Hey Mountainman,
I read your story about the flat you got a few days ago. And of course how when it happens if you are not prepared, it usually occurrs out on the farthest part of your run, where you end up having to walk somewhere that you would certainly prefer riding to. I've just been riding my townie comfort with a MBE43 friction drive for about 8 weeks now and I'm realizing there is a lot I need to know about bikes or I could find myself in a pretty dicey situation. I knew I should learn how to repair a flat but I had one and just took it in to the local bike shop. (easy!). Anyway I at least have been carrying some stuff with me including a tire repair kit, tube and a few necessary tools. So about a week ago I had my bike on the back of my toyota RV at a Del Taco and I come out after lunch and someone had stolen the bike basket. So I'm looking for the same basket and no shop has it and there is no place to carry my tool kit and supplies and I'm not worried, because I knew I get the basket soon and have my stuff back with me. Then I read your article about flats and the next day I decided to ride out by a flood control project near my house, up on the concrete passway above it. Plenty of gravel and burrs from brush and trees ling the flood control project. Went OK and the next morning took an early am ride down a paved bike path in Burbank thinking when I het tired I start my motor and whoop to do be back to the RV in no time. Well on the way back I'm struggling topedal on level pavement. You know the rest my rear wheel was flat. It had a burr in it from the previous nights ride. Did I have a Tool with me, a tire kit? Even a pump? No not even a bottle of water because I hadn't switched my bottle rack from my other bike I had damaged from running into a light pole! (Thats another story, had my helmet on but was knocked unconcious and woke up in the paramedics ambulance in a neck brace with the paramedic showing me my helmet with tthe crack in it that saved my bacon).
So I had to walk back to the RV (only about a mile) with your flat tire story ringing in my head. Next day (still haven't found a basket yet) went to Sepulved a basin wild life preserve for a nice am pedal ride along trails with cotton tails leaping across the trails now and then. These trails are mainly dirt, gravel and small bits of plant foliage. Then I decide to kick the engine on and really sit back and take it easy. I just out about the farthest point of my journey and the engine is starting to race and I'm thinking what goes? Maybe somethings wrong with the throttle? Then it hits me maybe its because the tire is no linger connecting to the friction drive. I kill the engine get off and sure enough the rear (most important) tire is flat. Needless to say I'm not to thrilled about hauling that bike out of there but not much choice, except that I did learn slightly from the day befores experience. I had brought along one of those devices that you put the co2 cartridge in to pump up the tire. I said to myself maybe this will hold enough to get me all the way back on the engine or evenall the way back. Happy ending there, I got all the way back out of there to the RV with about 15 lbs of pressure left in the tire. The rest of the story is that when I arrive home the front tire was also flat! Go figure.
I think I get it that you should be prepared with at least the necessities before you go on any major outing. By the way I enjoy all of the comments and stories coming from you.
Happy Riding
Moneyboy
