D'vorahDavida
Yetzirah

Sundown Adventures
Mon Jul 16 2007

There I was, minding my own business, toodling down the bike path just as the sun was going down last night. Lovely evening. Just me and my Townie bicycle.

This was the second time I had gone this far down the trail. (I keep going a little further each week) but after I turned to go home, I was thinking to myself...' Gee Cupcake, you were doing this stretch at a much better clip yesterday? Why so slow? Low energy tonight? Why does this little hill seem so much harder to get up than just yesterday? Whatsamattawivyuh?

Then it dawned on me. Something's the matter with my tire.

Yep, you guessed it. The thing was going flat. The culprit?

The dreaded Bane of bicyclists.

I rode a little further while the tire got lower and lower, but finally had to get off and walk. A whole mile home. I did not have my walking shoes on either. I kept taking my sandals on and off as they were not the best things to be hiking in. Bare feet seemed more tolerable. But then I would put my sandals on again. I think this happened 4 or 5 times.

I tried to be philosophical about it. I spent some time thinking about my cell phone nestled cozily in my purse at home. I thought about a bicycle pump, which I don't have. I thought about the 'green slime' they put in my inner tube at the shop, telling me I should be able to pump up a flat and get home if I had that stuff in there. Of course this would require me to actually HAVE the pump that I don't own WITH me. I thought about the fact that it was getting dark. I thought about riding the bike with the flat tire. I thought that was stupid. So I thought about the chocolate chip cookies that Hub Man baked that day. Then I thought, 'Oh yeah, I already brushed my teeth, and I never eat anything after I brush my teeth at night.' I listened to the sound of the thorn scraping the asphalt each time the wheel went around, imagining all kinds of horrible things I might do to that thorn when I got home.


One thing about walking is you have a lot more time to think.

Anyway. I made it back finally. And my bike is sitting upside down here in the computer room with me. Waiting for its operation. The thorn is still in the tire.

Poor Townie.

Nasty thornses.

Sigh.


[album 65561 GoofyHen2.JPG]"That's what you get
for going off on that bike
and leaving dirty dishes
in the kitchen!"


10 Comments
  • From:
    Pragmatist (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Jul 16 2007
    You turned down chocolate chip cookies because you'd already brushed your teeth?

    You can't have a cookie, and brush the teeth again?

    Bless the day
  • From:
    Dustbunny3 (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Jul 16 2007
    I would bet it is a Goats head burr, Nasty things, Chris and Jason got flats on paper route till I put a steel belt liner in the tires. A pump they have is small and clips on frame would be handy or a fanny pack with water and snack bar. Step on one BARE foot and you will be in Pain .
  • From:
    Nibbles (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Jul 16 2007
    Okay, I'm going to tell you an amazing secret. Get a tiny bike pouch, and there is this thing you can buy with compressed air that you should also get. It's a must for anyone who rides very regularly. It's like... the size of a little mace container or something. Then you can can just fill your tire with air in like two seconds.

    And I think the green slime works pretty good.
  • From:
    Allimom (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Jul 16 2007
    We hateses the thornses! They burnses us!
    Alli
  • From:
    Nibbles (Legacy)
    On:
    Mon Jul 16 2007
    I figured out it's a CO2 inflator with cartridges.

    (you'll have to copy paste my "link")

    http://www.amazon.com/INNOVATIONS-Ultra-inflator-Threaded-non-threaded/dp/B000650VLC/ref=sr_1_17/105-4254874-6564414?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1184624670&sr=1-17

    If you can't get the link to work search co2 bike inflator on Amazon or wherever to get some pictures of what they look like. Make sure you get one that has cartridges, super super easy to use.
  • From:
    Mamallama (Legacy)
    On:
    Tue Jul 17 2007
    Lots of good advice there cupcake.

    Poor bike. Poor YOU!
    May it never, ever happen again.
    Hugs. Big ones.
    Tiggs
  • From:
    ImNotLisa (Legacy)
    On:
    Tue Jul 17 2007
    Ooh! I'm just glad you are okay! Yikes!
  • From:
    Blueheron (Legacy)
    On:
    Tue Jul 17 2007
    I think that hen should have a little more sympathy for your poor feet and tire!
  • From:
    InStitches (Legacy)
    On:
    Tue Jul 17 2007
    Sorry for the tired feet, but I am glad you got home ok.

    I hope in all your thinking you have thought up a plan for how to carry some emergency gear on Townie. Perhaps a little pouch or saddlebag would be good and please don't forget your water bottle. They make very nice ones that attach to the frame you know.

    Now go treat yourself to a cookie and put your feet up.
  • From:
    Bookworm (Legacy)
    On:
    Tue Jul 17 2007
    Yep, you certainly get more time to think while walking. Bummer, but I suppose you might have to get a pump now. ;-)