This past Wednesday, its 6:30am and I'm about a mile into my commute and I get a flat. I'm there fixing it and the regular morning bike club riders that I greet most mornings on my way in goes by and a bunch ask if I'm all set. I was, but I'm sure any one of them would have stopped if I had asked.
Half an hour later, pffffff.... Flat #2! I'm there scratching my head because now I don't have a spare tube or a patch kit and what am I going to do? A guy, going the other way, sees me and asks if I am all set? I explain what's up and he hands over his spare. I was short on cash to pay him for it and he says, "no worry, pass it on to the next guy" and heads off.
Minutes later I realize his tube has a short stem and I need a longer one for my deeper rims. I'm back scratching my head and this young woman on her single speed stops and asks if I need anything? I tell her my story and she says she has these quick patches of which she gives me one and off she heads.
I get everything back together, head off myself and not more than 100 yards the tube goes flat. This time, the patch didn't hold. I thought I cleaned the area, but didn't. More head scratching is going on and I decide to put my bike of the local bus and take it a mile or so up the road to where there are a couple of bike shops on the off chance that maybe someone is working. None were open. I then call my wife who would be coming into work and ask her to bring me a spare from home.
While I'm waiting for her, the guy that gave me his tube came back by and I was able to give him his tube back. A couple more bikers on their way to work asked if I was all set.
While I could lament the bummer of three flats (the two tubes and the patch...) in one ride, I couldn't help but feel good about all bikers who stopped to offer a hand. Two days later, I'm still
.
Half an hour later, pffffff.... Flat #2! I'm there scratching my head because now I don't have a spare tube or a patch kit and what am I going to do? A guy, going the other way, sees me and asks if I am all set? I explain what's up and he hands over his spare. I was short on cash to pay him for it and he says, "no worry, pass it on to the next guy" and heads off.
Minutes later I realize his tube has a short stem and I need a longer one for my deeper rims. I'm back scratching my head and this young woman on her single speed stops and asks if I need anything? I tell her my story and she says she has these quick patches of which she gives me one and off she heads.
I get everything back together, head off myself and not more than 100 yards the tube goes flat. This time, the patch didn't hold. I thought I cleaned the area, but didn't. More head scratching is going on and I decide to put my bike of the local bus and take it a mile or so up the road to where there are a couple of bike shops on the off chance that maybe someone is working. None were open. I then call my wife who would be coming into work and ask her to bring me a spare from home.
While I'm waiting for her, the guy that gave me his tube came back by and I was able to give him his tube back. A couple more bikers on their way to work asked if I was all set.
While I could lament the bummer of three flats (the two tubes and the patch...) in one ride, I couldn't help but feel good about all bikers who stopped to offer a hand. Two days later, I'm still