Last week, I got out for one of the first really nice days to ride the bike and rode along Quincy Shore Drive by the beach down here. High pressure day, bright blue clouds, friendly pedestrians, and some shell fragments. I had JUST turned down a side road to avoid post-work traffic when I perceived the tire had gone flat. It was a great relief to me that it didn’t “blow out” and send me a$$ over teakettle (I have done that before but not due to a flat) or make a big noise (**BANG**!!!) or shred the tire or bend my rims or anything. Just phhhhtttt. Flat. I think I watched too many Road Runner cartoons as a kid. (Or last summer.) It was slightly anti-climatic.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have a patch kit or a spare tube or frankly a real good idea of what to do if I did have those things. But I did have a cell phone, and Ruthie drove in her generally good-natured way the couple miles I had gone and picked me up. The next day, I purchased spare tubes, a patch kit and bike tire irons. And a cool under the seat case for them. (This gear did not even say “Acme Flat Repair Kit” on it )I did not mention to the garrulous bike store owner that I didn’t know what to do with them. You can enroll in bike repair classes around here for anywhere from $50 to $100, but I thought I would try this out myself, first.

The link above is the one I referred to in order to successfully fix the tire. I dragged my iPad out to the front porch and watched and rewound to the vid as I worked. I discovered I had to muscle the tire off at the end, but thanks to the bassoon and piano and the guitar and probably rock climbing, I have the hand strength and dexterity to do that. I was making the mistake at first of being tentative which really is a metaphor for my entire life. Well, most of it.