If you have done any cycling in your past then you will know the annoyance that goes with the inevitable failure of the pneumatic tyre.
If Murphy's law holds true, your puncture will occur well past the point of returning to home to seek alternate transport and occasionally (infuriatingly) close to a destination option.
There are a couple of types of failures you may experience; the catastrophic that announces itself with a bang and sudden rush of air leaving the confines of the tube, or the slow, inconspicuous process of deflating. The forming leaves you in no doubt yet is generally met (initially) with disbelief, the later is harder to pick as your first signs of trouble may be an increasingly harsh ride delivered from the imperfect tarmac as the cushioning effect of the tyre decreases.
My last time served curbside with a puncture came at roughly the 60km mark, maybe 5km short of my turn-around point. It was just outside the coastal town of Dromana and was caused by the sharp debris left from recent road works on the freeway. It happened quickly, there was no option but to fix it and it was in the middle of no where. As I stepped of the bike the first thing I noticed was a sudden urgency to use the bathroom - perfect...
Long story short, I used my last spare tube to fix the wheel, fought with the disk brakes that refused to allow the replacement of the wheel, re-adjusted the brakes I had to remove and finally got rolling again to find that bathroom. I also wanted a bike store to restock my kit in case Murphy was not finished with me for the day (I still had a long way to go to get home)
Why am I telling you this?
I'm glad you asked!
Did you know that, annoying as a punctured tube can be, there is a way to recycle your misfortune and create a tool for your training.
When you get back to civilization, simply take the inner tube out from whichever pocket or bag you shoved it (in disgust) and measure out a length of approximately 40 or 50 cm and cut. Now, tie the ends together to create a loop and there you have it. The BAND.
To use your band, during your swim training, place it around your ankles to hold them together and thereby focus on your upper body strength and efficiency. The first thing you will notice when swimming with the band is the irony that a device that is usually considered a buoyancy tool now acts much more like an anchor. Shortly after kicking off the wall your momentum is lost and you're likely to find that the small piece of vulcanised rubber, which can't possibly weigh more than a few grams, is inexplicably dragging your feet towards the pool floor. Before long (if you're like me) you're arms are flailing wildly in a mad dash to find purchase on the water and drag your sinking form to the safety of the far end of the lane.
The band and I are not friends.
We were first introduced 2 years ago during a swim session during the strength building phase of training. Over the previous few weeks I had started to progress up the rankings and kicking some ass - in the beginner's lane - and things were good. The band changed all that. The first time I was given one to use I was full of confidence, 30 meters later however, I was full of chlorinated water, hanging onto the wall and coughing. That day I fought through the session and actually completed some of it, although many of my laps were punctuated by a detour to the side of the pool convinced I was about to drown.
In the last couple of weeks we have moved back into the strength phase of training and again, the band has been added to our sessions. We are still not friends, however, recently my work to lengthen my stroke and add more power to each one seems to have lessened its attraction to the pool floor. These days I can complete the full session with the band, and for some of it, actually maintain a decent stroke. By the end though I am inevitably fighting with it and just trying to hold some kind of form and not delay those behind me too much.
Perhaps the band isn't just a tool for coaches to bring cocky beginners back down to earth, perhaps it is actually working. Perhaps.
Regardless, the reason I am telling you all is this; next time you are stuck on the side of the road cursing your luck and the idiot who decided reliance on an inflatable tyre was the best solution, just think, this problem could be recycled into one so much worse.
So shut the hell up, fix your flat and enjoy the rest of the ride.
If Murphy's law holds true, your puncture will occur well past the point of returning to home to seek alternate transport and occasionally (infuriatingly) close to a destination option.
There are a couple of types of failures you may experience; the catastrophic that announces itself with a bang and sudden rush of air leaving the confines of the tube, or the slow, inconspicuous process of deflating. The forming leaves you in no doubt yet is generally met (initially) with disbelief, the later is harder to pick as your first signs of trouble may be an increasingly harsh ride delivered from the imperfect tarmac as the cushioning effect of the tyre decreases.
My last time served curbside with a puncture came at roughly the 60km mark, maybe 5km short of my turn-around point. It was just outside the coastal town of Dromana and was caused by the sharp debris left from recent road works on the freeway. It happened quickly, there was no option but to fix it and it was in the middle of no where. As I stepped of the bike the first thing I noticed was a sudden urgency to use the bathroom - perfect...
Long story short, I used my last spare tube to fix the wheel, fought with the disk brakes that refused to allow the replacement of the wheel, re-adjusted the brakes I had to remove and finally got rolling again to find that bathroom. I also wanted a bike store to restock my kit in case Murphy was not finished with me for the day (I still had a long way to go to get home)
Why am I telling you this?
I'm glad you asked!
Did you know that, annoying as a punctured tube can be, there is a way to recycle your misfortune and create a tool for your training.
When you get back to civilization, simply take the inner tube out from whichever pocket or bag you shoved it (in disgust) and measure out a length of approximately 40 or 50 cm and cut. Now, tie the ends together to create a loop and there you have it. The BAND.
To use your band, during your swim training, place it around your ankles to hold them together and thereby focus on your upper body strength and efficiency. The first thing you will notice when swimming with the band is the irony that a device that is usually considered a buoyancy tool now acts much more like an anchor. Shortly after kicking off the wall your momentum is lost and you're likely to find that the small piece of vulcanised rubber, which can't possibly weigh more than a few grams, is inexplicably dragging your feet towards the pool floor. Before long (if you're like me) you're arms are flailing wildly in a mad dash to find purchase on the water and drag your sinking form to the safety of the far end of the lane.
The band and I are not friends.
We were first introduced 2 years ago during a swim session during the strength building phase of training. Over the previous few weeks I had started to progress up the rankings and kicking some ass - in the beginner's lane - and things were good. The band changed all that. The first time I was given one to use I was full of confidence, 30 meters later however, I was full of chlorinated water, hanging onto the wall and coughing. That day I fought through the session and actually completed some of it, although many of my laps were punctuated by a detour to the side of the pool convinced I was about to drown.
In the last couple of weeks we have moved back into the strength phase of training and again, the band has been added to our sessions. We are still not friends, however, recently my work to lengthen my stroke and add more power to each one seems to have lessened its attraction to the pool floor. These days I can complete the full session with the band, and for some of it, actually maintain a decent stroke. By the end though I am inevitably fighting with it and just trying to hold some kind of form and not delay those behind me too much.
Perhaps the band isn't just a tool for coaches to bring cocky beginners back down to earth, perhaps it is actually working. Perhaps.
Regardless, the reason I am telling you all is this; next time you are stuck on the side of the road cursing your luck and the idiot who decided reliance on an inflatable tyre was the best solution, just think, this problem could be recycled into one so much worse.
So shut the hell up, fix your flat and enjoy the rest of the ride.
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