The knee has just about fully recovered and following last weeks 33 mile test ride I had only the slightest of twinges. I figured that it would be prudent to wait another week before throwing myself back fully into the training so yesterday I went for a ride with my son on the back of my mountain bike up the Blackwater river path. It runs from Row Hill Copse in Aldershot up to Sindlesham near Reading and goes through some beautiful countryside. After which we met up with a friend at the Swan pub in Ash vale for a well deserved pint and orange juice!
Now today is another story. Off I go to do another 33 mile circular route when just before I get into Guildford, strike one, I cop a flat. It's OK because Ive got a Halfords own puncture repair kit and a couple of spare inner tubes. off comes the back tyre and I find that the puncture is actually an old puncture site that I had repaired previously with Halfords patches and it's leaking from where it has puckered up. It was a right royal pain in the proverbial getting this patch on in the first place. I must have used 4 Halfords patches before I could get it repaired. there was no way I was going to get another one over the top of it due to the way it was all puckered. No problem, change the inner tube, put the wheel back on and oh, my mini pump only seems to be inflating to 30 psi. I need it at about 100. Right, there's a Halfords in Guildford I'll stop there and use their pump.
Get to Halfords.
"Hello" i say to the guy behind the counter. "Can I use your pump?"
"No problem." He helpfully replies.
Wicked. 100 psi in no time. Off I go.
About 3/4 of a mile later, strike 2. "POP" goes the new inner tube.Let swearing commence! Off comes the wheel, find the puncture, use the Halfords own patches and they will not stick. Great. Change the inner tube for my second spare and start pumping the tire up. "Crack" goes the pump and refuses to pump up any more. Tremendous, I think.
right. There's a Raleigh shop just down the road that I passed a couple of minutes back, lets go and buy a new pump. Damn, left my wallet at home. No worries, they'll let me use theirs.
"Hello" I say to the guy behind the counter. "Can I use your pump"
"No" he replies. "We don't let anyone use our tools. If you want to buy a new inner tube we'll pump it up for you though"
"I have left my wallet at home otherwise I would." I say. He must have seen the look in my eye that said I was right on the limit of holding my temper and he capitulated.
"Where's your bike" he said. " I think we can make an exception this time."
Off I go again with another new inner tube freshly inflated. by this time I think I'm pushing my luck so I decide to call lit a day and head back home.
Just as I am passing through Normandy I decide to pull over to the side of the road, take on some fluid and scoff a few jelly babies. Just as I set off again, strike three. I realise that the back tyre is flat again. Fantastic. Just fu*&ing fantastic. I don't now trust the Halfords patches to work and have no more inner tubes. Even if I had one I now don't have a pump to pump it up!
I've still got my legs, so start running baldy! 2 miles and 15 minutes later I get home. Not bad. After a 20 mile cycle ride with all the problems I had to be able to run an average of 7 1/2 minute miles while pushing a bike!
I wonder what joys next week will bring...
