Tubeless mountain bike tires definitely have their good points, such as lower weight, less flats and decreased rolling resistance. In order to seat the things securely on the rim, however, it's often necessary to use a compressor or a CO2 cartridge to deliver a high-pressure shot of air. That said, there's now another option, in the form of the Airshot.
Similar in concept to the RideAir, the Airshot is basically a reusable compressed air canister that can be filled up by the user via a regular floor pump. It can hold a maximum pressure of 160 psi (11 bar).
When it's time to seat a new tire – or reseat one that has "burped" off – you just connect the Airshot's inflation hose to the tire's valve stem, release a shot of air from the canister, and wait until you hear the bead pop onto the rim. It's not unlike what you'd do with a CO2 cartridge, although the Airshot is reusable and can presumably seat several tires on one fill.
While the device does appear to be a little too large to bother bringing along on rides, it's certainly an appealing alternative to seeking out an air compressor, using up a cartridge, or replacing your perfectly-good floor pump with a tubeless-friendly Bontrager TLR Flash Charger.
The Airshot can be ordered from its UK-based manufacturer's website, for £59.99 (about US$94). It's demonstrated in the video below.
