More Bike CO2 Inflator Tips

0:13 Quickly warm up the CO2 inflator nozzle to make it easier to remove.
1:02 Prevent accidental removal of presta valve core.
4:22 How to know when you have the correct tire pressure.
5:05 CO2 cartridge size.

In a previous video we gave you some tips on how to use a CO2 cartridge to inflate a bike tire while cycling out on the road. Here a few more tips and tricks:

When filling a tube with a CO2 cartridge, the inflator head becomes very cold and difficult to work with. Rather then waiting a few minutes, squirt with a little water from your water bottle to warm it up quickly.

Most bike tire tubes are made up of a stem into which is threaded a valve core (picture). If not tight, when you unscrew the bicycle CO2 inflator, the core may also unscrew, causing the tire to go flat again. Solution? Tighten the valve core using either a valve core tool such as the Park VC-1 or similar tool (costs about $10). Or, if you have an inexpensive spoke wrench tool, you'll find that one of the wrenches works just fine. Tighten the core before storing the tube in your saddle bag. The tool is also great for removing the core if you are adding sealant to a mtb tire. Another option is to go with a tube that does not have a removable core such as Bontrager or Michelin.

Prevent over filling tire with CO2 but feeling tire as you inflate. When using a pump at home, get a feel for the correct inflation pressure when using a floor pump. Although different size tires require different size CO2 cartridges, don't rely on the grams of the cartridge alone. Some tires of the same size may require more or less CO2 to reach the pressure you normally run. In addition, if helping others on the road, their tires maybe different from yours. See our article in the description below:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I...

Whether your riding a road bike, mountain bike or just touring, a CO2 inflater can save you time in fixing that flat tire.