General Cycling Discussion - It's not a ride, it's an adventure! (long)

Well, in getting ready for my first century next week, I thought I'd take a decent ride today (Sunday) and then just take some short ones through the week to stay loose.

I was about 30 miles into the ride, and was directly across from Three-Mile Island nuclear plant near Harrisburg, PA when I hit something (never found it) and heard that ominous sound of a tire going flat. So I pulled over in an access area to a service bridge that goes to the island. I pulled out my trusty patch kit, CO2 pump, cartridges, etc. Patched it, and went to put a new CO2 cartridge, but couldn't convince the thing to come apart to allow me to change the cartridge. So I was looking around for something to use as leverage, and saw 2-2x4 supports at a perfect distance apart to help me. What I didn't see was the SNAKE! It was convinced that it was it's 2x4's and lunged at me 3 times while I made my escape. So after my heart slowed down, I was able to fix the CO2 and pump up the tire, put it back on the bike and ... ooops, the back one was blown too! Put a new tube on the back tire, pumped it up, put the tire back on the bike, and, (expetive deleted) the front one was flat again! there were 2 holes! So I patched that one too, and put the CO2 pump on and ooops... out of CO2!!!!! bad word, bad word!!!! SO I started walking the bike home, I stopped in a lttle town and almost went door to door asking if anybody had a bike pump. Lots of people did, but everyone of them was a Schrader valve of course, and I needed a Presta, (more bad words inserted here!)

So I started walking home. I had seen numerous riders, so I figured the odds were good that I'd run into at least one with a pump or a CO2 cartridge. After about a mile of walking I did find a kind soul from Hershey. I pumped the tire and was on my way, but by this time my muscles had tightened up and it was not a fun ride home, but I made it. 61 miles, er 60 miles of riding and 1 of walking.

My LBS is going to get a sale of 2 new tires and 3 new tubes tomorrow.

I guess if I'm not ready now, I never will be.

Stay safe

Uhm, interesting story, from which I became even more confident that shrader valves are preferable on my bikes.
By the way, new pumps, at least the one I have, allows to quickly change to adapt both kinds of valve steams...
Are you going to use those CO2 cartridges any longer?

Nope, CO2's are bye bye. LBS is also selling me a pump! any recomendations?

Zefal HPX, the classic full-sized pump that you can hammer out 130psi with :) It comes in different lengths to suit your frame, since it's intended to go under your top tube and be secured by spring-loading against your frame's pump peg (assuming it has one). Pumps fast & easy, lasts a long time. My first HPX-4 lasted about 10 years and died when I accidentally knocked it off my top tube with my knee. Score: Dump truck 1, Zefal HPX 0. :(

They are not too likely to have the HPX in stock, is my guess. But if they do, it gets my endorsement on every count except weight. Otherwise, maybe one of their telescopic mini-pumps: http://www.zefal.com/anglais/mproutelang.html

The other day I went mountain biking. I forgot my water bottle and was not wearing a bike jersey so I had a small 8 0z powerade I put in my hipster pak along with my cell phone. The powerade leaked, zapped my cell phone, I sustained a pinch flat two thirds of the way into the ride, my spare tire actually had a hole, tried to repair it with my repair kit but my glue had dried up! and last but not least... I lost my wallet and had to pull off 15 ticks at the end of the whole ordeal.

So uh, RoadHazardBuzz, did you check your inner tube to see why it went flat?
It wasn't one of those snakebite flats was it? ;)

No, it was a pinch flat near the presta stem. impossible to fix.

greg360,
That was the weird thing, I didn't see anything. Glass, nails or anything. I checked the inside of the tires, and they were clean. The tires look a little worse for wear, that's why I'm replacing them too. I hate to, since they only have @ 1000 miles on them, but I don't want a repeat on Saturday. :-)

Originally posted by RoadHazardBuzz
Nope, CO2's are bye bye. LBS is also selling me a pump! any recomendations?

I currently carry the SKS Airgun (http://www.sks-germany.com/final2001/low-quality/pr_airgun_e.htm) with a spare cartridge on my roadbike (Topeak minipump in the Camelbak for MTBing though) but often wondered about using up all my spare cartridges with multiple flats or bozo'ing a tube change. Luckily this has never happened to me and after using one cartridge I'll head to a sporting goods store or somewhere to pick up a replacement.

However, I saw a couple of hybrid pumps made by Innovations starting to hit the market just now (Topeak Two-timer never materialised). Anyone have experience with these?

http://www.innovationsaz.com/INmain.asp?Option=CatList&Category=bike&SubCategory=hybrid


The thing I like about my SKS inflator is that it's really compact. I don't really care that much about speed of inflation. I'm all about trying to go minimalistic on my roadbike these days. And a hybrid pump unit seems like it's about the same size as a normal minipump so why not just carry a minipump instead? Granted they're not as speedy.

CO2 pumps are cool I have one for fast fixes but I still carry a small zfel pump with me also I have a presta/schrader adapter ($0.49 at LBS) that I keep in my patch kit never leave home with out it. Sounds like with what kind of day you had even if you had those something else would of happened chalk it up to a bad Karma(Kismet) thing :D

Originally posted by khuon
[B]However, I saw a couple of hybrid pumps made by Innovations starting to hit the market just now (Topeak Two-timer never materialised). Anyone have experience with these?B]

Those look like the deal both systems in one unit. But just what I need to do know is spend more money on bike stuff. I would like to hear from anyone who has one though

Gee wizz! That sounds like the ride I had two weeks ago on a Saturday. I had 4 flats on one ride, on the second I found the rim strip had slipped and allowed my tube to flat at a spoke hole. Then I had a presta valve seperate from the tube while inflating the second flat and had to use my spair tube, only to have 2 more flats on the way home.
This "hole" ordeal started 26 miles from home and it lasted into the next day because I just couldn't find the culprit. Turns out that a very small piece of wire, most likely from a semi tire, had found it's way into the tire and was making a hole every 10 or so miles.
Spair tube in the tire, used allmost all of a patch kit and luckly I ditched the CO2 contraption in favor of a frame pump almost a year ago. BTW there are almost no other bike riders here!!!:eek:

How big was the snake ? you could have stuffed him inside the tyre just to get you home:p :p
I carry a mini pump & have one of those adaptors ,I can get the tyre hard enough to ride with the mini pump & stop at a service station & use the adaptor if it needs it, but there ar'nt many ser. stat. were their tyre inflator goes over 100 psi but thats still OK.

Originally posted by RoadHazardBuzz
I pumped the tire and was on my way, but by this time my muscles had tightened up and it was not a fun ride home, but I made it. 61 miles, er 60 miles of riding and 1 of walking.


I had that happen to me once. I set out to reach a point 67 miles away (after which I'd take a bus home). After getting there and eating and resting (90 minute break), I decide to go a bit further. I was really feeling good which surprised me so I got to 83 miles, rolling real well - and then ran into a rain storm.

So, I turned around and when a bus come up, I grabbed it to get me away from the rain. I was too close to a century to want to start all over. When I got off the bus to finish the last 17 miles, my muscles were really tight and the wind was now against me. Hardest 17 miles I ever did.

You also asked for pump recommendations. I don't have a lot of experience, but I first had a small mini-pump (Specialized). Very hard to pump the tire way up. When I bought my road bike, I got a nice Blackburn frame pump. It was better, but getting past 60 lbs was hard for me and past 80? Forget it.

So, based on recommendation from others, I got the Topeak Morph pump which has a piece that folds out and lets you use it like a floor pump. Also has a guage that gives an approximate idea of the pressure - very handy! I have gotten it up to at least 110. It is pretty small. Actually, I wonder why they don't seem to make one a bit longer that works the same way since it is much shorter than the top bar and I would think a longer cylinder would be even more efficient.

Bob (301 flatless miles on my Armadillo)

note to self: buy presta to schrader adaptor the next time you go to the LBS :)

RoadHazardBuzz: Good luck with your upcoming century!

Zack

Thanks, I'll need it. :-)
Also thanks to all who gave suggestions on a pump. I appreciate it!
Buzz

Could have been worse. Imagine hearing another hiss, thinking it was a flat and finding it was a snake on it's way for revenge. :D

I use the sks raceday pump...I haven't actually used it yet...lately, when I get a flat, it is towards the end of a ride, and I just call my mommy, and usually she picks me up...