Genuine Innovations Hammerhead CO2 Inflator

Quick and easy to use, the Genuine Innovations Hammerhead takes a wide range of cartridge sizes, but it's a shade expensize compared to its competition. 

Putting my cards on the table from the outset, I've not used one of these here CO₂ inflators before. I've always been ideologically opposed to the notion of paying for single-use cartridges when I could pump a tyre for free myself, albeit a bit slower.

I've been through a plethora of mini pumps, though, in the impossible quest for what physics dictates I can't have - small, light, fast and easy. They're all attributes that could be found right here. Maybe if I can get over my tight-fisted dislike of having to buy and then throw away a gas cartridge every time I get a flat, then me and the Hammerhead might be friends.

Genuine Innovations were the originators of the CO₂ inflator and today they have a range of them. The Hammerhead is a compact device that weighs very little; it's certainly less cumbersome than even quite a small mini-pump.

It's really a very simple little thing: you screw the canister in one end, thereby piercing the seal, and then you stick the other end on your tyre valve. Push the green button and your tyre is inflated. A lot faster than you could do it by pumping, even with a track pump (and you don't want to be carrying one of those around with you).

There was no leakage of CO₂ once the canister was in place, something which apparently sometimes happens with other inflators. You can only use threaded canisters. Typically they're a couple of quid or so in the shops, but if you shop around online and buy in bulk you can get them for about a pound a throw. Some other (bulkier) CO₂ inflators can be used with threaded or non-threaded canisters (the latter tend to be cheaper) but here the thread is the only thing keeping the canister in place.

The Hammerhead comes with one 16g cartridge, enough to get a 700x23 up to around 100psi. You probably want to carry a couple on a longer ride in case you suffer the misfortune of more than one puncture. For large volume tyres (such as on a mountain bike) you may need to use a bigger cartridges - they're available in various sizes. You might be able to get away with using half a large cartridge and saving the rest for next time, but I'd be wary of this - it might gradually seep away and I think the button could get accidentally knocked in your pocket anyway, dumping the rest of the pressure.

In use it was all very straightforward. It comes with simple instructions which you don't really need. I did notice that the picture showed a hand firmly grasping the cartridge while inflating the tyre, which probably isn't a good idea. Sudden expansion of compressed gas results in sharp temperature drops; you can see the cartridge frost up immediately. Some other inflators have a container for the cartridge to provide some temperature isolation and avoid freezing your hands; they're also necessarily heavier and bulkier. As the inflator itself is made of plastic, it wasn't a problem to simply hold this in use, and avoid touching the cartridge. It would also be a simple job to cut a length of old inner tube to slide over the cartridge if you were worried about it. The advantage of not having a container for the cartridge is that you can use different sizes.

The Hammerhead works with Presta and Schraeder valves, using a rubber push-fit connection. The CO₂ is only released when you push the green button, which is very simple and intuitive. Other inflators start inflation as soon as you push onto the tyre valve, which can be hard to control, and some use a screw valve. I'd probably choose the latter simply because I'd have higher confidence that it wouldn't open accidentally in a pocket or bag.

Retailing at £19.99, this inflator has quite a lot of competition, including some ostensibly similar devices which are as little as half the price. This is a good quality unit, however, which worked reliably whenever I needed it, vital given that otherwise you may have a long walk home.

I've not yet come up with a means of knowing the right number of cartridges to carry for any given ride, and really this is the downside of a CO₂ inflator when compared to a pump - once you've used up the gas you're carrying, you'd better not ride over any more glass. In reality, though, I've carried a pump thousands of miles on rides without getting a puncture (and your choice of tyres plays a role here too) so for most of my rides I'd be fine.

Verdict

Simple and reliable CO₂ inflator - not the cheapest but works well.