It had to happen sooner or later but it happened sooner. I got a flat tire, it happened about a mile into my eight mile bicycle ride home from work. The tire felt soft in the morning, but I wanted to get to work on time and didn't take time to fill it up, so it felt like it was dragging all the way. It was on the way home that the flat was undeniable; I thought that maybe I could gently ride it slowly to the nearest gas station and pump it up, but after a block I realized the hopelessness of the situation, without air the rim ground the tire against the road until the tire dislodged. The bike had to be pushed to the nearest gas station three miles over rolling hills.
It was not an unpleasant walk, it was Friday and for once there was no place to hurry to after work. The sun was shining and the humidity was not too high. The road was tree lined and a cooling breeze seemed to blow.
The neighborhoods were intimate as seen by walking on the sidewalk. With slow leisure side streets, alleys, and paths revealed themselves afresh to the pedestrian pushing a bicycle. I saw that behind some bushes and trees were a creek, and found that on one side street were green lawns with a park that was completely hidden. I discovered a wooded area was bigger than previously thought. The turns in the road seemed broader than on bicycle and the winding road seemed to be longer, I wondered if the route could be shortened some.
Bicyclist rode by giving waves and smiling, they nodded knowingly as they passed with enviable speed. I considered calling out and asking if any had a bicycle pump, but most were riding too fast. Why stop another bicyclist when flat tires are a fact of life for all who ride a bike? Today it was my turn.
The hills that I ride over on my bike were different things when pushing a bike. I wondered if they were really this high? They didn't seem that big when sitting on a bicycle. It felt gratifying that bicycling had gotten me in shape to tackle hills.
At last I pushed my bike over the lawns and across the parking lot to the gas station that had an air hose. It only took a minute to inflate the tire. After inflating it the tire seemed firm. Sitting on the bicycle and riding forward on the hard tire felt smooth and swift.
The tire held almost all the way home, a distance of about four miles on back roads and suburban streets. Exhausted I chained the bike to the fence and went inside to clean up. To lie on the bed for a minute to close my eyes seemed like a good idea but my snoring woke me up an hour later. It was too dark to fuss with the tire, and since the next day was my day off it could wait.
The source of the leak remains a mystery; it may have been old age since the tube was over five years old and it may have just been time to go. I ended up replacing the tube. It felt wasteful and extravagant but the bike needs to be repaired for Monday's ride to work.
It is nice to get on the bike and not worry about the tire, but on the other hand there are two tires and I wonder if the other is just waiting to find an inconvenient time to give out and force me into another multi-mile walk.
It was not an unpleasant walk, it was Friday and for once there was no place to hurry to after work. The sun was shining and the humidity was not too high. The road was tree lined and a cooling breeze seemed to blow.
The neighborhoods were intimate as seen by walking on the sidewalk. With slow leisure side streets, alleys, and paths revealed themselves afresh to the pedestrian pushing a bicycle. I saw that behind some bushes and trees were a creek, and found that on one side street were green lawns with a park that was completely hidden. I discovered a wooded area was bigger than previously thought. The turns in the road seemed broader than on bicycle and the winding road seemed to be longer, I wondered if the route could be shortened some.
Bicyclist rode by giving waves and smiling, they nodded knowingly as they passed with enviable speed. I considered calling out and asking if any had a bicycle pump, but most were riding too fast. Why stop another bicyclist when flat tires are a fact of life for all who ride a bike? Today it was my turn.
The hills that I ride over on my bike were different things when pushing a bike. I wondered if they were really this high? They didn't seem that big when sitting on a bicycle. It felt gratifying that bicycling had gotten me in shape to tackle hills.
At last I pushed my bike over the lawns and across the parking lot to the gas station that had an air hose. It only took a minute to inflate the tire. After inflating it the tire seemed firm. Sitting on the bicycle and riding forward on the hard tire felt smooth and swift.
The tire held almost all the way home, a distance of about four miles on back roads and suburban streets. Exhausted I chained the bike to the fence and went inside to clean up. To lie on the bed for a minute to close my eyes seemed like a good idea but my snoring woke me up an hour later. It was too dark to fuss with the tire, and since the next day was my day off it could wait.
The source of the leak remains a mystery; it may have been old age since the tube was over five years old and it may have just been time to go. I ended up replacing the tube. It felt wasteful and extravagant but the bike needs to be repaired for Monday's ride to work.
It is nice to get on the bike and not worry about the tire, but on the other hand there are two tires and I wonder if the other is just waiting to find an inconvenient time to give out and force me into another multi-mile walk.
