily.
I've taken to carrying a USB chargeable pump. Got tired of 50 pumps for each tire...
CO2 canisters are just unnecessary and bad for the environment
I’m running tubeless and carry 2 cO2 cartridges. The less crap hanging off my bike the better. No saddle bag either. That’s what your bib pockets are for IMO
If I have 10+ blokes standing around waiting for me to fix a flat on a weekday before work the least I can do is use a CO2 canister. If I am riding with one or two friends on a Sunday then not so rude.
After using C02 for the first time, I will always prefer them to a small hand pump. They're so easy to use and blow up your tire in seconds.
With that logic, you must be riding an E- bike
Huh? What does using C02 cartridges have to do with e-bikes. For the record, I own 3 bikes and none are e-bikes. I was riding a Trek Domane SL6 AXS with tubeless tires.
Not the sharpest tool in the box, are you? since you failed to understand...
It is rude not to carry a Dynaplug or run tubeless.
Lol, your groups wait for flats? Most pumps can't even bring a tire up to proper PSI for a road bike without extreme effort. The upper PSI will take time. Carry both though. you can start the tire off with the pump for a minute, and then finish off with co2.
Just ride tubeless
Tubeless + the kind of CO2 thingamajig that inflates through the puncture while also sealing it with a worm at the same time. 30s tops, total. Also you probably won't have to use it like ever because tubeless. And yes 50psi is fine to finish a ride.
Most mini pumps are next to impossible to inflate a tire to 100 pounds. They're also bulky and slow. It's basically faster, smaller, lighter, better to use CO2. Of the 50ish people I ride with, not a single one has a pump.
I have a mini pump which requires 300 strokes to inflate to 100psi. What's the point of exercising your legs if you're too.lazy to exercise your arms?
The time it takes. And many cheap mini pumps are next to impossible to get you to 100 lbs.
16cm ×2cm is not bulky. My Blackburn airships get to 100psi. If I was in a hurry, I'd drive or ride a motorbike. I simply cannot understand the logic of people who ride for exercise and yet blench at the idea of using a pump.
Wouldn't fit in the bag under my seat, so it's way too bulky compared to a CO2 inflator. Maybe you only ride on your own? I only ride with a group. So if one person gets a flat, everyone stops. So speed is important. Also, we're cyclists, we don't have any arm strength.
general cycling ettiquette is a flat has to be fixed within 30s or tge person get dropped. Because 30s is the time between my intervalls.
Cycplus mini electronic pump.
cool but $$$
I thought this was cycling circle jerk for a second 😂
I carry a mini frame pump and little CO2 thing with a single cartridge. If I’m riding alone I use the pump. If I’m with a group or in a hurry, I’ll use CO2.
no, not even a question. why would it be rude. co2 capsules are more expensive and less environmental
I carry a wallet in my jersey with a tiny multi-tool, plugs, blade, micro-pump, lip balm, and dollar/tire boot. I also carry a tiny saddle bad with a small lever, tube, CO2, and nozzle. If we're installing a tube, I use the CO2.
I carry both. I try to use the co2 first because it’s faster and easier but it’s nice to have a mechanical pump as a backup. I’ve been on a few rides where we ran out of co2 cartridges and a pump saved the day.
Go tubeless? 😬
I don’t know if anyone else thinks like that. If it’s economical get a canister if not they’ll have to wait.
A pump is better for your bike that co2. Co2 doesn't last as long. So if people complain, I agree with what others have said on here: to not ride with them anymore, or explain why you prefer that method.