August Riding

[ny biker]

I had a great ride yesterday, just short of 50 miles, which included a visit to the environmental research facility that I mentioned the other day. I had first heard of it a couple of years ago and finally went to check it out. They have some hiking trails that are open to the public as well as a dock for launching canoes and kayaks. It's run by the Smithsonian. As an added bonus, there's a visitors center with restrooms and a water fountain. In an area where public restroom opportunities are few and far between, it's always good to find a new one that we can use. We had a good group, 12 people who rode together comfortably for most of the ride.

When I got home I discovered that my front tire was soft, so I have another flat to fix. Don't get me wrong, I'm glad these are slow leaks that enable me to finish the ride and make the repairs at home. But still, three in one month is a bit much. I was at the bike shop today picking up some new tire levers (my old ones are just too thick) and they said if I bring them the tube with the valve stem problem they will replace it under warranty. The entire top part of the stem came off when I removed the cap on that tube the other day. Weird.