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soniaAfter 6+ years with no flats (ignoring last year's caused by a bike store mechanic), I had two today. Well, okay, three. Rear tire, of course. It's been raining all day and 40 degrees out. Those are the downsides.
There are a lot of upsides. After a year of not carrying pump, spare tube, and patch kit (see previous no-flat record), I had just started carrying them again a week ago. I wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere. I had a sheltered place to change the first flat, caused by the tube wearing out at the valve. That's a non-patchable failure, so I put in the spare tube.
I don't mind most of the process of changing flats. Getting the tire off, though, that's annoying, especially with cold, wet hands. Getting the tire back on is even more annoying. My low back is Not Pleased about the whole thing.
Once installed, the spare tube was not inflating with my portable pump. I knew I was within 3 blocks of a bike shop, so I walked the bike over there to wash my hands and borrow their floor pump. The "new" tube promptly started hissing, probably because it's been carted around on the bike for thousands of miles (see previous no-flat record).
I handed the bike and $22.50 to the shop mechanic, which bought me her tire-wrangling expertise and two replacement tubes. "Twice is too many," I told her, regarding my own willingness to change flats.
I continued on my merry, soggy way and was doing a final loop around to the library when I felt a bump and was abruptly riding on a re-flattened rear tire. I pulled over, muttering about incompetent bike shop mechanics. Her good name is cleared however - there was a huge nail embedded in the tire. Who leaves these things in the road?! And why did it embed itself in my brand new tube!?
I walked the mile to the library and home. Twice is still too many for one day. I'll patch the tube tomorrow in my own garage, with lots of rags to clean everything first, and a floor pump to fill the tire.
If I had to have flats, they really did happen in the best possible way, within walking distance of the resources I needed and with nothing pressing on my schedule. A small superstitious part of me wonders if carrying the tools caused the flats somehow. Another superstitious part wonders if I felt the flats coming and that's why I started carrying the tools again.
Mostly, I feel lucky to have the physical, emotional, and financial resilience to get through a bumpy day with no harm done.
There are a lot of upsides. After a year of not carrying pump, spare tube, and patch kit (see previous no-flat record), I had just started carrying them again a week ago. I wasn't in a hurry to get anywhere. I had a sheltered place to change the first flat, caused by the tube wearing out at the valve. That's a non-patchable failure, so I put in the spare tube.
I don't mind most of the process of changing flats. Getting the tire off, though, that's annoying, especially with cold, wet hands. Getting the tire back on is even more annoying. My low back is Not Pleased about the whole thing.
Once installed, the spare tube was not inflating with my portable pump. I knew I was within 3 blocks of a bike shop, so I walked the bike over there to wash my hands and borrow their floor pump. The "new" tube promptly started hissing, probably because it's been carted around on the bike for thousands of miles (see previous no-flat record).
I handed the bike and $22.50 to the shop mechanic, which bought me her tire-wrangling expertise and two replacement tubes. "Twice is too many," I told her, regarding my own willingness to change flats.
I continued on my merry, soggy way and was doing a final loop around to the library when I felt a bump and was abruptly riding on a re-flattened rear tire. I pulled over, muttering about incompetent bike shop mechanics. Her good name is cleared however - there was a huge nail embedded in the tire. Who leaves these things in the road?! And why did it embed itself in my brand new tube!?
I walked the mile to the library and home. Twice is still too many for one day. I'll patch the tube tomorrow in my own garage, with lots of rags to clean everything first, and a floor pump to fill the tire.
If I had to have flats, they really did happen in the best possible way, within walking distance of the resources I needed and with nothing pressing on my schedule. A small superstitious part of me wonders if carrying the tools caused the flats somehow. Another superstitious part wonders if I felt the flats coming and that's why I started carrying the tools again.
Mostly, I feel lucky to have the physical, emotional, and financial resilience to get through a bumpy day with no harm done.
