It started out yesterday morning when I went out to the garage to get my bike for my regular morning commute to the train station. I grabbed my bike, and noticed that the rear tire was flat. My options are limited (the other bikes have been hanging long enough that they are also flat, and I currently don't have a car - aside from the wife's van, which she will need today) and since I have a class after work tonight in another part of town, getting a ride is not an option. I quickly change my tube (I found a sliver of metal I must have picked up the night before), and head out for the train. About a mile down the road, my rear tire is flat again! After a brief meltdown, I call for SAG support from the wife. She comes and takes me and my bike to the train.
The first part of the morning at work was spent repairing the tube from the first flat, and determining why the second tube also went flat (there was another sliver of metal in the tire, also it looked like an existing patch has failed), and lunch included a trip to the local downtown bike shop for a new patch kit and a new tube (just in case...).
After work, I rode to the class down a particularly ugly road. Aside from one lady honking because I was "in her way", no incidents to report from that, fortunately.
After the class, I come out to find that my front tire is now flat (goathead). Fortunately, I had a friend in the class who coordinates all of the SAG support for pretty much every group ride in the valley, and who always has his truck stocked with tubes, pumps, etc... We quickly changed the tube - only to pinch flat the tube while reseating the tire on the rim. The next tube held air, so I made my journey home.
I am happy to report that I made it home without any incident.
About 30 minutes after getting home, the wife and I heard a loud bang - like someone slamming a cupboard. I checked in the garage, because it sounded like something falling out there to me. Nothing was out of place, except when I looked at my bike, I found this:
The front tire blew, and blew hard enough to unseat the tire bead from the rim!
Let's take a count...
Two flats on the rear tire. Two flats on the front tire, and a blowout.
All of this on the first day of Bike Month, no less!
Click on the picture for a list of all the activites happening here in Utah
Somehow, I have offended the Gods of cycling, and they are angry with me.
The only way to appease the Gods is to offer a sacrifice, therefore, I am taking applications.
I am happy to report that there were no flats so far today.
No comments:
Post a Comment