Tuesday, April 20, 2010

That did not go as well as I had hoped

It was beautiful out there today. All I heard from people at work was how nice it was, as they came in from whatever they had been doing. I'd got to work early, and worked through most of my lunch so I could get home early. I had decided to take the trainer tire off and give Estela some fresh air.

Changing the tire went ok. I thought. Even though I was really careful, the back tire went flat just before the bride over Fish Creek. I'm guessing a pinch flat. This is on the second time I've changed a tire in the wild, and this was just as frustrating as the first time. I got everything back together, but then the CO2 cartridge would not fire. I pushed and pushed, and nothing. I ended up using the stupid pump, and only got the tire hard enough to get home. Of course, 30 seconds later I had hard tires again.

In the mean time, it had been a really gusty ride, and I could feel how rusty my bike handling was. Riding the hybrid is not the same. I was getting pushed around all over the road and having to work pretty hard to stay out of the gravel. There is no shortage of gravel and crap on the sides of the road.

After pumping the tire I decided to ride around the neighbourhood and get tuned in. Geez the roads are crappy here. I nearly got taken out twice by inattentive drivers. One didn't even look as he rolled into the intersection, then stopped. The other was merging onto the road I was on. He was looking right at me, but I don't think his brain actually registered me. I was already starting to move toward the middle of the road and slowing down when I could see the light bulb turn on. Between the flat, the drivers, the wind, and my rust skills I figured I was tempting fate to continue.

Throughout the ride I was getting weird transient pains in my calves, knees, and one new one in my right hip flexor. And this is for an easy short ride! An hour, tops. I'm going to take the attitude that the first of everything is the hard one, and next time will be better. I was driving right past MEC last night, if I'd known this was going to happen I'd have stopped and got more tubes and cartridges. I hate going out with less than two tubes and cartridges. Now I get to see if I can find and patch the hole. What fun.

5 comments:

  1. All this talk about tubes and cartridges has me all hot and bothered. Maybe next time you can write a tamer post.

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  2. I hate changing flats - they never go well for me either and I feel like I spend hours trying to change them. Least you got home in one piece.
    I think you're right, the first of everything is the hardest so hopefully it'll be easier here on out. That goes for tire changing too.

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  3. I cheat and use another wheel I use for my training tire. :) I just have to change wheels. Hee-hee!

    It will be nice when the roads have been swept -- there is lots of gravel here too.

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  4. LOL changing a tire "in the wild." There is something so alienating and frustrating about having to do it on your own in the middle of nowhere. Sorry about your luck-next time will be better for sure. Glad the weather was nice (minus the wind). Summer will be here soon enough.

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Looking forward to reading your comment!