CO2 Canister

This rather large CO2 canister dates back to the 1950s. It belonged to Mariposa Bicycles founder and vintage parts collector Mike Barry Sr. The bands in the centre might seem to evoke Italy’s flag. Those three colours, however, were from Barry’s club, Morden crc (Cycle Racing Club), in London. Barry lettered the club’s name, as well as his own, near the top of the canister. The main colour of the tool, celeste, does have an Italian connection, though. Barry was a big fan of Fausto Coppi, who rode Bianchi bikes throughout his career.

Apart from the size of this CO2 canister, it has another feature that sets it apart from most contemporary cartridges. This one is refillable. “You could get them refilled at the local shop,” says Michael Barry, Barry Sr.’s son. “It’s awesome in the environmental sense. The canisters we use today are pretty wasteful.”

Racers in the ’50s would mostly have to fix their own flats during events. The tubular would come off. The spare, which was pre-glued, would then get stuck onto the rim. “With the new tire, you might have to be a bit careful flying through corners,” Michael says. “If you pumped it up pretty hard, it would usually adhere well. You could at least finish the race.”

The strike against the old canister is its weight. “It’s not light. It’s a chunk of metal about the size of an average zucchini,” Michael says. In this case, a celeste zucchini.— Matthewpioro