I went for a ride on my bike yesterday evening. I've done this for, I don't know, maybe 5 years now? Just got home and needed to make myself hurt so I go get my trusty 2 wheeled steed out of the living room. I had gotten a flat on my last ride and needed to repair it first. Not a problem, I have the stuff to do that and I've been fixing bike flats since I was 6. It took me about 5 minutes and my bike was ready.
It was cold, so I put my kit on along with a long sleeve t shirt, then over my shorts, long riding compression pants. Over this, I wore a riding jacket. Add the gloves and helmet and I was ready.
I filled a water bottle and decided to at the last minute, put the headlight on. I discovered the batteries were dead so batteries were located and installed. I was ready for the ride now.
I've ridden on this road for a few years now so I am familiar with the way things work here. Most people know a lot of cyclist ride here so they at least are mindful of us. But no matter, I have a mirror so I can see what is coming from behind me. I'm ready for the unexpected.
It was a really good ride. Cold, clear and invigorating. It started getting dark so I turned on my headlight. Thinking about how good it was to have thought of it. Really proud of myself. Then I stopped for a break and a drink of water. Another cyclist rode by and asked if everything was OK, it was and thanked him for asking. Then, I started back on the road. The front tire was flat!
Now you might think this was an emergency, and it could very well have been. But ever since I started riding, there has been a bag strapped beneath the saddle. In this bag, there is a spare tube, tools and inflation devices. Even though I have changed dozens of tubes over the years and patched as many, I have never had to repair a tire along the side of the road before! And just before dark in the cold isn't where anyone would would choose to do this, but, we can't pick and choose when and where we have difficulties. I have never been able to schedule a crisis, put one off until it was warmer, daylight or when I could better afford it. Or, even when I was better prepared for it mentally!
Being prepared for something that could happen is just common sense. Now, you can't prevent things from happening, but how you handle them can be. I know that flats happen on bikes, the tires are thin and light for a purpose and hitting a hole can puncture on. So, knowing that walking in cycling shoes is not easy and having carried many a cyclist home with their bikes in the back of my truck tells me that being prepared for this is just something to do. It turned into a minor inconvenience as opposed to a long cold walk home in the dark.
I should have taken this advice last week when I drove my old truck for the first time in a couple months, and carried a jug of water with me.....
It was cold, so I put my kit on along with a long sleeve t shirt, then over my shorts, long riding compression pants. Over this, I wore a riding jacket. Add the gloves and helmet and I was ready.
I filled a water bottle and decided to at the last minute, put the headlight on. I discovered the batteries were dead so batteries were located and installed. I was ready for the ride now.
I've ridden on this road for a few years now so I am familiar with the way things work here. Most people know a lot of cyclist ride here so they at least are mindful of us. But no matter, I have a mirror so I can see what is coming from behind me. I'm ready for the unexpected.
It was a really good ride. Cold, clear and invigorating. It started getting dark so I turned on my headlight. Thinking about how good it was to have thought of it. Really proud of myself. Then I stopped for a break and a drink of water. Another cyclist rode by and asked if everything was OK, it was and thanked him for asking. Then, I started back on the road. The front tire was flat!
Now you might think this was an emergency, and it could very well have been. But ever since I started riding, there has been a bag strapped beneath the saddle. In this bag, there is a spare tube, tools and inflation devices. Even though I have changed dozens of tubes over the years and patched as many, I have never had to repair a tire along the side of the road before! And just before dark in the cold isn't where anyone would would choose to do this, but, we can't pick and choose when and where we have difficulties. I have never been able to schedule a crisis, put one off until it was warmer, daylight or when I could better afford it. Or, even when I was better prepared for it mentally!
Being prepared for something that could happen is just common sense. Now, you can't prevent things from happening, but how you handle them can be. I know that flats happen on bikes, the tires are thin and light for a purpose and hitting a hole can puncture on. So, knowing that walking in cycling shoes is not easy and having carried many a cyclist home with their bikes in the back of my truck tells me that being prepared for this is just something to do. It turned into a minor inconvenience as opposed to a long cold walk home in the dark.
I should have taken this advice last week when I drove my old truck for the first time in a couple months, and carried a jug of water with me.....
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