Bikeforums.net is a forum about nothing but bikes. Our community can help you find information about hard-to-find and localized information like bicycle tours, specialties like where in your area to have your recumbent bike serviced, or what are the best bicycle tires and seats for the activities you use your bike for.Dougmt
03-07-03, 09:48 PM
Today was the day I was going to circumnavigate the Island. I left a little late but the wind wasn't blowing too bad so I gave it a go. Well wind can be a funny thing.. a side wind is like a headwind... no matter which way your going. At any rate I made it to the East end of the Island, a short 11 miles and then happily pedaled the 31 miles or so to the West end... about 1/2 a mile from the end of the Island the sun finally dipped into the Ocean and as soon as it did the winds shifted and a fog as thick as pea soup rolled in. I circled under the bridge at San Luis Pass and again headed back East to home, stopping for a couple of minutes to soak in the "An American Werewolf in London" atmosphere. :D I through on my fleece jacket, checked my rear light, and began the 20 miles back to home. About 5 miles later a psychotic adult woman (couldn't see her but she had a "whiskey" voice that vey few young girls have:D ) started hollering something about "hey motorcycle idiot" then it changed to something more vulgar but at least she finally noticed I was a cyclist. Then she yelled something about me being a moron and more obscenities. I had had enough. I let loose with a F&%^ You. In hindsight maybe I shouldn't have.... but it felt right at the time :rolleyes:
So another mile goes by and what do I run over??? Yep, a broken beer bottle. Great. I brought all the tools and patches etc but, alas, no pump. I didn't notice anything fo a few more miles and then it started. The wump wump wump of a tire that has lost too much air. At first I thought it was something I was doing, maybe an off cadence pedal stroke but a check of the tire showed that it was loosing air fast. Mind you it's dark, cold, and as foggy as I have ever seen it. I also have on a new headlight from cateye that quite frankly SUCKS. BAD LIGHT (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.html?SKU=15528)
My old walmart next light is at least twice the light of this piece of junk. So I pedal my arse as fast as I can trying to eat up some yardage before I begin the VERY long walk to the nearest gas station. The West side of Galveston is all country.. very few houses or stores. Thankfully my leisurely stroll across the countryside was limited to about a half mile. A very nice couple in a large van stopped to give me a ride. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
Should I have hollered at the psycho??? Probably not:D
Should I have brought along an air pump??? uhhh yeah:rolleyes:
Do I now have to re-ride 48 miles in order to say I've properly ridden from one shore to the next in one trip?? yep:(
Should jerks in cars drinking beer and then throwing the empty bottles out onto the road be beaten within an inch of their life?? Yes:beer:
Is it just chance that the old Tioga street slicks went well over a thousand miles on the road with never a flat... and the armadillo hemispheres have now gone about 200 with one flat??? Man I hope not:confused: :confused:
Doug
So another mile goes by and what do I run over??? Yep, a broken beer bottle. Great. I brought all the tools and patches etc but, alas, no pump. I didn't notice anything fo a few more miles and then it started. The wump wump wump of a tire that has lost too much air. At first I thought it was something I was doing, maybe an off cadence pedal stroke but a check of the tire showed that it was loosing air fast. Mind you it's dark, cold, and as foggy as I have ever seen it. I also have on a new headlight from cateye that quite frankly SUCKS. BAD LIGHT (http://www.performancebike.com/shop/Profile.html?SKU=15528)
My old walmart next light is at least twice the light of this piece of junk. So I pedal my arse as fast as I can trying to eat up some yardage before I begin the VERY long walk to the nearest gas station. The West side of Galveston is all country.. very few houses or stores. Thankfully my leisurely stroll across the countryside was limited to about a half mile. A very nice couple in a large van stopped to give me a ride. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!
Should I have hollered at the psycho??? Probably not:D
Should I have brought along an air pump??? uhhh yeah:rolleyes:
Do I now have to re-ride 48 miles in order to say I've properly ridden from one shore to the next in one trip?? yep:(
Should jerks in cars drinking beer and then throwing the empty bottles out onto the road be beaten within an inch of their life?? Yes:beer:
Is it just chance that the old Tioga street slicks went well over a thousand miles on the road with never a flat... and the armadillo hemispheres have now gone about 200 with one flat??? Man I hope not:confused: :confused:
Doug