It’s hot.
Well, it was hot for about two weeks. Then the day before it cooled off I decided to meet a friend for a shopping extravaganza. On the way there, my rear end felt a little swishy, squishy, bouncy. Quick look down showed me a nearly flat tire. Get to destination and look it over and decide I’ll pop across the street afterwards and give it a fill up.
When I came out after shopping it was absolutely flat. Rim on the ground. In all of my bags, trunk bag, panniers, seat bag, and back pack I didn’t have a single patch or tube. An hour later my pick up arrived to take me and the bike home.
Upon arrival I discovered a wayward spoke. After closer inspection I discovered a second broken spoke directly across the hub. This makes approximately 20 spokes I’ve broken in the last two and a half years. Either I’m too fat for 32 spoke rims or the roads are just that bad around here. The GT is getting a 48 spoke single speed rear, just as soon as I find a decent 26” rim. The Peugeot is getting heavier gauge spokes and some kind of deep-V rim for a little added strength. Weight is really of no concern.
Moral of the story: I’ll be carrying an extra spoke or two and where the hell is my patch kit? Guess I’ll be picking up one next time I’m by the LBS. Also, backup water bottles and a spare shirt are a must when the temperature goes above 90 degrees.
The motorists have been fairly well adjusted lately, only yelling the standards: “ride on the sidewalk, that’s where bikes belong” and “fuck off dirty hippy.”
