A Good Bike Accessory from Walmart
As an avid mountain biker, I don’t make a habit of looking for bikes or accessories at Walmart. However when I saw a Zéfal CO2 inflator for only $14.99, I couldn’t resist giving it a try.
The Zéfal accepts threaded 12 gram cartridges and either threaded or non-threaded 16 gram cartridges. It has no levers or trigger, but rather uses the pressure of the CO2 to depress the valve stem and compress the seal around the outside of the valve. This also allows it to automagically detect Presta or Schrader valves without any annoying head changes or adapters.
Instructions for inserting the cartridge and operating the unit are on the back of the package and are super simple:
One note: the CO2 cartridge that comes with it has a rubber sleeve around it that prevents attaching the body of the inflator, but with threaded cartridges, it turns out the head of the unit can be used without the body attached. For threadless cartridges, the body must be screwed down in order to break the seal and activate the CO2.
Since I already had a flat tire from my last ride, I decided to go ahead and try out the new inflator.
After inserting the CO2 cartridge and disassembling the flat, I broke out the new tube and hit it with a quick burst from the inflator in order to prep it for the tire. Pushing the head onto the valve activated the inflation, and pulling it back stopped it, with no lost pressure.
After completely installing the tire I pressed the inflator onto the valve and let ‘er rip. Since the pressure is what depresses the valve stem, as the CO2 is depleted from the cartridge, the valve stem retracts until a sort of “break-even” point is reached. At this point I removed the inflator, again with no loss of pressure, and the tire felt well inflated. As a sanity check, I attached my floor pump and it registered about 50psi, which is significantly more than I normally run on the trail. Also, since my tires are 26×2.1″ I think it’s reasonable to assume that one 16 gram cartridge in this inflator would be suitable for a 26×2.3″ or possibly even a 29er tire.
Based on performance and ease of use, this is definitely a keeper! My Crank Brothers mini-pump was a pain in the butt to use, and never really worked all that well. The CO2 inflater is slightly heavier, but noticeably smaller with rounded edges that are conducive to stowing it in a pack.
For transport, there is a hole in the bottom of the inflator body that allows a cartridge to be inserted upside down with the head of the pump screwed part way on. This saves space without the cartridge seal needing to be punctured until it is ready to be used.
This inflator has already taken its place in my camelback and will be traveling with me from now on.
There a few other considerations.
Even though the inflator is less expensive at Walmart than anywhere else I’ve seen, the cartridges are considerably more. Walmart wants $9.99 for a pair of threaded 16 gram cartridges, while Performance Bike charges $7.99 for the same thing and $6.99 for non-threaded. REI carries 16 gram non-threaded for $2.50 a piece.
If you use threaded cartridges, you could save a few grams by carrying just the head and not the body.
For solo expeditions deep into the wilderness, it would be prudent to carry a CO2 inflator that has a built-in, backup hand pump.
The bottom line: at $14.99 with an included cartridge, this is the best deal going for a CO2 inflator that works quickly and efficiently. It is small, stows well, and I have no problem recommending it, even if it IS from Walmart.
Tags: Accessories, Cycling, Tools