J
John Albergo
Guest
How many dumb mistakes does it take to get stranded?
1 - forget to carry your spare tube 2 - stop to fix a flat, fail to find the object that caused the
puncture. Assume it must have been that small cut in the cords wearing through the tube. Use up 2
patches; one for the tube and one for the "cut" tire 3 - in 10 mi stop to fix another flat. Finally
discover the object that caused (both punctures). Use your last patch. 4 - Even though you have a
pump with a hose, manage to snap the brass fitting off of the presta valve while carelessly removing
the chuck.
You recall that presta valves are held shut simply by the air pressure in the tube. Figure you can
make it home no problem. Ride a few miles then go for the gusto...
5 - The tire feels a bit soft. Maybe the valve is leaking a bit after all. Why not pump it up a bit
more? Put another 15 lbs in the tire. Remove the pump. Witness the following sequence in slo motion
:00.00 - remove pump head :00.02 - hear a sound like a gunshot :00.04 - flinch :00.09 - marvel at
how fast the tire is deflating :00.10 - realize your understanding of the presta valve was correct,
and you lost the valve core into the tube when you pumped, there being no more brass nut to keep it
from diving. This triggers the "Duh" response; a unique brainwave pattern often accompanied by
painful facial expressions and pointless ponderings. There are several phases. The timeline in this
case was typical.
:00.15 surprise... "s**t!" :03.00 alarm... "S**t!" :10.00 anger... "S##T." :18.00 remorse ... "why
didn't I pack my spare tube" :35.00 acceptance... "s--t"
provided as a public service announcement
1 - forget to carry your spare tube 2 - stop to fix a flat, fail to find the object that caused the
puncture. Assume it must have been that small cut in the cords wearing through the tube. Use up 2
patches; one for the tube and one for the "cut" tire 3 - in 10 mi stop to fix another flat. Finally
discover the object that caused (both punctures). Use your last patch. 4 - Even though you have a
pump with a hose, manage to snap the brass fitting off of the presta valve while carelessly removing
the chuck.
You recall that presta valves are held shut simply by the air pressure in the tube. Figure you can
make it home no problem. Ride a few miles then go for the gusto...
5 - The tire feels a bit soft. Maybe the valve is leaking a bit after all. Why not pump it up a bit
more? Put another 15 lbs in the tire. Remove the pump. Witness the following sequence in slo motion
:00.00 - remove pump head :00.02 - hear a sound like a gunshot :00.04 - flinch :00.09 - marvel at
how fast the tire is deflating :00.10 - realize your understanding of the presta valve was correct,
and you lost the valve core into the tube when you pumped, there being no more brass nut to keep it
from diving. This triggers the "Duh" response; a unique brainwave pattern often accompanied by
painful facial expressions and pointless ponderings. There are several phases. The timeline in this
case was typical.
:00.15 surprise... "s**t!" :03.00 alarm... "S**t!" :10.00 anger... "S##T." :18.00 remorse ... "why
didn't I pack my spare tube" :35.00 acceptance... "s--t"
provided as a public service announcement