About fifteen folks showed up for the ride, a good turnout, considering that the ride starts in Spicewood, about a 45-minute drive from my house. Most people had signed up for the 43 mile loop, with a couple doing the longer 63 mile loop and a couple opting for the 23 mile out and back. I forgot to group people by the route that they were riding, so we just kind of haphazardly left the parking lot. I was on the "Tank" (my steel framed Colnago), so I was just taking it easy. Eventually, there were three of us riding together, and the rest were behind.
Heading down a hill just before the turn onto Dead Man's Hole Road, I hit a rock in the road. "Ouch," I thought, "I'm glad that rock didn't blow my tire."
"Pssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst," went my rear tire.
We found some shade and stopped so that I could put in a spare tube. I pumped it up and, as I was putting the wheel back on the bike, I noticed that something didn't look right on the rear wheel. Either the hub was having an issue, or my freewheel (the set of gears) was trying to come off. As we were only 11.5 miles into the ride, I decided that I would turn around and go home. I got on my bike and made two pedal strokes.
"Pssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst," went my rear tire.
Aaargh! Taking the tire off again, and looking at the tube to see where the hole was, I was able to find that the tire itself had been torn by the rock, and the new tube had pinched itself in the tear. I employed the old bicyclists' trick of using a dollar bill to place on the inside of the tear, to act as a boot and keep the tube from finding the tear, and Steve gave me one of his two spare tubes. The other guy with us told me that he had a $20 bill that I could use, if the $1 bill wasn't enough to do the trick. We laughed, and now have an old bicyclists' joke about an old bicyclists' trick.
I re-inflated the tire, putting in less pressure than before, to try to help to prevent another blowout, and the three of us parted ways. I asked them to come looking for me if my truck was still in the parking lot when they finished.
I got about a quarter mile into my return trip when...
"Pssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssst," went my rear tire. (Less pressure, fewer "s"s.)
Aaaaaaaaaaaargh! Oh, well, I resigned myself to walking the 11 miles back, and hoping to either catch a lift from a passing truck or wait for Steve to come looking for me. Then I decided that I didn't really care if I tore up the rear tire, since I was going to throw it away anyhows, so I got back on the bike and gingerly pedaled my way onward. I tried to keep most of my weight over the handlebars and front wheel, to preserve my back tire the best I could; I didn't want the tire to come off and ruin the rim. This meant that I was standing a lot, leaning on my arms, and they were getting tired.
Another old bicyclists' trick, when the dollar bill trick doesn't work, is to stuff the tire with grass. Because we haven't seen any rain since the Nixon Administration, all of the grass by the roadside was pretty dry, and I thought that even if I was able to stuff the tire with it, I'd worry about it catching fire. I thought about what else I could stuff the tire with, and realized that I had something that was made for stuffing into tires: two tubes! I found another shady spot, and stopped to add the two tubes to the inside of the tire. This didn't do a whole lot to increase the volume of the tire, but I hoped that it would at least help to keep the tire on the rim. My biggest fear was the tire coming off.
The ride was anything but smooth, and made me feel like I was riding one of these:
I did eventually make it back to the truck, with no further incidents, and clocked 23 miles at a whopping 13.5mph.
18 comments:
That sucks!! But still, pushing your bike is better than not getting to ride at all.
I just got back from picking up my husband on the side of the road. Why? Because he had a flat and had sent his saddle bag (with spare tubes) along with his other bike to Dallas so he can ride while there next week. Whoops. Do you know of any organized rides in the Dallas area next week?
I'd rather sleep past 5:45am than push my bike. :-)
You're a good wife. I found these rides, but I don't know anything about them.
Oh, Kate, forever the optimist. I'd have ditched my bike and hitch hiked. Not that I'd have even been out there in the first place. Lazy like that.
Frank, I understand completely! Thanks for the link. I will pass them along.
Samsmama-I miss my bike so incredibly much! I would love to be able to get out on a rails to trails ride and just go. ::sigh:: You know, you ride a bike too! So you're not THAT lazy.
Kate, thank you. You have no idea how much energy it takes to sit on the back of the bike and do nothing. Why I'm not losing weight is mind boggling.
Not losing weight? Hmmm....that just doesn't make any sense. Maybe take a few 5 lb. hand weights with you next time.
Wow, Frank. You get an E for effort. I'm impressed. I got a flat yesterday on Stanton's ride. Not as dramatic for sure.
Pretty darn hot tho'. I didn't ride on Saturday which was super hot.
let's see- sometimes I get my bike out for a nice ride...usually by the time I've pedaled up the block- about 4 houses away, I'm ready turn around. I really just love coasting down the hill again :)
If I had heard Psssssssss, I would have just knocked someone else off their bike and gone home. Probably not the best 'cycler's etiquette', but I'm like that :)
Um, Mary, you know that ride we were planning on doing? I think that something came up.
:-)
innovative. I'm not an hardcore cyclist or anything, but I'm going to keep your old cyclist tricks in mind next time I'm cruising and have a blow out. Thanks Frank!
Dear Frank,
I drove my bike in the back of my van to the spot where we decided to meet.
I placed it on the ground and gently adjusted the wicker basket and handlebar streamers. I had gotten all the playing cards placed in the spokes...and waited... and waited. I rode in a little circle for awhile, but got tired and had to rest.
you never showed.
When I woke from my nap, I loaded my bike back up and drove home.
I can't believe you never showed up. I was all ready to ride that 100 yards and back. i practiced.
darn it.
I'm sorry that I didn't make it, Mary, but it sounds like you got a good workout, anyhows.
this was such an inspirational story! I can't wait to get a bike now! Especially if I get a flat while I'm with my kid. Let's see, she weighs 40 lbs, and the bike should add another... oh, I'm sure that will never happen, right?
No need to worry, MtnMama, I'm sure that you'll keep a much better lookout for rocks on the road than I can.
Poor Frank. Sounds like that was a pssssssssssy sort of day for you.
heh
So 23 miles at 13.5 mph? Oh dear. That's probably some kind of record, isn't it? Well, look at the bright side. You probably can't do much worse than that, so next time will probably be better, right? HA! :D
I think I will go for a ride with Mary. I have a basket on my bike too, except mine's wire instead of wicker. What I really want is one of those little bells for the handlebars so I can ring it if anybody who is moving slower than I am gets in my way. I'm going to get one too, if I ever find anyone who rides slower than I do! ;)
What happened to the $1 bill, and where was the guy with the $20 when you needed him?
The tire ordeal sucks. I've had that happen to me. No fun. I like the map device you put in our post.
Kat, I haven't looked for the $1 bill yet. I've been riding another bike.
Thanks, DW, that mapping website generates a map that I can download into my GPS. It doesn't guarantee that I won't miss or make a wrong turn, but it helps.
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