SpokEasy

October 2022

Let’s Go Tubing

BACK ISSUES, bicycling, equipment /

Let’s Go Tubing! Let’s go tubing! If you want to get wet and wild, that’s one way to do it. Whitewater tubing is one thing; but it’s another thing entirely when you have to change your bicycle tire’s tube. I know what to do; but the physical ability to carry it out is my problem. CMC arthritis makes such work very painful; and I need to avoid flats if possible. That’s why I use tire liners; and I still get the occasional flat. Then have to haul out the spare tube; get to work as best I can; and hope someone comes along who can help me get that tire back onto the rim! In fact, that happened last December. Presta valve tubes The road bike’s tire tube have Presta valves; and the hybrid uses Schraeder-valve tubes. The tricycle also had Schraeder tubes. Schraeder-valve tubes In spite of tire liners, I recently had a rear flat on my hybrid — TWICE! Thanks to my physical problems, I had to take the bike to the shop to get the flats fixed. Let’s go tubing? I wish I could!  They say that one of the hallmarks of the touring cyclist is self-reliance; and that includes fixing a flat. If I can’t manage that basic task, I fear that bicycle touring is not for me.  At least, not the self-supported tours; but if there’s a SAG wagon following along, I don’t have to worry about that.  So maybe I can still pin my hopes on that elusive “someday”!

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Break It Up

BACK ISSUES, bicycling /

Break It Up! I really had to break it up for today’s “long” ride! The restrooms at my pit-stop place are still “closed for maintenance”. How long is this going to continue? It’s already been six weeks! That meant going back home earlier than I wanted so I could use the bathroom; and I had to make a detour of a least a mile and a half because of a train. After I got home,  I decided to switch to the hybrid. I needed to ride a few laps around the park to fill out my day’s mileage goal; and by 11:00 am, the park is pretty crowded. It’s better to be on the hybrid then, because it’s more stable than the road bike; and I’m not riding clipped in. In the park, there are youngsters on bicycles who don’t yet have the skills to hold a straight line; and passing them makes me nervous. I never know when a child might swerve into my path just as I’m passing. And there are people — who are NOT children! — on skateboards; and who are attempting “jump in the air and turn”, or whatever it’s called. Piroutte, maybe? Whatever it’s called, I don’t want a skateboarder to tumble to the ground right in front of me. I rode three laps; and then decided to head for the nearest supermarket. I brought along a pannier, because I wanted to get bananas; and the pannier gives them a “suspended ride”. Fragile groceries like bananas do better when they get minimal jolting. So I finally did make it to 40 miles in all; but I sure had to break it up!

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Eureka

BACK ISSUES /

Eureka! Archimedes wasn’t the only one to have his Eureka moment. We all have one now and then. Such moments are especially satisfying when we find something that we thought we had lost.   Day before yesterday I dropped a bidon while riding; and couldn’t find it. It was still dark; and I didn’t have much time to waste looking for the thing. I figured the bottle was probably gone for good. Those things cost about seven bucks apiece at my bike shop; and I wasn’t thrilled about having to buy another one. This morning I rode to the salvage store, as I  often do on Saturdays. On the way home, I slowed down when I reached the area where I had dropped that water bottle; and kept a watch for it. Amazingly, I spotted it. EUREKA! So I stopped to pick up my bidon; and then I saw a large tanker heading downriver. I waited for it to pass, to see if I could identify its flag. It’s fun to looks at different countries’ flags; and today I knew the one on the passing ship: Norway! But I promptly forgot the ship’s name. It began with “L”; and that’s all I remember. It would be great if my eureka moment could be over a crock of gold; but that’s unlikelier by far than finding lost cycling equipment. It’s rare enough to see the end of a rainbow at all; so I’ll have to be satisfied with finding that water bottle.

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