Reddit reviews SDNselect 16 Gram Threaded Co2 Cartridges Pack of 30

if you are going full rain-gear, it would include either making your only bike all-weather compatible (full fenders, etc) with the understanding that it will be clunkier to ride and will deteriorate more quickly (rust, sand, drive train, brakes). if you can swing it, get a beater bike that is specifically set up for rain and keep your nice bike (if your bike is nice) in fair weather condition.

 

carry a basic toolkit (spanner, hex wrench multi tool, spoke wrench, tire levers) and a spare tube or two. unless you want to carry a small handpump, you could invest in some CO2 cartridges and a small inflator. include some elastics, bungees, and a small roll of rubberized gaffer tape (just tear a strip of a few feet and roll it on itself so you have a little finger of black magic) -- the tape can be used for many things, from lashing something to your frame to layering up and booting a tire puncture. last but not least, buy a box of rubber gloves, and keep a few pairs rolled up in your kit. all of this can fit in a small saddlebag, handlebar bag, or hip pouch.

 

along with your standard toolkit and flat repair/replacement kit, carry an emergency rain poncho and a pair of rubber boot covers. boot covers are especially nice if you end up getting a pair of shoes that you don't want sprayed with water and sand should you get caught in a downpour or have to ride on sticky/tacky surfaces after a rain.

 

if there is a chance you are going to be riding at night, get a rear flasher and a good headlight (a powerful LED array with multiple modes & brightnesses). good lights usually have a rechargeable external battery pack -- carry a spare battery pack or at least get a few cheap LED flashers (frog knog or similar) to keep in your toolkit as a backup.

 

one last thing that i find helpful is keeping a few drawstring backpacks rolled up in my kits, as they can really come in handy if you need to pick up or carry something (or remove some clothing) unexpectedly. when not in use they fold up smaller than a deck of cards. if you have to lock your bike up outside and have a nice saddle, you can tie one of these over it so it's not so obviously nice.

 

i didn't really answer any if your big questions with specific recommendations, or cover any basic cycling equipment (like riding gloves or bike locks), but these are little tricks or lightbulb discoveries that i've picked up over biking in the city for the past 12 or 13 years. most of the small things are non-essential, but come in very handy and can save a lot of unneeded cleanup and frustration. now i never ride without them.

You should have a seat bag with CO2, a patch kit, and a multi tool.
Never ever leave home without it.
When I go on really long rides, I have a trunk bag with all my tools, tube, and a couple extra spokes. It beats being stuck somewhere.

For a solo multi tool, I have this.

The best CO2 deal you will find is this and this.

And any patch kit will due. But you can try for glueless if you just want to make it to the bike shop for a new tube.

The smaller cannisters works on mine of the same size. I don't even get the larger ones, because every inflator I have leaks out after a day or two once it's used.

Btw, you can buy a pack of 30 on Amazon for $40 or 1 at your local bike shop for around $3.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015V45F4

So, there are two different styles of CO2 cartridges - threaded and non-threaded. With threaded cartridges, you can use the really tiny inflators like the Lezyne Trigger Drive. With threadless, you have to use larger inflators that cover the entire cartridge. Depending on the inflator, you may or may not be limited in which size of cartridge you can use.

The pros to threadless are that they're more widely available because they're used for paintball, and if you're buying cartridges one at a time, they might be a little cheaper.

The pros to threaded are a small, lightweight inflator, and the ability to use any size of cartridge, including huge 40-gram cartridges for full-on fat tires. I linked to the Lezyne Trigger drive inflator because that's what I use, and I love it. It's never let me down. Plus, if you're willing to buy in bulk, you can get threaded cartridges just as cheap as threadless. I bought this 30-pack (working out to ~$1 each) two years ago, and I'm only about half way through it.

Also, tires and tubes are especially porous to CO2, so if you use it to fill a tire, the next day you'll find the tire a bit lower than you remembered it to be.

I don't have it yet, but I'm planning on using this. Someone in the review section suggested buying these instead of the refills Fluval sells. Even though there aren't a ton of positive reviews I trust Fluval enough as a brand to feel comfortable buying the kit.

I should add that I'm upgrading my lighting before I get the CO2 system as I feel it'll help my plants more than CO2 will right now.

Thanks this has given me a lot to think about. I just found this one that someone said works for the Fluval kit. How long do think a cartridge like that would work for?

That's what I originally bought... well it came with one, but I use these because they're way cheaper.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015V45F4

I bought a box of 30 on Amazon for about $30 (link). They're threaded, and they fit in pretty much any standard inflator.

I only use them ultra-rarely, but they're just perfect. Actually, a huge piece of metal was flung up in a group ride yesterday (my first flat in months), and one of these cartridges worked just fine.

I buy them in bulk off of amazon. One box usually lasts a season.

I just use these off of Amazon. They are 4 grams less than the ones that come with the Fluval, but they fit just fine, just don't last as long. They are much cheaper than the ones Fluval sells.

If I buy the Genuine Innovations Ultraflate Plus tire inflator will any Co2 cartridge work? I won't be limited to Genuine Innovations expensive ass branded cartridges will I?

Something like [this](http://www.amazon.com/Mosa-Gram-Threaded-Cartridges-Pack/dp/B0015V45F4/ref=sr_1_2? ie=UTF8&qid=1406591549&sr=8-2&keywords=co2+bike+cartridges) would work?

He is talking about this. Instead of using their overpriced proprietary cartridges you can use the 16 gram threaded cartridges meant for bicycle tire inflaters like these.