WHUMPA! - October 9, 2020
We should maybe have reconsidered this past bike ride. We had intended to go 50 kms, but a few things worked against us…
This was Flat #4 in the past two weeks. You know – “Strike 3 and you’re out.” Laur is a baseball fan. He should know this! 😊 There have been so many flats in the past two weeks that we have actually given them names.
Now, Laur is pretty good at changing flats. As a university student, it was out of necessity. We just didn’t have the money to take a bike to the shop – let alone a vehicle to get it there.
And now, it’s out of experience. Though four flats in two weeks on the front tire… Laur decided it was time to take my Raleigh warhorse to Brandon at Inception Cyclery for some expert care. I asked him what happened and he opted to write it to me rather than repeat it four times. You know my hubs is worn down when he skips some punctuation:
->I took Jan’s bike to Inception Cyclery and said I thought it might need a new wheel since it had had 3 flats on the last 3 rides. Brandon said more likely it was the tire, not the rim, and asked if the punctures were on the side against the tire or the rim. I couldn’t remember, but said he could check the patch I had just put on. He said was the valve twisting sideways. I said yes I think so. For sure the tire he said.
Ok, I said. Replace the tire. Oh, I’m having a hard time getting 26” tires this year. Everyone wants them. I have one with knobbly tread instead of flat like yours. I said knobbly didn’t seem right for us geezers. He said no, probably not. But he’d order the tire and call me when it came in. In the meantime, we can take our chances, or put the bikes to bed for the winter. I’m leaning toward the latter.<-
I adore Brandon. Red hair, bushy beard, father of five, and loves fixing old bikes. His motto is:
Making Bikes
More Awesomer
One repair at a time!
When I see my hubs trying to wrestle my old Raleigh to the ground trying to get the tire on and off, and then trying to reinflate it with a mini-pump, I swear my motto must be:
Getting Flats
More Oftener
One hernia at a time!
- A late start for a variety of reasons. One of them was very happy – chatting on the phone to Melanie at Hospice Prince Edward. I would SO love to volunteer for them. A truly lovely team. I don’t miss my Mom’s suffering, but I do miss my Mom and the Staff at HPE.
- The bridge on Queenston St. was up. And it stayed up for at least 30 minutes before we decided to give up and change our route. One ship went through, and there was another in waiting, but it wasn’t moving. We love ships. We love the Welland Canal. But we also love to get on our way.
- It was cool and dull and windy. And there were a few odd drops of rain. Somewhat foreboding…
- But the piece de resistance was that I got a flat front tire in Port Dalhousie. About a 20 minute bike ride from home on our reduced 30 km bike ride. GAH!
This was Flat #4 in the past two weeks. You know – “Strike 3 and you’re out.” Laur is a baseball fan. He should know this! 😊 There have been so many flats in the past two weeks that we have actually given them names.
- Friendship Trail Flat. Between Port Colborne and Fort Erie, my bike started making a “whumpa, whumpa, whumpa” noise, and I looked down and my front tire was deflated – as was I.
- Apartment Flat. On our first morning to start cycling after a month of not, my front tire was squishy. This might have been a gentle warning. But Laur, every hopeful, just pumped it up.
- Carlton St. Flat. That same morning, we had only made it as far as the Tim Hortons – a five minute cycle – and “pop” goes my front tire.
- Port Dal Flat. Same style as description one... “Whumpa, whumpa, whumpa, etc.”
Now, Laur is pretty good at changing flats. As a university student, it was out of necessity. We just didn’t have the money to take a bike to the shop – let alone a vehicle to get it there.
And now, it’s out of experience. Though four flats in two weeks on the front tire… Laur decided it was time to take my Raleigh warhorse to Brandon at Inception Cyclery for some expert care. I asked him what happened and he opted to write it to me rather than repeat it four times. You know my hubs is worn down when he skips some punctuation:
->I took Jan’s bike to Inception Cyclery and said I thought it might need a new wheel since it had had 3 flats on the last 3 rides. Brandon said more likely it was the tire, not the rim, and asked if the punctures were on the side against the tire or the rim. I couldn’t remember, but said he could check the patch I had just put on. He said was the valve twisting sideways. I said yes I think so. For sure the tire he said.
Ok, I said. Replace the tire. Oh, I’m having a hard time getting 26” tires this year. Everyone wants them. I have one with knobbly tread instead of flat like yours. I said knobbly didn’t seem right for us geezers. He said no, probably not. But he’d order the tire and call me when it came in. In the meantime, we can take our chances, or put the bikes to bed for the winter. I’m leaning toward the latter.<-
I adore Brandon. Red hair, bushy beard, father of five, and loves fixing old bikes. His motto is:
Making Bikes
More Awesomer
One repair at a time!
When I see my hubs trying to wrestle my old Raleigh to the ground trying to get the tire on and off, and then trying to reinflate it with a mini-pump, I swear my motto must be:
Getting Flats
More Oftener
One hernia at a time!