Today's Ride
- Thread starter FairfaxPat
- Start date
moonlite
Kona Fan
Hot day here today although trees are starting to show their autumn plumage -- 31C when I set out, taking it easy, on a 30k gravel ride. I really like the Aussie custom of knocking off early on a Friday afternoon to go to the pub, or in my case, being self-employed, to put in some riding time.
Certain patches of the dirt road section are deeply corrugated -- not a huge problem when grinding uphill, but a whole different thing when coming back down. I hit a vicious patch of them when descending at about 40kph, twisting the handlebars in the stem (that Thomson has only two tiny bolts holding the faceplate on) and rattling my fillings. Only falling off could have been more jarring.
Anyway, rectified the handlebars and set out a bit more gingerly. And, about five minutes later, there was a familiar 'pssshhht thump thump thump' from the back wheel -- puncture! With the tyre off, I couldn't find any thorns or flints or other sharp things so turned my attention to the tube. A few strokes of the pump failed to make any impression so I took out the spare I have carried for three years and thousands of miles, only to realise it was a 26", not a 700c! Basic error! Back to the original tube and I finally found the hole -- a 10cm split which explained the rapid deflation. I can't be sure, but the only explanation I can think of is that hitting the corrugations may have caused a pinch flat -- although why it took five minutes to blow is beyond me.
Anyway, once that was done, the evening wind had come up and I had to grind home again in the teeth of it for a rather joyless end to an eventful ride. 32km, 285m climbing. And done.
Certain patches of the dirt road section are deeply corrugated -- not a huge problem when grinding uphill, but a whole different thing when coming back down. I hit a vicious patch of them when descending at about 40kph, twisting the handlebars in the stem (that Thomson has only two tiny bolts holding the faceplate on) and rattling my fillings. Only falling off could have been more jarring.
Anyway, rectified the handlebars and set out a bit more gingerly. And, about five minutes later, there was a familiar 'pssshhht thump thump thump' from the back wheel -- puncture! With the tyre off, I couldn't find any thorns or flints or other sharp things so turned my attention to the tube. A few strokes of the pump failed to make any impression so I took out the spare I have carried for three years and thousands of miles, only to realise it was a 26", not a 700c! Basic error! Back to the original tube and I finally found the hole -- a 10cm split which explained the rapid deflation. I can't be sure, but the only explanation I can think of is that hitting the corrugations may have caused a pinch flat -- although why it took five minutes to blow is beyond me.
Anyway, once that was done, the evening wind had come up and I had to grind home again in the teeth of it for a rather joyless end to an eventful ride. 32km, 285m climbing. And done.
