[Closed] Cheap air compressor recommendations for tubeless

Just got the airshot inflater ... needing to change both tyres shortly ! sooooo deep breathe 😐

Airshot looks awesome

Not exactly cheap but I think my SIP was £70- 50 litre reservoir, enough flow to run tools, paint guns etc which is what I got it for. Obviously not portable like an airshot or those big pump things but better for in the garage.

Fire extinguisher is another option but does take a little work

Airshot is more portable, but for £20 more (the cost of a cheap-ish track pump) you could get a proper compressor from screwfix!

I got an empty fire extinguisher and made my own in 20 mins...
Works great, cost me 2 jubilee clips, one extinguisher (free), 1 broken track pump (free- used the hose)

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The £50 Aldi / Lidl one does a good job. My local Aldi still had a few left. The Airshot looks a lot simpler though, I only went for compressor as it's handy for the van tyres and makes a good air blower for working on shocks and the like.

I bought an Airshot recently and have been impressed. Suddenly I have become everybody's best friend! People I hardly know have been turning up on my doorstep clutching tyres, sealant and wheels!
However it has shown how easy it is with the Airshot to seat tubeless. In the fortnight I have had it I have done 8 wheels all of which went straight up with both new and used tyres. The only problem was with one wheel set with Shimano valves which you can't take the valve core out of . As soon as they were replaced with ordinary tubeless valves, they went straight up.
So, expensive for what it is, but it works well and is a lot more portable than a compressor plus you can sometimes get them on offer.

If looking at an AirShot you should also look at a Bontrager Flash Charger. As portable as the AirShot but it's a charger plus pump in one, rather than needing two separate bits of kit

I'll probably get a compressor on the go eventually, but the Bonty/AirShot options work very well (and are obviously a lot more portable)

Not worried about portable but I'm impressed with the responses about the airshot. Will see what's left at Aldi then reassess.

Thanks all!

Another vote for the airshot. Always found tubeless relatively easy anyway but even folded DH tyres go up first go now. Well worth the £45 I paid.

Is the airshot any better (functionality wise) than a coke bottle compressor?

I understand that it's nicer to use as it's not a coke bottle and has a proper valve, just wondering if there are any other advantages.

Si

I use a coke bottle, cost me nothing

I found these 2 at Screwfix. I bought the bigger one. It works. Quite noisy though. Not something you'd want to use in a flat!

http://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/air-compressors-which-one-of-these-2

coke bottle, 2 old inner tube valves, some 2 quid windscreen hose from halfords

job done!

Is the airshot any better (functionality wise) than a coke bottle compressor?

I understand that it's nicer to use as it's not a coke bottle and has a proper valve, just wondering if there are any other advantages.

It's painted a nice shade of blue! If you're after cheap you cant beat the coke bottle or fire extinguisher. I've used the coke bottle for years and it nearly worked first time every time but leaked when pumped up to anything over 60psi which is needed for thick stubborn DH tyres on some rims. Jubilee clips would likely have sorted that though.

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This worked brilliantly for me - just needed a single presta valve and a g-clamp to keep the pressure in the sprayer while you're pumping it up. 15 minutes work to set up.

Paid £30 for my Aldi one, does the job

I never really found the coke bottle much cop tbh. Hassly, very small capacity, I built one out of curiosity but I didn't find it really worked better than a good track pump (never inflated a tyre I couldn't get up with a pump, anyway, and failed to inflate tyres that I got up easily with the compressor. Nothing like as good as an extinguisher either) YMMV of course!

Pointless getting a compressor these days unless you need it for other things as well (or your job is inflating tyres). Airshot or the new track pumps that have a similar function make more sense IMO (assuming you can't be arsed with bodging a ghetto solution together). I've not touched my Aldi compressor since buying one a couple of years ago, have always managed to inflate with just my standard track pump, intending to get one of the fancier dual-purpose ones though my I need to replace it.

Buy a valve adaptor from ebay for £2, get your wheels set up ready and then drive to the petrol station. Bobs your dads brother.

+1 for the airshot

Main advantage is it doesn't leak and I'm not worried it'll go pop if I put 160psi in it.

Also done a few friends tyres and it's worked every time except the first when I was being a numpty!

As I already have 2 track pumps a Bontrager Flash Charger seemed a step too far. My LBS has the Flash Charger and it does seem quite flimsy as the fittings look to be cheap plastic although it works OK.

Alternatively CO2 inflater and cartridges.

e.g. from https://www.co2cartridges.co.uk/

£5ish for an inflater and small enough to carry in your pocket/bag along with a few cartridges if you really get stuck. Works on tubes as well.

Cartridges cheaper the more you buy in bulk. Miles cheaper online than in the high street.

Remember if you're using sealant (and you should), CO2 to seat tyre first, deflate, add sealant, then pump back up with track pump. CO2 + sealant doesn't mix well. On the trail you can get away with it for the rest of the ride and just deal with stanimals later 😉

Other thing... Maxxis TR tyres... I found they go up easy with a track pump! Quite surprised by that as the non-TR were impossible to seat without CO2.

Alternatively CO2 inflater and cartridges.

I have a strong hatred of those things.

The energy that goes into making the cartridge, filling them with high pressure CO2 and then transporting them is such a waste when you can just use a hand pump for most tyre inflating duties. I wonder how many people bother to have them recycled too (I've seen plenty dumped by the side of the road by roadies).

The small Impax range from screwfix are great, have a 14cfm and a tiny one to carry about with a pin gun on site.
Don't underestimate how useful a blow gun is for cleaning chains, cassettes etc as well, often give things a quick clean between rides or for drying when washing bikes.

I blow tyres up with a track pump, but would buy a small compressor over any sort reservoir every time if you have space to keep it and have access to power.

jonnytheleyther - Member

Buy a valve adaptor from ebay for £2, get your wheels set up ready and then drive to the petrol station. Bobs your dads brother.

fwiw a lot of petrol station airlines provide less air pressure/volume than a decent trackpump, avoids safety/liability concerns.

I've seen plenty dumped by the side of the road by roadies

The cartridges you see dumped are often N2O (laughing gas) the kids use, or CO2 they use for air guns.

. The cartridges you see dumped are often N2O (laughing gas) the kids use, or CO2 they use for air guns.

These were definitely cyclists co2 going on location and sometimes gel wrappers too.

After this weekend's shenanigans with my ghetto inflator and swapping tubeless tyres, I have an Airshot on order. I don't have space to store a compressor.

OK. The Airshot is a piece of kit. Tyres swapped and seated in no time at all. So much better than the ghetto inflator I was using before.

Ooh I wonder If I can rig something from my pcp air rifle cylinder.....

Never understood all this compressor stuff. Why not just buy fit for purpose rims and tyres?

I fitted a new tyre a few days ago and it just pumped straight up just as easily as a tube would (completely dry, not even using any soapy water around the bead).

Am I just lucky with this?

Ooh I wonder If I can rig something from my pcp air rifle cylinder.....

Sounds safe.

I've got a compressor; it's one of my favourite bike-related purchases. It's not at all necessary (previously I seated everything I attempted with a ghetto coke bottle) but I think that's what makes it nice to own. It makes tyre changing painless and if you've ever sweated with a track pump, you'll appreciate it all the more.

I use mine for other things, too:
1) Dusting the garage floor with air instead of brushing
2) Checking the car tyre pressure (I've saved at least 40p by doing this)
3) Annoying people by blowing air at them

Am I just lucky with this?