Well tonight’s ride was completely screwed up, and I’m VERY happy it happened!
Mile 15 - POP - blew my back tire. Pulled over, and the tear was bigger than any patch kit could cover, particularly the patch kit I DIDN’T HAVE WITH ME.
Voila! Duct tape! (I always carry a bunch of it wrapped up). Duct tape the inside, insert my 1st spare tube (I carry two now) - DAMN - what idiot carries a tube with a 1-inch valve stem that won’t even peek through the opening? That was a wise investment.
Try 2nd tube - YES - long valve stem. Stick it in, empty 1st Co2 into it, but it feels too low. Squirt about an 1/8th of the 2nd co2. Feels perfect!
Pick up wheel to mount it back on - DAMN - where is the quick release rod? What the hell? Find it in the tall grass, but the nut and spring are gone!! Takes me several minutes of frantic searching to find the nut - but no spring. I rake my fingers through the grass for 10 minutes looking for that damn spring. Nothing. What the hell does that spring do, anyway? I can ride without it since I have no stinking idea what it does anyway - right?
Put the wheel back on - tighten the screw down. Sit on the seat - breathe a sigh of relief that my ride will continue - POP!!! I guess that 1/8th of Co2 #2 was a little too much. Now I have no tubes left, no quick-release spring, a popped rear tire, and I’m in the middle of nowhere on a country road. Thank goodness for a cell-phone. DAMN! Wife’s not home, and she’s not answering her cell phone. Eventually I got through to her, but it took a while!
Why am I VERY happy this happened today? This all happened NOW instead of 6-weeks from now at Ironman Wisconsin!!! Even better - it didn’t happen last week while I was riding in the remote mountains in Virginia, miles from a person, and NO cell service.
Thanks for listening!