Wed 2007/07/11 Ride Log:
-Distance: 60 km
-Ride Time: 1:53
-Ave Speed: 32 Km/h
-Temp: 22C
-Wind: Almost nothing


What a strange ride tonight... It started off as normal as could be. There was a big group for the A group ride. Temperature was 22C and it was shaping up to be a nice fast ride. We were able to try out the new 42nd Street Bridge cross way, as it was finally opened. They have been widening the road surface to add more lanes to the bridge, as such, they reclaimed the pedestrian walkway and build a new dropped walk way between the lanes. It was nice to use!

So we are about 5 km into the ride and Kylie flatted. No biggie, this seems to be a common occurrence with the A group these days. The cause of the flat was a big chunk of glass. The only problem was she had these Continental tires that were a real bugger to get off and on, they were so tight that they pinched the tube when the last part of the bead was rolled on by hand. They must have caught just a small section of the tube. When we tried to pump it up, it was not taking air. So we dismount the tire, pull the tube and it was pinched. By this time we told the group to go on with out us, and actually Kylie told us to go and she was going to call for a ride. We told her we don't roll like that, and that we were going to get her back on the road.

The Group heads off and it's just Rob, Bernie Kylie and me. So we install a fresh tube, wrestle with the tire again, go to pump it up and same deal, another pinched tube!!! We pull another tube, be extra super careful, and this time its a go. By now all groups have passed us, our plan is to catch the last group and just ride with them.

We're riding no more than 2 km since the flat, and Kylie flats again, LOL! We are baffled at this time and think we may have pinched another tube, or that we may not have got all the glass out of the tire. Upon inspection, it was another new piece of glass in a different area of the tire. So we wrestle with these ***** of a Continental tires to get off the rim, use a tube that Bernie had patched while we were fixing the tire during the last flat session. By now more than an hour has lapsed since the start of our ride and we were only 6 or so KM into it. Needless to say we rode at a pretty steady pace to make up for the lost time. We never caught up with any other groups, however it still was an excellent ride 4 tire changes later.

Toll, 3 tubes, one broken foot platform on a Road Morph Pump, 1 C02 Cartridge, one torn glove from struggling with tires, 40 very sore fingers from wrestling with those Continental Super Sonic Tires. This isn't the first time we have had to wrassle with Conti SS tires, I remember another time these gave us grief as well.

Anyway, tonight's pictures will be the Kylie Show, we have found another way to suffer while cycling. (really it was another character building ride for me, and I still enjoyed it!)



Lot of Riders, it was shaping up to be a great ride


The new Walk Way under the 42nd street Bridge




3 tire levers, 4 tubes, 1 glove, 40 fingers and a pump foot treadle later


Bernie and Rob working hard to make up lost time, but we didn't hit no 90km/h


Kylie happy to be riding and not fixing


We can't believe it either Kylie


Thanks for the ride and experience, the chain ring tattoos from all the wrestling don't show as clear in the picture