This next post was supposed to be about my exercises. I guess that will be after this. This post is about a flat tire. I know, I've done multiple posts on the subject. Since I was aggravated, I'm posting about it.
Yesterday I was at the Veloway with my coach, Willy Ross. In addition to tooling around on my new fixed gear bike, I brought my gold medal winning time trial bike. I brought it along because it fits me perfectly and Willy was going to set up the fixed gear exactly like it, so needed to take measurements. I arrived a few minutes early and had time to take a short loop of the Veloway on the time trial bike. Afterwards, Willy did his thing in setting up the new bike and I then put the time trial in my car. Willy then paced me around the Veloway so I could get a good feel of the fixie. It felt great, pedaling was smooth and effortless. All went well, we finished and I drove home. It had been a long day and rather than off-load the bikes when I got home, I left them for this morning.
The time trial bike was the first out of the car and as soon as the back tire hit the ground I knew it was flat. Pook, Ding-fu! After getting the fixie out and settled, I pulled the back wheel and brought it to the kitchen (where I do all of my at-home tube replacements). Then I went back to the garage and the road bike, where my extra tube and tools were safely ensconced in the saddle pack. Oops, back to garage to get the tire pump out of the car. Back to the garage to get the tube repair kit. By way of explanation, I keep emergency, temporary patches in the saddle pack and do permanent repairs at home. Dang, the back tire on the time trial bike is a Zipp 808. Back out to the garage to get the tube-extension tools.
Last year I broke my Crank Brothers extending tire lever so I was making do with two standard ones. I really miss the old one. Once the tube was removed I aired it up in order to find a hole, which I did. I marked the spot(s) on the tire to give it a once-over after repairing the tube. Tube repaired, aired to make sure I did it right, and set aside while I checked the tire. Inside and out, meticulously. Nothing. Tube still holding air so I installed.
It was a tight fit, and with my weak thumbs, I needed leverage. As careful as I was, I must have grabbed a bit of butyl, because what little air that was in the tube rushed out. Bummer! To be clear, this happens to me about once every six times. Out of time, get back to it tonight.
After dinner, I tackled the tube installation again. Being extra careful, plus prayers, got it installed without incident. Aired up and as of now is still holding air. Total time messing with this was about an hour. At least it took place in a well lighted, heated environment.
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