700cx23mm
Clinchers
140 lb. rider
16g (cheapies from a sporting good’s air pellet section)
.
12g would work for u. Get them at Walmart cheap
I think I found a site somewhere that spec’d a 12g getting your road tires to 90 psi or so (should definitely be ok to ride home?) and 16g is closer to 120 psi.
12g would work for u. Get them at Walmart cheap
12g is for a 650 wheel.
I’ve yet to successfully inflate a tire using CO2 cartridge due to lack of practice. I’d say go with the biggest one initially to account for leaking air.
Keep in mind that the air goes in cold, and can continue to expand a little as it warms up… expecially since it’s all CO2, not “air” which is more nitrogen. Better to err on the size of slightly low on pressure.
I’ve never failed to get one to work with the 3 different inflater heads I’ve used. What scares me, is the fear that the bead isn’t set correctly and the tube buldges out and blows up in my face. CO2 inflates so that that you won;t have time ot “save it”. Had that happen a couple times using a floor pump over the years… not fun at all. Like a shotgun blast… ringing ears included.
12g is for a 650 wheel.
Not true.
DCRainmaker, predictably, has a good beginner CO2 guide.
I was told by my LBS to use the 16G, that the 20G was for mountain bikes.
I’ve used 'em all at one time or another… for a skinny road tire, 12g is adequate, 16 gives you a little margin for sloppy start/stop depending on whether you have an all-or-nothing screw-on type adapter or one that has a release valve. As said above, 20g would be for a much higher-volume tire (MTB or fatty cross).
16g is usually more than enough for a 700cc tire. It’s nice to have a little extra just in case some leaks out. I prefer 16g threaded on race day. Threaded only because I have a nice chuck that can control the air flow, but only works with threaded. I usually go up to 110 psi for racing on nice roads, so 12g usually isn’t enough even if I get it all in.
For training, I use 12g unthreaded. The cheap stuff you can buy in bulk for air soft guns. I always carry a mini pump with me for training, so I hand pump in the first 10-15 psi to make sure the tube is seated properly…then 12g usually gets me right up to 95-100 psi…right where I want to be for training.
This may seem an odd question, but is there a lifespan for the cartridges?
I bought a couple of cartridges about 3 years ago that I haven’t had to use - can I use if needed or should I get some new ones?
I use the threaded 16. I use about 2/3 to fill a 700x23 and the rest is just enough to fill a second flat with enough air to get home. I dont have any problems with leakage once the cartridge is opened. They hold for months. I will toss in another fresh cartridge and have enough juice for just about any situation.
They will last indefinitely.