Unlucky Numbers 5 .. and .. 6

Oh Monday, you have been so cruel to me a couple of times today. Let’s take a step back.

A week and a half ago I got *another* flat tire on my commuter bike and was going to have to use my last spare tube. I was so mad about it that I “banished” myself to riding my mountain bike to work until I ordered new commuter bike tires.

Let me explain something to you..

When I ride my commuter bike I am all ‘hail the conquering red head,’ flying in the wind like a mad hatter on a commuter bike. I am a total speed junkie and that bike makes me want to go Tarzan halfway through Old Louisville.

The mountain bike, nicknamed the Hamster Wheel, yea it totally takes the mojo out of my juju. There is no conquering .. it’s just a matter of spinning like crazy, hoping your hips don’t fall off.

So .. for the past week and a half I have been riding the mountain bike to work and it’s been humbling to say the least. On the way home I drive through construction by UofL and I strongly dislike being slower in that area because I don’t like to hold cars up.

Anyway .. I get home Friday, pulled a safety pin out of my front tire, thought nothing of it and moved on. Last night I talk myself that I really ought to add air to my bike tires but I had turned the electric mattress on my bed on and there was no moving at that point! I get up this morning, load the bike, haul it out of the house, and guess what … don’t you know that front tire was FLAT.

O M G .. you have GOT to be kidding me .. seriously ..

So, I have to turn around, haul the bike back into the house, unstrap the bike, and make a decision.

I cannot figure out for the life of me how to switch my dang floor pump over from working on a presta valve to a schrader. So .. I looked at the commuter bike and decided to go with that option.

In a rush I had to change that bike’s tire (because I intentionally left it flat in order to stop any temptation to break my banishment) .. put everything on the commuter bike and rushed out the door. The rule was NO GUNG HO’ING IT .. NO MATTER WHAT! Luckily I normally get to work SO early that even when running late I still managed to get to my desk on time.

During lunch I walked down to the bike shop in downtown Louisville and bought 3 more spare tubes, because I am not playing these games!

The day played out as normal and I was on my way home from a relatively productive day.

The wind was blowing and … on damn .. the mojo started coming back. Oh lawd .. this can’t be good.

I am flying like a red headed freak through Old Louisville, keeping pace with the cars around me. I completely fly through Hill St (which I usually get stuck at) and I mean I am rolling. I want to yell out a loud roar and scream that “I’m BACK!” and all that crazy powerful .. slightly insane crap.

And then … …

… **POP** …

O M F G .. you have GOT TO BE KIDDING ME

Umm yea .. the red headed Tarzan ego tripping, biking too damn fast chic now has to change her second flat in a work day.

So .. since I have to spare CO2 cartridges in my bag and have no idea how to use them, I ended up changing the tire and using the air pump .. 120 times .. then decided that there was NO WAY I was going to bike fast home. Ego .. back in check.

Well that was a lesson in itself. Oh .. and I’m probably closer to becoming a professional bike tire changer by now.

So that would officially be my 5th and 6th flat tire in about 3 months. I still have to change out the Hamster Wheel’s tire too, but that will have to wait until I either get another pump or learn to use the one I have (let’s bet that I buy a new one).

My theories on all of this:

(1) All flats but one have occurred on the way home from work and for the past 3 months there has been construction at UofL that I’ve been driving through. Maybe it’s road debris (and me biking like a jackass)

(2) When I looked at the spare tube this morning I noticed the bike shop sold me either 700×23 or 700×25 .. my bike’s tired are 28 (what the heck does this number mean anyway???). But I remember him saying I ought to go smaller than bigger .. maybe that wasn’t such a good idea, since I bike like a jackass? (Of course this offers no support as to why the Hamster Wheel’s tire went flat..). I’m wondering if the speed at which I bike is making road impacts harder .. and making the tubes pop easier .. hmmm

(3) Someone keeps poking holes in my tires because it’s an experiment to see how long it takes for someone to lose their mind over flat tires.

(4) My tires are stock tires and are probably not made thinking someone is going to ride a commuter bike as hard and fast as a road bike, or that someone would ride the bike like a .. well you know ..

(5) I need to stop riding the bike like a … you get my point.

New tires will hopefully be here this week. The new tubes are 700×28-35 so we’ll see how my theories hold up. I am kinda putting money on theory #5 but dangit it’s not as much fun if I am not biking like a freak through Old Louisville. Don’t spoil a girl’s fun ..

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