Tire Woes

People who throw glass on roads are mean.

I blew my first tube on day 3 of cycling and didn't even know it. What I did notice, was that it felt like I was dragging a dump truck behind me on the last few hills of the day. This i realize now, was probably my tire getting flatter and flatter and my legs getting even buffer!


After 2 days of rain, we knew we were going to have to give our gears and chains some serious TLC (they were starting to rust!). When the sun finally came out, and we were ready to hit the road again after a rest day, I finally realized the flat.



Things I have learned about changing a tire.

• Your hands are going to get really messy, so don't even try to keep them clean.
• You must keep one hand free for swatting sand flies.
• There are directional arrows on the tire showing you which way to put it on...when the bike is upsidedown, the arrows will be going the WRONG WAY.
• Bring an extra arm if you plan on pumping the tire to the recommended PSI of 75-100.
  
• Pee before you start, because it's a long process if you don't know what you're doing.
  
• That little back cap for the air valve is the bike owner's responsibility to remember, not the bike owner's boyfriend's.