I went out for a ride round Glentress Black route today on a Kona
Caldera (HT, hired from the hub)
On the way up the hill in a very rocky section I heard a hissing sound
and had a flat in the front. Like a well oiled team, the people I was
with and myself had the wheel off and the tube out. While this was being
inspected and repaired, a new tube went on and the repaired tube went
into the bag just in case the p....... f.... was going to pay us another
visit. The repair needed a couple of patches as it was a pinch one and
we had 2 holes.
On the way down, for those that may know the route it was on the bermy
section before the fire road that takes you to Deliverance, the f....
came to see how we were getting on and my rear went down. I was in the
middle of the group (of 3) and the front rider vanished into the
distance. Between the 2 of us we soon had the rear off and the other
chap had the previously repaired tube back on while I applied 2 more
patches, yes another pinch. Things did not go quite as well this time as
the replaced tube now on the wheel would not hold air. At this stage I
had completed the patching and decided to check this tube, it was still
losing air. There was another pinch on the tube and so this used up 2
more patches before it would stay up. The tube that had originally been
repaired on the way up also had another pinch, but this was just marked
so we could find it again if needed later.
So, the reason none of you lot had any p.......'s this weekend was
because the f.... was taking a weekend break at Glentress and if you
count the number of holes she gave me I managed to get 8 in a ride that
would have taken between 2-3 hours, but came out at more like 4. I have
been truly blessed. Now I need to get some more patches.
Lessons learned:
- *ALWAYS* check the tyre pressure on hire bikes!
- for the 7/24, make sure there are plenty of spare tubes going out with
the riders.
--
Don Whybrow
Sequi Bonum Non Time
"This is all very interesting, and I daresay you already see me
frothing at the mouth in a fit; but no, I am not; I am just
winking happy thoughts into a little tiddle cup." (Nabokov,
Lolita)