The Race of Truth
We’ve all felt it; going over a bump or through a corner and feeling that unmistakable bit of slop in the handling that sends your heart straight to your feet. Hoping you’re wrong, you bounce the tire as you roll along, confirming you’ve got a puncture.
But it’s not really flat – not yet, at least. Just softening. The question is, do you stop or do you try to keep going and hope its a slow enough leak to finish the ride? Barring that, can you at least get to a comfortable spot to change the tire, such as the little café near the turnaround point. Everyone who has ever changed a tire knows that changing a tire with a coffee at hand is a civilized way to go about such things.
Or, hypothetically, you realize that you’ve forgotten to bring the little tool that removes your valve extender and valve core, making it impossible to change your tire. Which means you are now committed to a race against your slow leak to get home.
Forget the contre la montre; the real race of truth is the race against the escape of air in your tire as you speed home at full gas in an attempt to avoid a long wobbly walk of shame in cycling shoes.
Spoiler alert: I made it home. Hypothetically.
@Puffy
If there’s no more riding it, send it to Buckit & get them to make you a belt/watchband.
@Mikael Liddy
I’ve seen those belts! A very excellent idea sir!
@Puffy
Yep, I concur, Ive got one penciled in for my watch on or around the 25th Dec.
@Phillip Mercer
Surely there is one thing more irritating… listening to them prate on about how their tubs are So Much Betterer.
@ChrisO
all this talk of sealant, syringes, vinyl tubing, valve stems etc , this is better how again?
@piwakawaka
Haha! I’m sure that’s not true – I was meaning the less hitter-ry bunch rides.
@wiscot
I’ve been dealing with that crap all week as well.
@Canucklehead
Or just replacing the time tape…but this might be the best point raised on this thread. Flat? Fine. Check the tire for debris that caused it, and if it’s a big thing like a screw that went through to the rim, then you check the rim for sharp bits and fix anything that is abrasive before the next ride.
We’ve all been there, son.
For all you tub haters, bee tee dubs – we don’t have this problem.
@ChrisO
Very clever, and also really made me laugh, despite how recumbent-esque the joke inherently is. Nevertheless, the strike at the heart of truth inclines me to award you +1 badge despite the fact that I also recall you telling me something along the lines of, “It’s going to be hard convincing the missus that I have to buy all new wheels to change over to tubs” on Keepers Tour when you were riding tubs and loving it.
@piwakawaka
Tell me again how the sealant works 80% of the time, every time…
@frank
I said that? Well I suppose if it was a way to convince the missus I should buy new wheels it would be excusable.
Anyway, I’ll take badges when they’re on offer.
@ChrisO
I thought it was you, but it could easily have been another one of you pommy twats.
Orange Seal, always in stock…
@frank
Wasn’t me. I’d already brought into the “tubs are so much betterer” thing that @ChrisO finds so tedious.
Personally, I find the amount of flats that the clincher crowd suffer to be irritating.
Btw, I’m sure @ChrisO will swear that he’s not interested in the game but the Aussies are in the middle of a very heavy defeat at the hands of the poms at Five Day English Baseball (the real world series). Calling him a pommy twat will cut deep.
@chris
[ Redd Foxx voice ]
You big dummy!”
Your comment could hex us all! I’ve had a 2-year run on 4000s and Gatorskins, and now attempting to start another big lengthy run on Veloflex open and tubular.
No flats whether on tub wheels or clincher.
@chris
I completely deny being a pommy.
Although I did get into a supermarket checkout fight with a Frenchman this morning, so maybe I’m being assimilated.
If the fuckers could understand queues they might have a hope of sorting out those migrants.
@Dan_R
Do those beer glasses ship international?
Fixing a flat on a still muggy summer evening near a loch anywhere in Scotland is utter utter misery thanks to the Highland midge