Most fat bikers have been there. You get a flat, pull out your Co2 inflator, and it empties itself before the tire even seats to the rim. Carrying extra co2 cartridges helps, but it also leaves your bag jangling like a tin can full of quarters. Pearl Izumi knows your pain and is on the case with their new Fat Bike Bandolier. Not only does the carrying strap hold an impressive 50 cartridges, it also has been designed to be hydration pack friendly. Commuters will also unexpectedly benefit from the use of the Bandolier as passing motorists may think it is an actual bandolier from a distance and finally give you a wide berth…
LOUISVILLE, Colo. (April 1, 2015)—Pearl Izumi, maker of ride, run and triathlon performance apparel that empowers athletes to perform better 365 days a year, is excited to introduce the Fat Bike Bandolier, a simple, lightweight device to carry all the CO2 you need to keep rolling after a puncture on your fat bike.
The easy over-the-shoulder design does not interfere with enduro fanny packs and will securely carry 50 16g CO2 cartridges, roughly enough to fill two 4.8” fat bike tires to 12 psi. The idea came about during an Arctic fat bike lunch ride from the Pearl Izumi headquarters.
“I was riding with another guy from the office who is totally cheap, and he’d put one of those cheesy glue-less patches on his tube to fix a previous puncture and of course it flatted,” said Keegan Rehfeldt, Product Designer at Pearl Izumi. “He scammed a tube off me and we set about pumping up his tire. 785 strokes later, like 20 minutes, we had it to about 10 psi. We knew there had to be a better way.”
“When we were pumping up my flat tire, we had a lot of time to think,” said Andrew Hammond, Global Brand Manager. “Either we were going to strap a floor pump to the top tube or figure out a way to use CO2. CO2 was the clear choice because of the speed and simplicity it brings to fixing flats, but one 16g cartridge doesn’t even put a dent in a fat bike tire. We needed a way to carry more. That’s when Keegan came up with the idea for the Fat Bike Bandolier.”
The Fat Bike Bandolier will come in two color ways, Attack Black and Enduro Urban Camo, and retails for $39.99. It includes three 16g CO2 cartridges. Pre-orders have exceeded expectations. Look for it at your local retailer in early August 2015; approximately the same time you would finally be done hand-pumping that tube.
