Flat Tire

[rmtcook]

Hi gang,
Got all geared up to go out for a ride this morning, walked into the garage and the back tire was flat. Bummer. I think it went flat gradually because I felt the bike getting a little squirrely in the corners the last couple of days. I kept telling myself to check the tire pressure when I got home and forgot.   Not too bright.
Anyway, a couple of questions.
1. I read when searching the board that I can use C02 cartridges for an emergency fill. I don't know why I didn't think of that, since I use them all the time on my bicycle. Can I use the same C02 tool I use on my bicycle?
2. How many cartridges does it take to either fill the tire, or get to the nearest pump?
3. I can't see any punctures on the tire or anything stuck in it so I'm wondering if the stupid valve light that I screwed onto the valve didn't slowly deflate the tire. I'm planning on using the C02 containers to get to the gas station, pump it up, then keep a close eye on the pressure for the next couple of weeks. What do you think? When I called the dealer, before I searched the board, he said he'd have to keep the bike for a week to either fix or replace the tire.  I've only got 1500 miles on the bike so I'm not worried about tire wear and I don't want to lose a week of riding. As usual any help or shared experience would be appreciated. One other thing, I'm not much of a wrench, so taking the back tire off would be a major ordeal for me!

[txbanditrydr]

The CO2 cartridges work okay in an emergency.... I found it takes 3 or 4 to get a rear motorcycle tire up to 25 psi - which will get you gas station.

Your CO2 set up for the bicycle should work just fine.

Wal-mart has a great little digital tire gauge for about 5 or 6 bucks.... I carry one on the bike at all times and check the tire pressure before every "day ride"... or at least once a week.

Rear tire removal is really pretty easy once you've done it a time or two - I wouldn't sweat that.  Knowing how to take it off will save you some money when having a shop put new rubber on.

[Red01]

You can get one of those cheapy $10-15 12v air compressots from WalMart or other discount store. They take forever to pump up a car tire, but will fill a bike tire pretty quick - and you don't have to by CO2 canisters all the time. You can even take the pump out of the oversized plastic case and its small enough to pack in your luggage or stow under the seat for trips away from home. You'll want to cut the cigarette lighter plug off and put on some alligator clips - unless you've equipped your bike with a cigarette lighter socket.

[rmtcook]

Thanks guys. I picked up the 12v compressor from Walmart and it seems like that did the trick. The tire hasn't lost any pressure in the past couple of days, but I'll keep an eye on it. The bike handles a lot better with air in the tire.