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Air compressors
Me again
With my soon to be conversion to regular tyres on tubeless rims (not UST)
I realise I now need an air compressor (does it ever stop) - rhetorical question
So, what is a reasonable compressor for inflating standard tyres without tubes
how much should I expect to pay and what should I look for (max psi etc)
And where would I go to find a well priced one
BTW, I'm a mechanical muppet
So what Rob is talking about in another post may as well be in Swahili
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For those who missed it, I was suggesting one might be able to use an air tank rather than compressor like some 4WD guys do:
http://nobmob.com/node/15032#comment-46737
My interest in air tanks is:
1. Cheap. Well - free if you can scrounge an old tank.
2. Small. Well - certainly smaller than most compressors with their own air tank.
3. No power required. Meaning, you can fill an air tank with a track pump if you have to. Sure, you might pump for 10 minutes, but then all that air can be dumped into your tyre in 10 seconds. Well - that's the idea anyhow.
I got one for either $99 or $129 (having a senior's moment) with a medium-sized tank from Super Cheap Auto at Warringah Mall. I already had the hose, connectors, and car tyre valve head from an old compressor, so you'll need to budget $30-40 for these.
A Presta to Schrader tyre valve adapter is needed to go on the bike tyre valves as well - about $3 for the brass one with an O-ring seal, a bit more if you have Mavic tubeless valves and can't get your LBS to chuck them at you for free.
If you get the brass one, cut/file down the length (carefully and evenly) so that the car adapter is able to press in the Presta valve stem, otherwise it won't let any air in.
They're noisy, so don't use it late at night or early in the morning if you want to stay on good terms with the neighbours or your missus.
Then you can take it the servo and fill it up with air....using their compressor!
Or take your bike to the servo daily!
I got a nice compressor from Bunnings + hose + air gun + tyre valve for around $150 I think
taken it to 2 Mont's and a bunch of other races and its worth its weight in gold. (plus a generator of course)
Very Simple to use and maintain.
since then, i have read everywhere that you shouldn't use CO2 but being a complete mechanical muppet too i didn't know any better ...
http://www.cellbikes.com.au/Bike-Rider-CO2-Gift-...
the valve on top gave me really good control of the amount of CO2 i let in ... it worked a treat ... i tried it with soap suds and a floor pump but that was like trying to find checkered paint or a left handed screwdriver ... the floor pump technique was hopeless ...
I've used CO2, but use it before you put the sealant in, ie:
Mount the tyre
Remove the valve core
Slap on some suds
Whack in the gas so the bead seats
DO NOT TOUCH THE TYRE!
Slip in some sealant thru the valve (I use a syringe)
Replace the valve core
Inflate your tyre with a floor pump
Job done.
The thing is to use the CO2 before putting the sealant in as it can react with it, and you only need to seat the tyre into the outer edge of the rim. Once it's there, and assuming you leave it there, you've got your edge sealed.
Of course the CO2 may still react with the sealant if it's still in the tyre. I'm no chemist.
One thing to think of is if you reckon you're going to use more than 37 cartridges (@ $4 each), then maybe it's worth going the $150 compressor......
and phew ... just so happens (entirely by fluke) that's exactly what i did ... ps: as to the price, when you buy 30+ in one hit you get them for $1.50 each and occasionally they have a sale where you get the adaptor for free when you buy 30+ too ...
after using a hand pump only the once on a trail i was a CO2 convert ...
thanks heaps for the CO2 / sealant information ... i never picked it up before ...
ps: why can't / shouldn't you touch the tyre?
cheers
b.