I went for a ride on my tri-bike on Friday for the first time in several months. I've been riding my road and mountain bike whenever I had the courage to brave the cold. Most of the time I've been inside on the trainer. I can't wait for spring to get here.
While on my ride Friday I had a flat. Looking back, I had noticed previously that the front tire was completely flat whenever I checked it as it hung on the rack in my garage. I blew it up and it seemed fine. I rode with Susan a bit before going out on my own. I planned for to ride about 50 miles by myself. The weather was sunny and around 60-degrees. I was on my way home when I noticed the front tire pressure was low. I stopped at a red light and pushed down hard on my bike's handlebars. The tire was really low. I had to stop and do something. I decided to take the easiest route. I called my wife with my cellphone. She'd surely come get her stranded husband. She didn't answer her phone. Dang! Option two - call again - no answer. Dang-Dang! I was on my own.
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| Park Tool (blue) and Bontrager (red) tire levers |
I had a spare tube, Park Tool tire levers (blue), two CO2 cartridges and an Air Chuck Elite mini inflator. Everything I needed to replace the tube and get home. I prefer the Bontrager levers (red) though. They have a little bump that helps keep the lever on the rim. I took the front wheel off of my bike and got to thinking, I don't want to do this, here, at this red light 10 miles from home. I decided to take the second easiest route. I put the wheel back on my bike and re-inflated it with my CO2 cartridge. This quick fix would get me home.
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| Leaky tire tube stem |
At home I removed the suspect tube and inspected it in the kitchen sink. I found the leak to be at the stem. Not at the valve itself but just below that between the cap and stem threads. I looked through my bike stuff and found another tube loosely laying amongst my bike stuff. I checked it out in the same manner. It had the same leak. That's odd! I threw both of these tubes in the trash and checked out a third tube still in its box. It was fine, problem solved.
A second but shorter ride along a similar route two days later went uninterrupted. Much of this route is on the same streets as where the Southern Crescent Cycling club group rides.
I got home just before dark. Great ride!
Thanks for reading.
