Split between a floor pump and a mini pump for trail rides - which way do you go?

I've been going back and forth on this for a while now. For my local rides on the greenways in Denver, I always carry a floor pump in my truck (a Topeak JoeBlow, been solid for 3 years). But when I hit the singletrack out at Waterton Canyon, I swap to a mini pump strapped to my frame. My thinking was a floor pump is way faster for topping off before a ride, but the mini pump saves me if I flat 5 miles in. Last month I got a pinch flat 2 miles from the trailhead and that mini pump took me like 150 strokes to get back to 40 psi (my arms were toast). Now I'm wondering if I should just carry CO2 cartridges for on-trail and leave the floor pump at home. Is that too risky if you have multiple flats in one ride? Or do you folks stick with one pump for everything? Has anyone else dealt with this same debate for their own rides?

2 comments

2 Comments

faitha401mo ago

honestly what nobody is talking about is how CO2 leaks down faster than air once you get home. if you patch a tube on the trail and fill it with CO2, check the pressure the next morning. i had to re-pump every single time before i figured that out.

elizabethhart1mo ago

Fight you on this one. CO2 is the move all the way. I switched two seasons ago and never looked back. One cartridge gets you to like 50 psi in five seconds flat and you're back on the trail before your buddies even get their mini pump out. Yeah sure you can only use it once but I just carry two in a little ziplock in my hip pack. I've flatted twice on one ride maybe twice in five years of riding real trails and if that happens you just walk a mile. Your arms being toast from 150 strokes is exactly why I ditched the mini pump.