Yesterday I woke up at 5:00 AM to get an early start on the ride to Navy Pier and back. I figured it would be around 102 to 104 miles round trip. It took me a bit to get everything together and get rolling. I left at 6:45 AM. I rode South on the FRT from Carpentersville and reached the split in the trail where the IPP diverts East and the FRT continues West in about 40 minutes. I took the IPP path East and settled in for a long ride to Maywood on the trail. I made it a whole five and a half miles before I had a blowout in the back tire. I fortunately was prepared with a patch kit(Scabs) and some tire tools. But I could not find my pump! I forgot it. Crap! Not to worry. I brought a CO2 cartridge for inflating a tire. Having never used one of these CO2 cartridges before, I simply assumed there was an abundance of air to go round. NOT. I used it to try and locate the leak in the tube and next thing you know I have no air left. Ok, so now I just pull the tube completely to inspect for the leak and find it. Yeay! I send a rider on who had volunteered the use of another CO2 tube. I wasnt about to make anyone wait for me while they were chomping at the bit to ride. I was confident someone else would come along that had a pump. So I got the tire patched and put back on the bike. And someone else stopped and let me use their pump. Very kewl. These pics aren't very clear because I accidentally had HDR turned on:
I discussed my intended ride and we both agreed that at this point I should hobble home with this patched and partially inflated tire rather than push on. At this point I am about 15 miles from home. I went as slow as necessary to miss the nasty stuff on the trail. I made it about 6 miles back before I was caught in a major deluge of rain. I decided to stop into the bike shop immediately upon getting home. They changed the inner tube and I bought an extra one for next time this happens. And that ended my day of riding in fail.
Today I decided not to try the attempt at my first century ride again due to obligations coming up. So instead I went for a ride North on the FRT in an attempt to maybe get in 10-20 miles for the day. NOT. I made it a whopping half mile down the trail when I heard that now familiar sound of a tire, the SAME TIRE, losing all its composure. I walked the bike home and decided I will take it back to the bike shop again tomorrow. The weekend of epic fail riding is over. Dang!
What terrible luck. I need to get a portable tire pump. how much do they cost? I feel carrying a new inner-tube is much easier than trying to patch it on the road.
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