New Tires

Well I was closer to home this time.

I was coming up the hill towards 140th and I heard a truck behind me. Since I was really cranking hard I didn't want to move over too much. I tried looking under my arm to see where he was but I couldn't find him. But I could hear him. Then I glanced down just in time to see something bright go under my tires and hear a "poof" sound. Then it felt it like I was riding over cobbles.

When I found the spot in the tire, which wasn't hard, it looked like someone had taken a screwdriver to it. Big right angle gouged clear through to the tube. I looked back to see what I had hit but couldn't see anything bright.

Because I was so only about 3/4 mile from home, I picked up my bike and carried it to the nearest cross street. 140th. I'm down to my last innertube and CO2 cartridge, so I called Kath. I could've taken my shoes off and walked. But then I thought that if Kath came and got me, I could get home, pick up what I needed to go to Performance, and go in and buy tires and tubes, etc. However, the house painter who lives across the street came out to meet us and proceeded to explain what all was needed tomorrow for touch up. That little disruption destroyed the whole timeline. So, we will run on errands tomorrow evening immediately after Kath gets home from work and before her Stake meeting at seven.

This is the second flat in the last five days. And I've lost count of how many there has been since the first of the year. I've gone whole seasons without a flat. What's this all about? I have noticed, however, that I'm not as attentive as I had been in the past. I like putting my head down and going for it. It's fun, but it's getting expensive. But maybe too it's that I haven't had new tires for over a year. Yeah, at least a year. And the hole in the tire was just to the side of where the tread used to be. Maybe that should tell me something. No tread. Yeah, maybe it's time for new tires. And since there's a huge hole in that rear tire what else am I going to do. I guess I'm going to have to get new tires.

Kevlar tires.