Being the "belt and suspenders" kind of guy that I am, I would probably toss a small mini pump in my luggage, just in case.

Not sure what the expo consists of these days, but Walmart should have plenty, for cheap. Keep the packaging and the bonus of buying them there is you can probably return them if you can't find someone local to give them to when you leave, rather than throwing them in the trash.

Good place to get them is Bike Works, the local bike shop. If you keep your receipt, they will take them back after the race. . not sure if it is for a full refund or store credit. Otherwise, yes, they are easy to get at the Expo.

I got a full refund from BW last year and will be getting mine there again this year.

you can buy them at the expo along with most everything.

I would probably toss a small mini pump in my luggage

I always do this whenever I fly anywhere. Can't take the Co2 on the plane and if I am riding first thing in the morning wherever I am going (Which is very often the case), I'll not be able to get to a shop to buy some C02.


I just assume that first ride will be with the mini-pump and no Co2.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

Most of the bike shops will have a ton of them, but if you're looking for something specific like the 16g threaded, then you want to go early. Last year the two bike shops on Alii Drive (Hawaiian Pedals and I forget the other one) ran out of the 16g threaded by Thursday.

I prefer threaded on race day because the chuck I use has the knob to control air flow and is much smaller and easier to tuck under the saddle. For training I just use the cheap non threaded 12g you can get from walmart.

I just came back from 70.3 Worlds and did a little experiment. Put the C02 in the outside pocket of my CHECKED luggage. They made it all the way back from Canada (purchased at village). I did not put them in my bike case because and I did not want the boys at the airport going through my bike bag any more then they should.

So...I say pack them but not in your carry on or bike bag. Put them in a easy outside pocket so as to not look like you are hiding them. If they take them...so be it. If not, one less thing to stress about on your trip. I had to do a man hunt for those babies on Saturday before race day.

The airline taking you to Hawaii will provide two complimentary CO2 cartridges for each racer. They're wrapped up in a bunch of yellow plastic underneath each airplane seat. Not sure what size they are, though, or whether they're threaded.

If you're using TBT then just put your CO2's in a bento or saddle bag or draft box (for those of us with a Trek SC) that's on your bike. That way the CO2's go with your bike. I have done that 5x.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One