Unsure what to think

[Catrin]

Tomorrow I hope to ride for the first time in 6 months However, I sold my bike rack that I had bought for my mountain bike, so once again, I get to take the front wheel off my bike to put it into the back of my Kia Soul. That isn't a problem.

Because my inflated tires are wider than the brake calipers, I must deflate my tire to get the wheel off the bike. No problem, and periodically over the last 6 months I've inflated my tires and told my Gunnar how se*y a bike she is

A short time ago I was deflating the tire so I could remove the wheel. The tire was, basically, flat, and there was a POP. It sounded like it had suddenly gone flat but that makes no sense as it was already flat. Any thoughts on what might have happened? I am trying to avoid a trip to the LBS before riding tomorrow as, frankly, the purpose of tomorrow's ride is to see if I still get neurological symptoms on the bike. If so then I've a few choices to make.

Of course, it wouldn't cost that much to swing by the LBS tomorrow and have them switch out the tube...they can do that a LOT faster than I can. Is this a normal thing to happen when intentionally deflating a tire?

[Owlie]

I wonder if the rubber around the valve failed. When it happens to me, it's usually a hiss, but yours could have gone suddenly.

[Catrin]

I wonder if the rubber around the valve failed. When it happens to me, it's usually a hiss, but yours could have gone suddenly.

hmmmmm, that wheel is already in my car for tomorrow. Well, I don't even have a tube (I don't think), I owe it to myself to run by the LBS tomorrow. They can change the tube - or figure out what happened, for not much money and do it much faster. Assuming my glutes won't be too sore for riding tomorrow, I hit them VERY hard this morning, so hard that they are getting my attention.

I do wonder if it sitting for 6 months made it more likely to fail due to not being used? That tube, however, was changed very late last summer so it isn't even a year old. No matter, I will get it checked out.

[OakLeaf]

No ideas, just wanted to wish you good luck tomorrow.

[Catrin]

No ideas, just wanted to wish you good luck tomorrow.

Thank you! I am a little...nervous. That is only to be expected, surely my body hasn't forgotten how to ride clipped in in 6 months! That is what I keep telling myself at least.

[Catrin]

Silly me, there wasn't a problem at all

Apparently when a bike tire hasn't been deflated for a LONG time, it can do this. The huge popping sound was the bead loosening. I still don't get why that didn't happen until the tire was all the way down, but the important part was that nothing needed doing. My LBS took a good look at everything and pronounced it good!

No riding today - my hamstring on one leg and piriformis on both were complaining after the endurance workout I completed yesterday. Unsure it is actually the hammie, I call it that. It wasn't bad, by no means, but I've learned it is best just to take an easy day when this happens - and I need to be ready to meet with my KB coach tomorrow. So no riding or trail running today. Instead I walked a mountain bike trail I would like to run and did some reconnaissance. By the end of my 2.5 mile walk, which actually wasn't that slow, all was feeling better. Still need to do some foam rolling, but considering what I did yesterday I am not suprised there were after-effects. I AM, however, very glad that they were all lower-body, nothing shoulder/neck related

It is supposed to rain the next few days and then a cool-down, but I want to go ahead and load my bike in my car tomorrow morning in case I've a chance to ride between the rain drops.

[TigerMom]

Dear Catrin,

I was thinking of your neck problems and your love of biking.

I saw a guy once who did road biking but had a custom Flat bar type handlebar with a very long, long stem. He said that he loved road biking but couldn't bend over anymore due to his neck/back. So, he rides a road bike with a very high handlebar.

Maybe you can ask your LBS about it?

[Catrin]

Thanks for the good thoughts, and yes Murieen, I am very unsure. I also don't REALLY want to sell her So I need to decide what to do with that. I DO want to try it, and try it soon. Even if I don't get back on it for another year I will prove to myself that my body hasn't forgotten HOW to ride! It is also true that there are very few stock bikes out there that I CAN ride without expensive modifications - which is why I've a custom bike to begin with.

Tiger Mom, my riding position really can't be more upright. It is a true custom bike that was designed with that in mind... Very good thought though, thanks!

[ridebikeme]

Catrin:

It seems as though you have plenty of ideas about your "pop", but thought that I would offer another option with you having to take your wheel off each time to transport your bike.

First, if your brakes have adjuster barrels that can either tighten or loosen cables, then I would take it to LBS and ask them to do what I'm about to mention. Rather than having to let all of the air out each time, you can have the brakes adjusted so that all you would do is loosen the adjuster barrels to let the wheel out. Obviously, once you remount the wheel you will need to tighten the barrel adjuster in order to have any braking power at all. I have a customer that has the same issues as you, and it seems that this requires a lot less energy for you and definitely saves some time.

Have fun on your ride!!

[Catrin]

That won't work Ridebikeme, or so I've been told. I will however, check with them again!

[ridebikeme]

Obviously your LBS knows your bike better than I do. I was looking at your photo and noticed that it appears that you have some sort of v-brake, so even if there are no adjustment barrels on the brake caliper itself, most brake levers do have them.

At any rate, I'm sure your LBS will help you if they can.

Have a great ride!

[Owlie]

Thanks for the good thoughts, and yes Murieen, I am very unsure. I also don't REALLY want to sell her So I need to decide what to do with that. I DO want to try it, and try it soon. Even if I don't get back on it for another year I will prove to myself that my body hasn't forgotten HOW to ride! It is also true that there are very few stock bikes out there that I CAN ride without expensive modifications - which is why I've a custom bike to begin with.

Tiger Mom, my riding position really can't be more upright. It is a true custom bike that was designed with that in mind... Very good thought though, thanks!

I can understand being unsure about riding, given what you've shared. Here's my $0.02: Keep her for right now. You won't get anything that suits your needs nearly as well. The other thing is, because it's a custom bike (and is very custom!), selling her may take a very long time, so it's probably not a good option even if you're desperate for money. (Obviously, things change if it becomes an issue of *can't* ride anymore.) And don't worry about "forgetting" how to ride. I hear it's just like riding a bike. I hope everything works out for you. (Weather in the midwest, behave!)

I'm in a similar boat right now, though with different causes (also with an angry piriformis, it turns out). I've contemplated selling the Charge (not nearly as attached to Rex as I am to the Avail), but he's staying in my living room for the forseeable future.

[Catrin]

The unsureness isn't from any one given event, but three huge events - the dog bite, the permanent neck injury, and the event last fall. I agree the chances of my selling the Gunnar for anything close than a reasonable amount, or even for next to nothing, is slim. As earlier state, I really don't WANT to sell her. I do feel a bit guilty every time I walk into my home gym and see her collecting dust in the corner and I've the thought that perhaps it would be better if someone has her who can ride her as such a great bike deserves to be ridden. Time will tell. Soon, very soon, on a day when I'm not sore from my other activities, I will take her out for 30 minutes and see what my neck thinks of things.

Ridebikeme, your idea does have me curious. My LBS has new staff who seem to be quite skilled. While it is hard to believe my fitter (who is a great wrench as well) would have been wrong about that, it certainly doesn't cost me anything to get another opinion. Frankly I had forgotten this little issue with my bike or I wouldn't have sold my expensive hitch rack I had for my old mountain bike.

[ridebikeme]

Catrin: I will admit that it does take some time to figure out how to get the correct amount of tension for this to work, especially if the only adjustment barrels are on the brake levers. But I'm sure LBS can check and give you more info.

My only other suggestion is to simply put everything out of your mind and go for a ride, and enjoy it. That doesn't mean that I am trying to belittle any of your issues by any means, simply trying to get your head in a different spot where you can enjoy the pedals moving in circles again.

[Catrin]

...
My only other suggestion is to simply put everything out of your mind and go for a ride, and enjoy it. That doesn't mean that I am trying to belittle any of your issues by any means, simply trying to get your head in a different spot where you can enjoy the pedals moving in circles again.

I appreciate that, and that is what I am attempting to do.