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?
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@Balexander
The picture was too awesome to upload the first time.
@Balexander
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0z_Qqnq8pI8&sns=em
Genuine Innovations Second Wind Carbon chuck-cum-pump. Doesn't have the sculptured (but slippery when wet) aesthetic of Lezyne, but better than suspenders AND a belt.
Oh! And only Rapha jerseys with the pump pocket as a less than straight-up pump may infer a man problem.
I've never had more than two flats but on that ride I was carrying CO2 and I spent the rest of the ride worrying WTF I would do if I got another. (And don't forget I'm riding where there are no nearby bike shops, and spending 30 minutes stuck in the sun is Very Bad Idea.)
That was the last ride I used CO2.
Apart from speed I just don't see any advantage to canisters. There is nothing you can do with them that you can't do with a pump, which has the advantage of being everlasting.
I can also use the pump when changing tyres to semi-inflate the tube for easy fitting AND to pump the tube to check where the hole is.
What possible argument can there be, unless you're so concerned about saving 5 minutes.
Add a small repair kit and you may be deflated but never defeated.
I have Zefal BTW... the XtraLight Carbon. Go ahead and hate but it's about 20g lighter than the Lezyne with a theoretically higher maximum pressure.
This may be off topic a bit but what about a tire boot if the damage (to the tire) is too severe? Do you carry money (i.e. a Dollar or Euro) or the Park tire boot?
http://www.parktool.com/product/emergency-tire-boot-tb-2
I am new to this site so please be gentile if this topic has been argued before.
@ChrisO
+1 This all the way.
@Overijse I do carry a boot and I've even needed to use it! Mine is a section of an old Michelin ProRace with the bead cut off.
Blackburn minipump tidily stowed with mini tool, tube, patch kit, funds, ID/insurance card, cash, tissue, and reading spectacles (argh!) in Lezyne CaddySack. Low mass, quiet, easy to stow in jersey center pocket, low waste, simple, and reliable (given remote area wherein I usually ride). Only exception is for races, especially time trials, where an event-specific sack containing chuck, CO2 canister, and tube is carried.
I carry a couple of canisters, chuck, and a tube in my car should, whilst driving, a fellow cyclist with trouble be encountered and need support.
Lezyne Pressure Carbon Drive 2 - looks like it was replaced by the Carbon Drive Lite in their product line.
Lezyne SV10 multitool, tube, some patches, levers.