Flat out
Yesterday I was riding through the Garden of Eden itself, this evening I was fixing a flat tyre outside a carpark in Southport on a street commonly used by rat-running hoons. You can't get a bigger contrast than that (well, except for maybe cleaning assorted rubbish of your drivetrain while listening to the sweet sounds of Sarah Blasko). The sensation of walking out of your office at the end of the day for the ride home and finding a flat tyre is a unique one, and I would say worse than picking one up during the ride itself. It's that feeling that you're finally free, the day is finally done, and now... oh, hang on, it's not over yet.
Then there's the ride home. I never seem to be quite sure that the spare tube is holding air in the immediate aftermath of fixing a flat. I'm always somehow expecting it to start deflating again. Of course, I was feeling this again this evening, magnified by the fact that I had a headwind, but not one strong enough for me to really give it much thought. I kept thinking the 1-2km/h below the morning's speed was due to a slow deflation in the tyre (it wasn't). Then of course, I warmed up, and started pedalling harder because I didn't want to believe that the tyre was deflating (it wasn't). It's a ridiculous situation, but it seems to happen everytime I get a flat tyre.
I do, however, need a new hand pump. This was the first time I've used this one, and it just wasn't up to scratch. Enough inflation to limp home from work, but it won't be nearly sufficent when I have to re-inflate both tyres after taking the bike on a plane later this year.
posted by Chris L @ 9:01 pm
2 Comments:
I can't believe how well you've described the way I feel about flats.
I hate finding a flat at quitting time. I think to myself, "If only I'd found it earlier, I could have changed it at lunchtime."
As for the feeling that your tyre is going to deflate again after you've sorted out a flat, I thought I must be the only one that thought that way. I can't count the times that I've been certain that my tyre is feeling soft underneath me, only to find that it's still rock hard.
I have to agree. Although my fear got the better of me today when various components squeaked and squawked as I rode my 60KM. I panicked over every little sound, convinced that some part will fall off all of a sudden. To make things worse a tune-up is a 3 week wait and the new bike arrives in... 3 weeks. I figure if this one can hold together then all would be good.
I suspect, however, it's protesting the "changing of the guard" and won't go down without a huge fight.
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