Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - A bad ride....

The rain cleared out, my window for my ride opened up.

11 miles down the road I was passing by a collection of buildings that specialize in scrap metal, salvaged cars, and whatever other garbage they can sell/recycle. Of course there is the one place that has the dozen angry dogs out front that I have to move past quickly.

...except this time i didn't seem to be able to get moving like I normally do, wind was low, strength was there, something was wrong.

Remember that scrap metal, yeah I probably should have chosen my path better, nail pierced my less than 1 week old back tire, and it was flat.

Having to call the wife to come pick me up (no repair kit or skills yet for tires) was humiliating.

Ouch. On the bright side, the dogs didn't get you.

I think we've all had those days. I went and traveled an hour on a Sunday to ride with a group. Got everything together, and started riding. About 2 miles in I got a flat. I was pissed, all that time, and no ride. Now I keep a spare tube, patches, and a pump with me at all times, while riding. And you know what, now I'll never need it. :P

Having to call the wife to come pick me up (no repair kit or skills yet for tires) was humiliating.

Self inflicted wound there?

When you put your kit together don't forget to get a tire boot or a piece of canvas. This is basically a patch for the tire itself, because if you put a big enough gash on the tire the tube can't be inflated without it breaking.

Any good book on basic bike maintenance can show you how to change a tire. Carry a spare inner tube as well as patches. Sometimes it's faster just to pop a whole new tube in. Other times it may be just a small puncture wound and you just need to pull out a small section of tube and stick a patch on. I really like the new self-adhesive patches, they save a lot of time and mess.

I had a bad experience with self adhesive ones but that could had been a cheap one.

+1 on the spare tube. However, if the other one is sound, you are better off fixing it. Some tubes have micro holes. Those are the ones that you need to put air once every week or two. Every once in a while you find a tube that holds air for months, those are golden and superior to an unproven brand-new tube. My front tube is several years old and have four patches on it but it never loses air.

I repeat, tire boot, or a piece of canvas. If you put a gash on the tire itself, you won't be able to patch the tube and go. The dollar trick will do (fold a dollar, put it inside covering the hole, dollar material is strong enough to stop the tube from gushing out) but if you are already messing with the tire you might as well fix it right from the get go.

My bike repair experience is limited...especially with tires as my knowledge base is 2-3 decades old. I am not sure how I could have replaced the tube in the field, at least not with nightfall in an hour and storms in the vicinity....

But it is fixed now and I am pondering a 25 mile loop in the morning!