Thanks for stopping

Hungrycol

Big thanks to the bloke who stopped at the 5 Lamps junction yesterday and loaned me his pump* yesterday evening. I made it home safely if you ever read this. May good Karma be bestowed upon him.

To everyone else, I was the mad man standing at the junction shouting "GOTTA PUMP" to everyone who passed on a bike. Duely ignored by everyone on an MTB and Hybrid. It was an interesting straw poll over 15 mins in hindsight.

*My pump snapped trying to inflate the tube after a puncture on Sherrif St. A few "what ya doin mister". "Makin icecream" I said.

bcmf

A couple of cylinders of gas in the pocket and/or track pump adaptor (I think thats what they are called) if your on 700c's beats the hassle of a pump.Just dont forget the gloves reagrless of the temp/weather

Oh yeah and fair play to the good soul who stopped for ya.

Gavin

It would be nice to get re-fillable cartridges

Vélo

I have the cartridges but thank God haven't had to use them yet. How do they work, do you just keep filling until it runs out?

bcmf

Aquinas73 wrote: »

I have the cartridges but thank God haven't had to use them yet. How do they work, do you just keep filling until it runs out?

More or less yeah.Gets a 700c tyre up to 100 + psi in a matter of seconds.But just make sure your tube is in properly before you start
AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE WEARING GLOVES OR ELSE YOUR HAND AND CARTRIDGE BECOME 1 :eek:

I also carry a track pump adapter just in case I am within crawling distance to a garage.Saves the gas cylinder

Vélo

bcmf wrote: »

More or less yeah.Gets a 700c tyre up to 100 + psi in a matter of seconds.But just make sure your tube is in properly before you start
AND MAKE SURE YOU ARE WEARING GLOVES OR ELSE YOUR HAND AND CARTRIDGE BECOME 1 :eek:

Thanking you Sir!

Aquos76

bcmf wrote: »

and/or track pump adaptor (I think thats what they are called) if your on 700c's beats the hassle of a pump.

http://www.mcconveycycles.com/store/product/3275/PRESTA-VALVE-ADAPTER/

I have one on screwed onto my wheel at all times. Thank god, I've never had to use it yet though.

Vélo

Bloody typical.

I was cycling home yesterday evening and got my 1st puncture:(.

It was dark but at least it wasn't raining. There's not much visibility on the old N2.

I had the spare tube and c02 cylinder so it wasn't too bad to sort out. I had to drive to work this morning as I didn't have any more cylinders and I certainly didn't want to risk it.

I was hoping it would work as I was exactly half way home, so no matter which way I went I would have to walk 10km (if I couldn't get a lift or taxi).

The cylinder worked a treat, I don't know why everyone doesn't carry them. The tyre was fully inflated in about 2 seconds.

I suppose I'll just put it down to Murphy's Law!

Home:Ballyhoura

Aquos76 wrote: »

http://www.mcconveycycles.com/store/product/3275/PRESTA-VALVE-ADAPTER/

I have one on screwed onto my wheel at all times. Thank god, I've never had to use it yet though.

Same here, simple but effective piece of kit. I leave mine in the saddle bag though. The weight balance of the wheel if off when left screwed on!

tunney

Butyl is permeable to CO2 - so the tyres might go up but they will not stay up. Pain in the hole really.

Canis Lupus

How long does a cylinder last for? Roughly how many inflations will you get out of it?

Just looked and the cheapest pump on CRC is £20 and a cartridge 2 pack is £5. Will go get myself one if they inflate a few times (I'm unlucky enough to suffer punctures regularly enough).

tunney wrote:

Butyl is permeable to CO2 - so the tyres might go up but they will not stay up. Pain in the hole really.

What's that mean?

blorg

Canis Lupus wrote: »

How long does a cylinder last for? Roughly how many inflations will you get out of it?

Just looked and the cheapest pump on CRC is £20 and a cartridge 2 pack is £5. Will go get myself one if they inflate a few times (I'm unlucky enough to suffer punctures regularly enough).

Butyl is permeable to CO2 - so the tyres might go up but they will not stay up. Pain in the hole really.

What's that mean?

You get one inflation per cartridge. The main benefit is that with a road bike it will inflate to full pressure, which is very difficult/impossible to do with a mini pump. Permeable means the CO2 will leak out of the tube (I did not know this.) If you suffer punctures regularly you are doing something wrong or have bad tyres.

Canis Lupus

blorg wrote: »

You get one inflation per cartridge. The main benefit is that with a road bike it will inflate to full pressure, which is very difficult/impossible to do with a mini pump. Permeable means the CO2 will leak out of the tube (I did not know this.) If you suffer punctures regularly you are doing something wrong or have bad tyres.

Bit expensive therefore.... Think I can handle the hand pump till I get home and inflate with the track pump (right name I think).

Bugger about the permeability seeing as you can inflate but still need to deflate and reinflate once you get home unless it's a really slow permeability.

I cycle between North Acton and Hammersmith on my commute. You couldn't imagine the ****, glass strewn roads I have to cycle on. I use Conti Gators and I'm forever pinging out glass. On my way to work today for example I had to bypass 3 areas where someone had smashed glass (why do people do this??!!) and this isn't taking into account all the old debris that exists. It's f*cking annoying but I live with it because taking the tube or bus would drive me more mental than fixing a puncture (which I'm exceedingly good at now)

TinyExplosions

tunney wrote: »

Butyl is permeable to CO2 - so the tyres might go up but they will not stay up. Pain in the hole really.

Yeah, this is a mild annoyance, but they lose pressure very slowly, so you'll easily get home and then top up with a track pump

Hungrycol

Tiny, would it not be better to let all the CO2 out of your tyre when you get home and pump it up with good old fashioned air completely with the track pump?

Vélo

Hungrycol wrote: »

Tiny, would it not be better to let all the CO2 out of your tyre when you get home and pump it up with good old fashioned air completely with the track pump?

That's what I did.

TinyExplosions

Hungrycol wrote: »

Tiny, would it not be better to let all the CO2 out of your tyre when you get home and pump it up with good old fashioned air completely with the track pump?

Could be, but I've never done it that way. I check my tyres before each ride, so haven't been caught out

Stark

Canis Lupus wrote: »

Just looked and the cheapest pump on CRC is £20 and a cartridge 2 pack is £5. Will go get myself one if they inflate a few times (I'm unlucky enough to suffer punctures regularly enough).

Are you using a track pump to pump the tyres up at home? Chances are you're getting pinch flats if you're not pumping to the required pressure.

Canis Lupus

Stark wrote: »

Are you using a track pump to pump the tyres up at home? Chances are you're getting pinch flats if you're not pumping to the required pressure.

Yeah, I've a track pump at home and do put my tires to the right pressure. Only suffered my first pinchflat last week or so. I got a puncture in the morning on the way to work (big chunk of glass) repaired it, pumped it up as best I could and got to work. Then 1 minute from work on the way home that night I whacked a sharp edged pothole Not impressed. Worse cos it was the back wheel and that's just an arse ache to take on and off.

Stark

Well you know what they say, they come in 3s (Though I got 4 in a row before which wasn't fair).

bcmf

tunney wrote: »

Butyl is permeable to CO2 - so the tyres might go up but they will not stay up. Pain in the hole really.

I have noticed that alright.Co2 in and go to the bike next time and tyre v soft.
Am chaing to Latex will it be any better?

blorg

bcmf wrote: »

I have noticed that alright.Co2 in and go to the bike next time and tyre v soft.
Am chaing to Latex will it be any better?

No, latex is substantially worse in this regard, even using air you have to reinflate regularly. I have read that you should not use CO2 for reinflation of a latex tube for this reason, and to carry a butyl spare if you are relying on CO2 inflation. Butyl is also easier to install so more practical for a roadside flat.

Having said that if you check/inflate your tyres regularly I don't think using latex is a major problem- am considering it myself. Latex is lighter and is reputed to give better rolling resistance as well as slightly better puncture resistance (as it is stretchier and will deflect more.)

AstraMonti

Silly question.. Butyl is the material used to patch the punctured tube?

blorg

AstraMonti wrote: »

Silly question.. Butyl is the material used to patch the punctured tube?

Butyl is what a standard tube is made of.

Chips Lovell

Yep, I've just started to see first hand latex tubes lose air as I've got them in my tubs. Leave them a few days and they'll get quite soft.

Blorg, where did you read about latex being better for puncture resistance? I'd always thought that it was worse (but I've no recollection where this opinion came from). Thougt that was the reason more people didn't use them.

blorg

el tonto wrote: »

Blorg, where did you read about latex being better for puncture resistance? I'd always thought that it was worse (but I've no recollection where this opinion came from). Thougt that was the reason more people didn't use them.

Here's an example but I have read it many other places- the general idea is that is more elastic and so can deform in response to an object where butyl would pierce.

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

Here's an example but I have read it many other places- the general idea is that is more elastic and so can deform in response to an object where butyl would pierce.

That's interesting. Might switch to latex on my clinchers so.

The tube must also be replaced every time a tire is changed. This susceptibility has led us to discontinue latex tube production.

Wonder why this is?