36
votes
Why are emergency inflation cartridges filled with CO2?
CO2 charger cartridges are used for bike tire inflation because they are a common, inexpensive product that has been around since the 1950s. Their other uses include powering air guns and inflating ...
- 75.3k
26
votes
Why are emergency inflation cartridges filled with CO2?
I believe you will find these articles informative:
The hidden life of a CO2 cartridge [PDF]
The CO2 Cartridge … an Under-Appreciated Marvel of Technology! — George Fox Lang [PDF]
At room ...
- 361
9
votes
Is there a roadside workaround for a freehub that won't engage reliably?
Use strong cable ties or wire/cable to tie the biggest sprocket to the rear wheel spokes. This will eliminate the freewheel, so be very careful when slowing down or going downhill.
If cable ties are ...
- 25.8k
8
votes
Roadside repair: how to use a screw-on Presta pump on a tube with a removable valve core
I once saw someone riding out of a bike park with their minipump wedged in the front wheel and tied to the hub between the spoke planes with a clean poop-bag.
They'd had exactly this problem where the ...
- 119k
8
votes
Why are emergency inflation cartridges filled with CO2?
This explains part of the reason in what may be too much detail:http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu/genchem/topicreview/bp/ch4/deviation5.html
If you're going to read any of it, read the material starting ...
6
votes
Is there a roadside workaround for a freehub that won't engage reliably?
The answer to this question depends on the hub design.
Other than Shimano and close copies of the Shimano design, many rear hubs use some variation of a drive ring based design. These are ...
- 80k
5
votes
Accepted
What's the smallest possible tube that will work with my bikes?
If you're going to buy a tube to carry, you'd be better off getting something that fits properly. You don't want to push the limits of your tube (e.g. burst it when you first inflate it) if you're a ...
- 55.7k
5
votes
Is there a roadside workaround for a freehub that won't engage reliably?
There is a set of solutions that are more meant for prolonged off-road touring/bikepacking tours without any access to the civilization. They require a bit of preparation at home for such classes of ...
- 14.2k
5
votes
Accepted
Is there a roadside workaround for a freehub that won't engage reliably?
Assuming you have a fairly standard on-bike set of tools, I would have tried the cable ties first as well.
Sometimes you can get the pawls to engage again by dropping the bike, and the shock drops one ...
- 119k
5
votes
Roadside repair: how to use a screw-on Presta pump on a tube with a removable valve core
I know you weren't carrying one, but there are multi-tools that include valve-core wrenches. There are also standalone valve-core wrenches, although that would be a bit fussy to carry on a ride.
...
- 28.5k
4
votes
Roadside repair: how to use a screw-on Presta pump on a tube with a removable valve core
Most often I am fine with tightening the valve with my fingers, but I must admit that the risk of unscrewing the valve when detaching the pump is there. Or, more likely, when detaching a valve adaptor ...
- 15.3k
4
votes
Is there a roadside workaround for a freehub that won't engage reliably?
I can't remember exactly what my problem was, but I once remember getting a big industrial paperclip (was at work when it happened) wrapping it around a spoke and then hooking it around one of the ...
- 1,280
4
votes
I read that "training is needed" before your voice can replace a horn. Why might this be?
The word "c'mon" is a bad choice for an alert word, because you close your mouth to form the M and the C is a back-of-mouth sound that you can't say loudly. The N sound is a nasal sound, so the ...
- 119k
3
votes
How to select cog for emergency single speed conversion with a broken derailleur
The recommendation of Calvin Jones of Park Tool for a trail/road-side conversion to a single speed is:
If you have multiple chain rings, put the chain on the 2nd-to-largest chain ring. I.e. if you ...
- 131
3
votes
What should I put in a bicycle emergency patch kit for situations more severe than a common puncture?
If you only ride in suburban areas, and assess that 1km is the maximum distance for reaching a "repair point", pushing the bike is more than adequate. Otherwise, as mentioned in the comments,...
- 16.1k
2
votes
Roadside repair: how to use a screw-on Presta pump on a tube with a removable valve core
I just buy tubes without removable valve cores. I patch my tubes after punctures so I get a lot of use out of them, I've never had to throw away a tube because the valve core needed to be replaced, ...
- 21
2
votes
Roadside repair: how to use a screw-on Presta pump on a tube with a removable valve core
Some answers and comments advocate tightening the valve core to the point that it does not come undone with the valve head. However, you should be careful not to over-tighten it, as you may snap the ...
- 3,942
2
votes
Is there a roadside workaround for a freehub that won't engage reliably?
Take off some spokes
Most bike wheels have more spokes than are strictly necessary, so you can take off a few. Ideally you'd take off them symmetrically, but for a short trip it is not that critical.
...
- 1,717
2
votes
Roadside repair: how to use a screw-on Presta pump on a tube with a removable valve core
I think the removable valve cores are mostly removed and installed with a wrench.
So carrying the smallest possible 4" adjustable wrench helps with that, you can screw the valve core so tight it ...
- 17.6k
1
vote
What should I put in a bicycle emergency patch kit for situations more severe than a common puncture?
Puncture is the most common failure, second most common perhaps tire sidewall failure that can be fixed temporarily with tools used for fixing punctures plus a tyre boot.
Many bolts in bicycle are ...
- 17.6k
1
vote
What should I put in a bicycle emergency patch kit for situations more severe than a common puncture?
if my bicycle breaks such as my spoke failure which lead to total tube rupture
If you ride on a deflated tyre, you'll destroy the tyre, then the rim. But if you push the bike a km or two, it'll be ...
- 1,684
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