I started bicycling this past summer. Dragged out my old bike, started riding, and really enjoyed it. One of my goals has been to ride to work. I've got a 17.5 or so mile ride. Over a route I've never been on.

Today, I was off work- didn't have a lot of plans, so I decided to ride to work to see how long it would take me, and check out the route. It would also probably be equal to the longest ride I'd done.

I made the ride in about an hour and a half. About what I expected. Turned around and came home. About 6 miles from home I felt an odd bump. Looking down, I could see the tire bulging out- and I knew I'd gotten a flat.

Stopped and looked at it- and without pulling it out- it looks like a tack with a large head. But not like a tack. I'll take pix. A tack. On the bike path. Man, that's got me torqued.

On the up side, I made the ride without it completely kicking my tail.

I suppose the optimistic way of looking at this is that I get to learn to change a tube.