Laziness
The weather hasn’t inspired me either…
I punctured the Tricross on the way home last Tuesday, so the last three or four miles of the journey were quite wobbly and corners were no fun – but at least I got home. As it was dark, cold, damp, and I couldn’t see an obvious p0ucnture or remember anything obvious that might have caused it I decided to take the risk that this was just the natural deflation tyres get if you’re lazy and don’t top them up for a couple of weeks – so ipumped up both tyres and left it at that. The front had dropped from 110psi to 80 – quite normal and just short of the point where it would show in the braking, the back had gone from 110psi to 50 – a bit much but like I said I was feeling lazy.
The next morning I loaded the bike up in the dark to head for work, got on the saddle, and felt the unmistakable thud of my weight not being taken by the back tyre. Quick change out of lycra, empty the pannier in to a rucksack, walk to work and fix the type in the evening. That evening… it’s dark and cold and damp, and I’ve just been walking for an hour – I’ll do it after dinner.
The next morning, oh, I haven’t fixed the puncture – I’ll do it tonight. Walk. At work I realised I’d spent two days walking because of a puncture and I hadn’t yet considered getting the spare bike out of the shed (at the last house it was in the garden with the Tricross so no thinking required), possibly because I like it farless than I used to.
So I’ve spent Friday, Saturday, and today getting around on the Bolinas Ridge. I’ve said to myself that if I still don’t look forward to riding it after February (I expect the weather to turn Icy/Snowy in a week of so and last a couple of weeks) when I wouldn’t want to be on the thinner tyres it’s going. The first two years I had it I quite liked it, then I got used to drop handlebars and just can’t get comfy without them now. I’ve been keeping the Bolinas Ridge around because a mountain bike is theoretically better when the road surface gets slippy at this time of year, but I barely rode it last year – preferring to walk.
And if it goes around about March I can get something new and fast just in time for spring!
Odometer check. Bolinas Ridge: 5245.2miles, about 5230miles at New Year.
I probably won’t fix that puncture tonight…
