Originally Posted by jaxgtr

Took the Checkpoint out do some bridge loops to see what the gearing is like with the 46 tooth up front and doing some steep angles. This bridge is not long, but starts out at 8% for about 1/4 mile and reduces to about 5% to the peak. The return trip based on which road you take can be 6.5% or 5% neither of which give me issues, but the 6.5 is longer at 1/2 mile. I decided to come back on the 5% side and on my way down the bridge, I hear a pop and then the spraying of tubeless fluid. I was starting to slide around on the back so I stood and leaned a little forward while applying steady breaking. I did not want to crash at 34 mph. I bring the bike to a stop and tire was pretty loose on the rim. The Orange Seal would not seal it, but then I realized there was nothing left. I walk back up the bridge a little and see a trail of latex. I walk down to the base of the bridge to put a tube in, and then it was then that I realized I was screwed. I did not have my little storage pack in the downtube, it was on my work bench in the garage.



So I make the call to my wife. Get home, then start to clean the bike and look at the tire. I had 5 holes in my tire and one of them was quite sizable. I am not sure what I hit, but it has the pattern of carpet tack board but I do not remember seeing anything like that on the bridge, but you never know. I plugged the largest hole, but the others are pretty small so I dropped some super glue in them. I think for interim, I am going to run tubes on this bike which will give me the ability to run smooth tires for road or switch to more off road when I do that. Good thing is that the tubes will fit whatever tire I run. I might have to look into the TPU, since I am seeing people are quite happy with them and they seem to have a little more stretch which help reduce flatting.

So I got in 22.5 miles, 834 ft of climbing the bridges