Another Flat Tire
Friday, May 16, 2003
Somebody carefully surveyed my daily bicycle route, determined the least convenient place to have a breakdown, and scattered broken glass on the roadway at that exact place.
I had my patch kit, but had not bothered to bring the air pump. My old pump was designed to fit my old bike. To carry it on the new bike I had to bungee it to the rear rack. That looks silly and is a hassle, so I didn’t do it.
It was Monday in the early afternoon, so there weren’t many other bikers on Fiesta Island. I waited a while for one to come by with a pump. I managed to communicate with several as they whizzed by. Only one had a pump, and his only worked on Presta valves. My valves are Schraeder.
After a while, I gave up on waiting for a passerby. I put the tire back on, hung the tube around my neck (albatross style) and pushed the bike the rest of the way around Fiesta Island and down the road to the nearest civilization. Before coming to a gas station I found a car rental place, and they were kind enough to let me use their air.
The next day I went out and bought a new pump that fits the new bike, and installed it. That should protect me from flats by umbrella effect, but if it doesn’t I should be self-sufficient to fix minor punctures.