Topeak makes a NINJA series of products
designed to let you carry mini tools and pumps
discreetly on your bike.
There are chain cutters built into handlebar ends,
low-profile mini tool cases mounted under bottle cages,
and other variations, but
the other day I picked up the NINJA P—
a portable pump that tucks inside your seatpost.
The day I installed it,
I rode a route of about 110km
heading into Wakayama from Kazahuki Pass,
then back to Osaka through the Inunaki Pass tunnel (via Pool Tunnel).
The image above is partway down the descent at Inunaki Pass.
Locals will know what I'm talking about—
after descending from the pass and reaching the Kumatori intersection,
you need to turn right at the Tsujimaru T-junction to get onto Route 26.
Just before that turn there's a huge pothole.
I hit it with both wheels—BAM! BAM!—
(I knew it was there, but it was too dark to see)
and pinched a flat on the front wheel, hitting the rim.
At a 7-Eleven just past the puncture site,
I pulled out the seatpost and
retrieved the NINJA P.
I installed a spare tube on the front wheel
and started pumping,
and while I felt a gentle initial expansion,
after that no air would go in whatsoever.
I'd installed this pump in the seatpost as backup insurance
for when my CO₂ cartridges ran out,
but just before this I'd had a Barbieri Vision Air mounted
(→here)
on my top tube's photon-torpedo bracket mount
(→here),
and since that's a pump that doubles as a CO₂ cartridge adapter,
I'd left my standalone CO₂ cartridge adapter
out of my mobile kit.
So with two CO₂ cartridges in my tool can
but no adapter to use them,
I ended up in the embarrassing situation of having to rely on
the portable pump right away.
Before I explain why the NINJA P wouldn't inflate,
let me explain the NINJA P.
On the lower end when nestled in the seatpost,
there's a gray dial that you can turn with a 5mm Allen key,
but you can also just hand-tighten it
with the dial portion sticking out of the seatpost.
↑When you turn the dial...
↑the rubber ring here expands in diameter.
The dial-expanding rubber ring and the rubber ring on the opposite end
come in 27.2mm and 31.6mm sizes,
but my seatpost is titanium with thin walls, so
the 27.2mm end rubber ring caused the pump to rattle with vibration,
and the 31.6mm ring was too thick,
so as a temporary fix I wrapped rubber sheet around it
and secured it with vinyl tape to build up the diameter.
↑Like this
A seatpost battery adapter
(→here)
might give a cleaner way to build up diameter.
Incidentally, since this pump's mounting position
conflicts with the seatpost battery location,
it's not ideal for Shimano drivetrain users.
I recall that one reason Shimano made wired electric drivetrains
in the M9000 XTR generation but couldn't roll out
electric components for M9100 XTR
was that dropper seatposts and their internal batteries
started overlapping in position around that time.
When you slide this gray ring downward
it switches to an "OPEN" marking and
a Presta valve head appears.
As I linked earlier,
let me also write about the Vision Air separately.
↑It's a telescoping mini pump with gauge of about this size,
but the head section doubles as a CO₂ cartridge adapter,
and it can carry one cartridge inside the pump
without piercing it.
Recently I'd been carrying a total of three cartridges—
one in this pump and two in my tool can—
but when I switched to the NINJA P,
I forgot to bring along a standalone CO₂ cartridge adapter.
About why air wouldn't go in with the NINJA P:
Panaracer is a rim cement manufacturer,
and I had their Purple Light TPU tubes
on the front wheel, carrying two spare Purple Lights as well.
TPU tubes are chosen for portability when unused
because they're compact.
The faded and stretched one in the right of the image
was the tube in the front wheel,
and the left is a fresh spare.
I went with Purple Light because our shop's initial batch
had three cases where—including my own bike—
the tire panicked the day or two after we pressurized it,
so I thought "this won't sell"
and pulled the last two units from the shelf.
It's not that all Purple Lights are bad.
In fact, the one in my front wheel had no issues for over six months,
and when I checked the punctured Purple Light from a customer,
there was a tiny pinhole-like hole on the inside,
but the rim tape side looked completely fine,
so I put in a fresh Purple Light and had no further issues—
so it came down to whether I'd simply gotten a defective tube
rather than any problem with the rim tape side.
Here's the thing: I pumped and pumped with the NINJA P
and no air would go in because
the spare tube already had a hole in it.
Since it was my first time using it, I didn't know what proper inflation feels like,
so I blamed the pump's performance rather than the spare tube.
And worst of all, the other spare tube
also had a small hole in it.
I had the two spare Purple Lights in
a slightly thick ziplock-style bag
(↑not Ziploc® brand,
but a ziplock-type generic equivalent)
in their factory-folded state,
and of course with valve caps still attached.
I also keep folding tools and such in a bag,
and while it's possible the CO₂ cartridge threads could have punctured it
(and only through the plastic),
I wouldn't expect that to actually pierce a tube.
Besides, from how I orient things in my tool can,
the threads shouldn't touch the tube anyway.
Still, I won't say "I did nothing wrong."
With a proper tube from a proper maker,
this wouldn't be something I'd need to worry about at all—
it's my mistake for skipping the initial defect check.
How I got home from that 11 PM 7-Eleven with no good spare tubes:
The image above is the unused spare tube.
You can see the crease marks from factory folding.
I circled the puncture with a permanent marker.
I took this photo while pumping with a floor pump,
but the tube kept deflating so quickly it was hard to get the shot.
There's no way the NINJA P could've inflated that.
The puncture is at the corner that bears load when folded.
So I can't say whether this hole was there from factory.
If you have an unused Purple Light tube, I'd recommend
inflating it gently and checking for leaks.
With tubular tires we sometimes inflate to check for factory defects,
but Purple Light is the only clincher tube I know of
that warrants this kind of precaution.
So how did I get home?
I took the other perforated tube,
ligated the puncture site,
and installed it in the tire.
The ligation in the image is still in the state I did it that night.
↑When inflated, it looked like this
This is a recreation I did in front of the shop after I got home,
using the actual ligated tube—
the tube became almost straight relative to the tire's arc.
But it stretches surprisingly well, and I was able
to mount it on the tire.
When I put air in the ligated tube with the NINJA P,
the tire inflated normally.
It performs about as well as
Topeak's similar-length Pocket Rocket
(shown in the top image).
My apologies for doubting you... I'll continue our friendship.
↑The tire shape where it was ligated came out like this,
but worried about bursting, I rode at roughly 2 bar pressure,
and the large deformation of the contact patch made
this depression unnoticeable to my feel.
On flat ground I'm managing 25 km/h.
↑The bead is properly seated
↑It's not seated
Actually, at 2 bar I couldn't get the full bead seated,
and what bothered me more was that
when the unseated portion came into contact,
the rim's bead hook might be rubbing the tire sidewall—
I heard a "Jolt" sound once per wheel rotation
(though it might've been from the ligation point).
Related to that, the tire sidewall on the right side only (lower image)
had its casing unraveling accelerate dramatically.
It was my last transparent 28C—valuable—but...
It may have been fortunate the tire was 28C though.
With a 23C, 2 bar pressure wouldn't let it roll properly.
Thinking I might use it again soon,
I didn't reinstall the NINJA P in the seatpost
but kept it in my jersey pocket.
Sure enough, it was a slow leak,
and over the 35km back home from restart
I topped up air four times at traffic lights.
The "Jolt" sound mostly stopped after a while.
I don't know why.
While this was a disaster,
I'm consoling myself with the fact that it didn't create
a situation troubling to others,
and that those defective Purple Lights will never
find their way into use again.
Addendum:
While I was telling a customer about this ligated tube
as I worked on their wheel inspection,
they mentioned: "I put a Chinese TPU tube in the rear wheel
two days ago, and I think it's slow leaking."
I checked and sure enough—
there really was a hole.
I posted the images because I'd promised to feature it in an article,
and while I hadn't meant to expose the maker's name,
the puncture being right where the maker's markings are printed—
that's just bad luck for them.
I used a Tubolito patch for TPU tubes
to seal the hole.
Since I did it free with the wheel inspection,
no hard feelings if it fails.
designed to let you carry mini tools and pumps
discreetly on your bike.
There are chain cutters built into handlebar ends,
low-profile mini tool cases mounted under bottle cages,
and other variations, but
the other day I picked up the NINJA P—
a portable pump that tucks inside your seatpost.
The day I installed it,
I rode a route of about 110km
heading into Wakayama from Kazahuki Pass,
then back to Osaka through the Inunaki Pass tunnel (via Pool Tunnel).
The image above is partway down the descent at Inunaki Pass.
Locals will know what I'm talking about—
after descending from the pass and reaching the Kumatori intersection,
you need to turn right at the Tsujimaru T-junction to get onto Route 26.
Just before that turn there's a huge pothole.
I hit it with both wheels—BAM! BAM!—
(I knew it was there, but it was too dark to see)
and pinched a flat on the front wheel, hitting the rim.
At a 7-Eleven just past the puncture site,
I pulled out the seatpost and
retrieved the NINJA P.
I installed a spare tube on the front wheel
and started pumping,
and while I felt a gentle initial expansion,
after that no air would go in whatsoever.
I'd installed this pump in the seatpost as backup insurance
for when my CO₂ cartridges ran out,
but just before this I'd had a Barbieri Vision Air mounted
(→here)
on my top tube's photon-torpedo bracket mount
(→here),
and since that's a pump that doubles as a CO₂ cartridge adapter,
I'd left my standalone CO₂ cartridge adapter
out of my mobile kit.
So with two CO₂ cartridges in my tool can
but no adapter to use them,
I ended up in the embarrassing situation of having to rely on
the portable pump right away.
Before I explain why the NINJA P wouldn't inflate,
let me explain the NINJA P.
On the lower end when nestled in the seatpost,
there's a gray dial that you can turn with a 5mm Allen key,
but you can also just hand-tighten it
with the dial portion sticking out of the seatpost.
↑When you turn the dial...
↑the rubber ring here expands in diameter.
The dial-expanding rubber ring and the rubber ring on the opposite end
come in 27.2mm and 31.6mm sizes,
but my seatpost is titanium with thin walls, so
the 27.2mm end rubber ring caused the pump to rattle with vibration,
and the 31.6mm ring was too thick,
so as a temporary fix I wrapped rubber sheet around it
and secured it with vinyl tape to build up the diameter.
↑Like this
A seatpost battery adapter
(→here)
might give a cleaner way to build up diameter.
Incidentally, since this pump's mounting position
conflicts with the seatpost battery location,
it's not ideal for Shimano drivetrain users.
I recall that one reason Shimano made wired electric drivetrains
in the M9000 XTR generation but couldn't roll out
electric components for M9100 XTR
was that dropper seatposts and their internal batteries
started overlapping in position around that time.
When you slide this gray ring downward
it switches to an "OPEN" marking and
a Presta valve head appears.
As I linked earlier,
let me also write about the Vision Air separately.
↑It's a telescoping mini pump with gauge of about this size,
but the head section doubles as a CO₂ cartridge adapter,
and it can carry one cartridge inside the pump
without piercing it.
Recently I'd been carrying a total of three cartridges—
one in this pump and two in my tool can—
but when I switched to the NINJA P,
I forgot to bring along a standalone CO₂ cartridge adapter.
About why air wouldn't go in with the NINJA P:
Panaracer is a rim cement manufacturer,
and I had their Purple Light TPU tubes
on the front wheel, carrying two spare Purple Lights as well.
TPU tubes are chosen for portability when unused
because they're compact.
The faded and stretched one in the right of the image
was the tube in the front wheel,
and the left is a fresh spare.
I went with Purple Light because our shop's initial batch
had three cases where—including my own bike—
the tire panicked the day or two after we pressurized it,
so I thought "this won't sell"
and pulled the last two units from the shelf.
It's not that all Purple Lights are bad.
In fact, the one in my front wheel had no issues for over six months,
and when I checked the punctured Purple Light from a customer,
there was a tiny pinhole-like hole on the inside,
but the rim tape side looked completely fine,
so I put in a fresh Purple Light and had no further issues—
so it came down to whether I'd simply gotten a defective tube
rather than any problem with the rim tape side.
Here's the thing: I pumped and pumped with the NINJA P
and no air would go in because
the spare tube already had a hole in it.
Since it was my first time using it, I didn't know what proper inflation feels like,
so I blamed the pump's performance rather than the spare tube.
And worst of all, the other spare tube
also had a small hole in it.
I had the two spare Purple Lights in
a slightly thick ziplock-style bag
(↑not Ziploc® brand,
but a ziplock-type generic equivalent)
in their factory-folded state,
and of course with valve caps still attached.
I also keep folding tools and such in a bag,
and while it's possible the CO₂ cartridge threads could have punctured it
(and only through the plastic),
I wouldn't expect that to actually pierce a tube.
Besides, from how I orient things in my tool can,
the threads shouldn't touch the tube anyway.
Still, I won't say "I did nothing wrong."
With a proper tube from a proper maker,
this wouldn't be something I'd need to worry about at all—
it's my mistake for skipping the initial defect check.
How I got home from that 11 PM 7-Eleven with no good spare tubes:
The image above is the unused spare tube.
You can see the crease marks from factory folding.
I circled the puncture with a permanent marker.
I took this photo while pumping with a floor pump,
but the tube kept deflating so quickly it was hard to get the shot.
There's no way the NINJA P could've inflated that.
The puncture is at the corner that bears load when folded.
So I can't say whether this hole was there from factory.
If you have an unused Purple Light tube, I'd recommend
inflating it gently and checking for leaks.
With tubular tires we sometimes inflate to check for factory defects,
but Purple Light is the only clincher tube I know of
that warrants this kind of precaution.
So how did I get home?
I took the other perforated tube,
ligated the puncture site,
and installed it in the tire.
The ligation in the image is still in the state I did it that night.
↑When inflated, it looked like this
This is a recreation I did in front of the shop after I got home,
using the actual ligated tube—
the tube became almost straight relative to the tire's arc.
But it stretches surprisingly well, and I was able
to mount it on the tire.
When I put air in the ligated tube with the NINJA P,
the tire inflated normally.
It performs about as well as
Topeak's similar-length Pocket Rocket
(shown in the top image).
My apologies for doubting you... I'll continue our friendship.
↑The tire shape where it was ligated came out like this,
but worried about bursting, I rode at roughly 2 bar pressure,
and the large deformation of the contact patch made
this depression unnoticeable to my feel.
On flat ground I'm managing 25 km/h.
↑The bead is properly seated
↑It's not seated
Actually, at 2 bar I couldn't get the full bead seated,
and what bothered me more was that
when the unseated portion came into contact,
the rim's bead hook might be rubbing the tire sidewall—
I heard a "Jolt" sound once per wheel rotation
(though it might've been from the ligation point).
Related to that, the tire sidewall on the right side only (lower image)
had its casing unraveling accelerate dramatically.
It was my last transparent 28C—valuable—but...
It may have been fortunate the tire was 28C though.
With a 23C, 2 bar pressure wouldn't let it roll properly.
Thinking I might use it again soon,
I didn't reinstall the NINJA P in the seatpost
but kept it in my jersey pocket.
Sure enough, it was a slow leak,
and over the 35km back home from restart
I topped up air four times at traffic lights.
The "Jolt" sound mostly stopped after a while.
I don't know why.
While this was a disaster,
I'm consoling myself with the fact that it didn't create
a situation troubling to others,
and that those defective Purple Lights will never
find their way into use again.
Addendum:
While I was telling a customer about this ligated tube
as I worked on their wheel inspection,
they mentioned: "I put a Chinese TPU tube in the rear wheel
two days ago, and I think it's slow leaking."
I checked and sure enough—
there really was a hole.
I posted the images because I'd promised to feature it in an article,
and while I hadn't meant to expose the maker's name,
the puncture being right where the maker's markings are printed—
that's just bad luck for them.
I used a Tubolito patch for TPU tubes
to seal the hole.
Since I did it free with the wheel inspection,
no hard feelings if it fails.