Categories: Accessories and Gear

The Great Debate: Pump or Chuck

I’ve said it once before, but it bears repeating now: adherence to Rule #29 carries with it the ultimate mission of the aspiring Velominatus, which is to geek out endlessly over the minimum amount of gear which yields maximum security in the event of a mechanical incident while riding.

The goal here is twofold. First, with no European Posterior Man Satchel dangling off the back of your bike like an elephant’s nutsack, pocket real estate is at a premium; filling them up with unneeded tools seems wasteful. Second, sagging pockets are as distressing as an EPMS, so care must be taken to ensure the pockets stay as light as possible.

Minimalist multi tool, lightweight inner tube or tubbie goo, and tire levers are all obvious choices; one is left only to endeavor to find the lightest model of each which still functions reliably (a lifetime can be devoted to this task). But that leaves us with the delicate matter of how we choose to resupply the air which provides a simple yet critical element to repairing the most common mechanical of all, the flat tire. The question in this case is, of course, whether to choose a chuck and cartouche c-oh-duex or minipump. Ignoring the obvious utility of being able to challenge someone to a mini-pump duel in the event of irreconcilable difference of opinion on critical matters of La Vie Velominatus, both means of air resupply have their merits.

Dictum 1 above has historically put me in the camp of using a chuck and two C02 cartridges. (One cartouche is not enough, I am much too clumsy to depend on my ability not to bugger the first one up.) First of all, the Lezyne Trigger Drive appeals to my sense of aesthetics; it’s small, nicely crafted, feels great in the hand and can provide hours of fidgeting should it find its way into my pants pocket. I can’t get excited about any particular C02 cartridge, but they are small and simple and I have an inherent appreciation for anything with a thread on it.

Dictum 2, however, does give me some pause; the ensamble is anything but a featherweight. Enter my Lezyne Carbon Roadlite, which was given to me when Lezyne came onboard as Air and Tool Supplier for Keepers Tour 2012. Initially, the pump only accompanied me on wet rides (C02 has a tendency to cause some freezing when discharged in cold, wet weather – very unpleasant). But before long, it began to creep into my thick noggin that the little devil hardly weighs a thing and is more than small enough to fit in my pocket without protruding out of the top, which is most unsightly and considered entirely unacceptable. Today, I find myself reaching for the pump more often than I do the chuck as it lightens my kit a bit, allowing me to consume an additional ale or two without contributing to any overall rider-kit-bike weight gains.

I find myself wondering where others fall in the Great Debate; which path do you walk, Pump or Chuck?

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

Skinnyphat says:

Aug 31 2012 at 6:01 pm

Pump? I think not. Pumps are for rookies and hookers
Barracuda says:

Aug 31 2012 at 6:36 pm

My head hurts ......... pump this, cartridge that, ..... what to do, what to do ......... Im currently using c02 for the pure reason of minimalization .....BUT ...... having seen that carbon (oooooh caaarrrrbbbooonnnn) pump I may need to ,um, change. As my father once said, if you cant play the game, at least look like you can......
ten B says:

Aug 31 2012 at 8:02 pm

@Mark1

I spent ten years as a marine navigator. Up until the eighties, finding out where you were was a very long and arduous process of using a sextant and getting your head round some complex spherical trigonometry. By the time you'd worked out a position, you were actually an hour away from where you were when you took the sights. Then came satellite navigation... briliant I thought.., less time number crunching, more time watching the waves and actually knowing exactly where you were. No said the Captain, who acted like he'd been on the Cutty Sark, you can't trust it, can't be relied upon blah blah blah, best use both, only the sextant is guaranteed to work. The fact that the sextant is perhaps the most delicate bit of kit on a ship and prone to numerous errors didn't come into it.

For me there is no choice, CO2 is the future, it has never let me down and used properly should never fail you, used winter and summer. Trouble with freezing? Just ease the valve a little more slowly, you shouldn't be blasting it in that quickly anyway.

Less time pumping, more time riding and at decent presssure to boot.

I always got a kick out of the fish heads having to do celestial from first principles on every shot (just because Nelson didn't have an Almanac, I guess). Ah, the Navy: 200 years of tradition, unimpeded by progress. I think that if you lose GPS and your inertials, you may have bigger problems than finding out exactly where you are.

Oh, and CO2, optimism, a credit card, and the assumption that someone else in the group will bail me out for beers if I come to grief (just ask @Harminator).
Adrian says:

Aug 31 2012 at 9:04 pm

I carry a top Peak micro air booster, 16g per cylinder and 15g for the adapter about as light as you can get and it works great.

One downside of the CO2 though is that it is difficult to put a bit of air into the tube before installing it and so unless you careful you can pinch it as you fit the tyre.
Oli says:

Aug 31 2012 at 9:20 pm

@Skinnyphat 35 years in road cycling and no one would ever pay to fuck me so that's demonstrably wrong, bud.
Nate says:

Aug 31 2012 at 10:06 pm

@minion

One small difference in I use pedro's levers since I'm a meathead and break other tyre levers very easily.

I don't always run clinchers, but when I do, it's Open Pros and Vittorias -- no lever required.
Gianni says:

Aug 31 2012 at 10:18 pm

I hate to admit I've never used a CO2 cart in my life. I've been weaned of my full length pump and now have a little Lezyne pump ON MY FRAME. I already have too much crap in my fucking pockets because I can't keep anything under my saddle anymore.

The mini-pump is a pain in the ass when you actually have to use it just because it takes longer. Maybe it's time to test out the CO2 carts, but then I'd have to put them in my pockets too! Who started this Rule thing anyway? grrrrrr.
eightzero says:

Aug 31 2012 at 10:26 pm

@Nate

@eightzero

How do you get at the gas when you need it then?

Same way you out them in: remove the seat post, dump remove them from the clever sleeve that comes with them.
Gianni says:

Aug 31 2012 at 10:31 pm

@Anais Ninja

I chuck, but am considering going to pump for one simple concern. Latex tubes and CO2 are not compatible. CO2 leaks out of latex tubes 10x faster than air, and air already leaks out of those babies quite fast. Depending on how far from home you are, you might not make it back.

Secondly, if you're running tubeless and use Stan's, CO2 does not play well with it. I learned this the hard way with my mountain bike. No CO2 for me there.

That Lezyne Carbon Drive pump is gorgeous. I think I know what I'm getting for Xmas.

Interesting. I'm using the caffe latex in my road tubless, Maybe the CO2 is a problem. I'll start compressing my own secret mix of Nitrogen and a few noble gasses and market the hell out of it.

@Pedale.Forchetta

One or two CO2, it depends from how long the loop will be, never considered to put a (small) pump on the frame or in the jersey pockets.

Just once the two CO2 were not enough, but a coach full of german cyclists saved my day!

No pumps, no cages. You are a minimalist. Very interesting. I can't do it but I like your attitude.
Balexander says:

Aug 31 2012 at 10:31 pm

I know I'm inviting rule violations by uploading this, but Rule #29 has always seemed off to me. Just look at how well this frame pump fits on the CDale. Perfect. I would also argue that if you carbon-riding ninnies don't have pump pegs or another way to keep the pump in place, you need a classier ride.