A Day of small Firsts for me

[KnottedYet]

Do you love that Brooks B68?

I'm really thinking about one (though I shouldn't yet).

Sounds like you fit it well, such a long ride on a new Brooks! And congratulations on the flat and the speed. With big hills and all!

You got you some "Buns of Steel on Steel!"

[suzieqtwa]

Good job Lisa...............I had my first flat 3 days ago ,and I had to walk home 3 miles (lucky I was close). I had no idea what to do. It was my back tire also. Its something I really need to learn ,and the only way Im going to learn is take my tire off.

[ShubieGA]

Congrats on so many Firsts! I can't imagine flying downhill at 38 mph - I get nervous at 25-27! Good for you! Enjoy your ride tomorrow - it will be a breeze!

[Fredwina]

faster is funner! Trust me

[Bikingmomof3]

I know I am behind, but....


CONGRATULATIONS on all your milestones.

[Kitsune06]

I had my first flat relatively recently, too. Well, first flat on the ROAD BIKE. MTBs are different. I just load those w/ slime, when I get a puncture, I hop off, inflate, let it re-seal, then go. Wouldn't work the same on the road bike. So in one go, I got to learn how to operate those scary Prestas, take off my FREAKIN' TIGHT tires, pull out my patch kit (first time for that, too. No idea how it's taken me so long to need to use that...) and realize how woefully inadequate the tire levers on my multi tool are.

So I decide to go up on the sidewalk to avoid the bus that's stopping every 100 yards (or less) because the rush hour traffic up Hall had been *quite* prohibitive in going *around* said bus. All of a sudden I hear "Pop!" like running over a sizeable bit of gravel on a mtb or something. I think nothing of it until the bike starts going squirrelly and I start 'feeling' the bumps a little too much. Oh, yes. I was flat.

I patched the one hole (easily located by the chunk of glass protruding thru the tire) and sat pumping, pumping, pumping. It was only as I was telling the immensely kind recumbent cyclist who stopped to help that I couldn't pump it up, that it occurred to me that I might have more than one hole. Off came the tire (as I curse myself for not having a spare tube on hand, just my patch kit "It should be good enough!") and a 1x2" area was all chewed up, multiple holes etc. Eff. in addition to another hole further up. Recumbent Man (here RM) had a touring patch kit including a very large patch that just fit the area. I felt like that damsel in distress type, so typically saying "THANK YOU, Recumbent Man!"

but the tube was repaired- a learning experience- then I went to the bike shop w/ X and got a couple new tubes, new tires and a tube for my bag. Problem solved.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Most Excellent!!!

It is NOT easy to change a flat tire unless you've done it a few times. I haven't yet.
"Recumbant Man".....sounds like a real life super hero!!!
Kit- order this:
http://www.kk.org/cooltools/archives/001005.php
The Crank Brothers Speed Lever. It is the BEST most wonderful fast way to zip your tire on and off the rim. I have it- it works and then some. (but now i am practicing trying to do this stuff with my hands instead, though I have my speed lever just in case!) It's also very lightweight and not too big.

Good for you getting through the first flat. Sounds like it was a doozy!

Since you ride on streets now with lots of glass, you might want to get Kevlar lined tires- they REALLY cut down on flats due to punctures. I ride them on sharp rocks and gravel roads all the time and it amazes me that I've only gotten one flat so far in thousands of miles.

[Kitsune06]

Oh yeah, I have kevlar lined Conti Grand Prix 4-seasons. They feel like they roll pretty fast, not *too* heavy (I'm not racing...) and yes, that all-important kevlar lining

It's RECUMBENT MAN MAN MAN MAN MAN MAN MAN

[Jolt]

Good job Lisa...............I had my first flat 3 days ago ,and I had to walk home 3 miles (lucky I was close). I had no idea what to do. It was my back tire also. Its something I really need to learn ,and the only way Im going to learn is take my tire off.

Bummer! Does your local shop offer any kind of fix-a-flat class? Some shops do, and it would be worth looking into--you definitely do need to know how to fix a flat. I learned how to fix a flat at the local bike co-op that has open shop hours, and a few weeks ago was glad I did--had my first flat on the way to the grocery store (flatted just as I was getting to the parking lot), and was able to patch it myself. And of course, it was the rear. I think that's Murphy's law of flat tires!