New Strategy
So. New strategy. Need to start blogging before the old man is sleepy. Good grief. What am I, 80 years old?
So where was I? Seems like, oh yeah, shit, I have a flat tire. Lynn comes to pick my sorry-no-backup-plan hide home. I'm a bit frustrated as the day was really made for a ride and I'm screwing around with a flat tire.
I go home to switch bikes, another example of the advantages of owning multiple bikes, and ride off to the trailhead again. I came across no fewer than 3-riders dealing with flat tires. It felt better to be in a position to ask "hey, you got everything you need?". Talking to one of these ridiers we came to the conclusion that a fool and his beer bottle are soon parted. I've got no problem with beer. In fact, I like beer. The broken bottles I have issues with.
Quick aside. I was riding my Gitane earlier when I got the flat. It's a super comfy frame just right for a long ride. The trouble is that I've had more flat tires on that bike than I can believe. In fact, in the past year it's the only bike that's had a flat. Coincidence? I think not. I believe I've got some bottom of the barrel NOS Kenda tires. Likely reinforced with tissue paper. I've has other Kendas with no problems, but these are taking a trip to the trash. Time to replace them with something a bit more robust. Advice/opinions gladly accepted.
Long story short. It's twice as far out of the woods as the trip in. I found myself far from home and on a much longer ride than anticipated. Cool. No problem. I feel great. Trouble is about half way back, I run out of gas. No fuel in the tank. Stopped at the first burger joint I spied and ordered a shake and monster burger. The only chocolate shake available had banana in it. Will this be ok with me? FINE. What they didn't know is that at this point I would have taken a chocolate shake flavored with dog doo. I'll tell you, that was the BEST burger I've ever had. Funny how a out of gas shaky as hell hunger makes anything taste good.
So I continue on my way home. I feel better but not great. I think I let it go a little too long. Now I'm fighting a fair headwind, I swear I was fighting a headwind on the way out. I'm getting a little demoralized but there's no way I'm calling Lynn to rescue me twice in a day. I found the mantra "Mommy,please help me" was effective in keeping me going. Finally came to a rise that offered my first view of downtown Saint Paul. Damn, I've still got a pretty fair ride in front of me. I made it eventually but not without my share of suffering. I saw a billboard earlier in the day that proclaimed "pain is weakness leaving the body". Maybe. I was starting to believe that pain is strength leaving the body. Actually, I think both are true.
Lesson learned. I know that I need to take some food, and refuel on a regular basis, on any ride that goes much beyond 2-hours. Funny what you can forget over the winter. Monday. I wasn't sore but definitely depleted. No problem with the hill on the way to work, but not much reserve. I'm about back to normal today as I took it pretty easy, at least physically, on Monday. Trying to eat some decent food and build the system back up.
End of story. Ride on, friends.
So where was I? Seems like, oh yeah, shit, I have a flat tire. Lynn comes to pick my sorry-no-backup-plan hide home. I'm a bit frustrated as the day was really made for a ride and I'm screwing around with a flat tire.
I go home to switch bikes, another example of the advantages of owning multiple bikes, and ride off to the trailhead again. I came across no fewer than 3-riders dealing with flat tires. It felt better to be in a position to ask "hey, you got everything you need?". Talking to one of these ridiers we came to the conclusion that a fool and his beer bottle are soon parted. I've got no problem with beer. In fact, I like beer. The broken bottles I have issues with.
Quick aside. I was riding my Gitane earlier when I got the flat. It's a super comfy frame just right for a long ride. The trouble is that I've had more flat tires on that bike than I can believe. In fact, in the past year it's the only bike that's had a flat. Coincidence? I think not. I believe I've got some bottom of the barrel NOS Kenda tires. Likely reinforced with tissue paper. I've has other Kendas with no problems, but these are taking a trip to the trash. Time to replace them with something a bit more robust. Advice/opinions gladly accepted.
Long story short. It's twice as far out of the woods as the trip in. I found myself far from home and on a much longer ride than anticipated. Cool. No problem. I feel great. Trouble is about half way back, I run out of gas. No fuel in the tank. Stopped at the first burger joint I spied and ordered a shake and monster burger. The only chocolate shake available had banana in it. Will this be ok with me? FINE. What they didn't know is that at this point I would have taken a chocolate shake flavored with dog doo. I'll tell you, that was the BEST burger I've ever had. Funny how a out of gas shaky as hell hunger makes anything taste good.
So I continue on my way home. I feel better but not great. I think I let it go a little too long. Now I'm fighting a fair headwind, I swear I was fighting a headwind on the way out. I'm getting a little demoralized but there's no way I'm calling Lynn to rescue me twice in a day. I found the mantra "Mommy,please help me" was effective in keeping me going. Finally came to a rise that offered my first view of downtown Saint Paul. Damn, I've still got a pretty fair ride in front of me. I made it eventually but not without my share of suffering. I saw a billboard earlier in the day that proclaimed "pain is weakness leaving the body". Maybe. I was starting to believe that pain is strength leaving the body. Actually, I think both are true.
Lesson learned. I know that I need to take some food, and refuel on a regular basis, on any ride that goes much beyond 2-hours. Funny what you can forget over the winter. Monday. I wasn't sore but definitely depleted. No problem with the hill on the way to work, but not much reserve. I'm about back to normal today as I took it pretty easy, at least physically, on Monday. Trying to eat some decent food and build the system back up.
End of story. Ride on, friends.
posted by Jim at Tuesday, April 11, 2006
1 Comments:
Up until last year I was buying the cheapest tires on sale from Nashbar. Two summers ago I had 6 flats over 3200 miles of riding. Last year I bought better tires, payed more for them and had zero flats over 5700 miles. If you do a lot of riding, good tires are well worth the money.
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