Posted by Daniel Mon, 29 Jan 2007 01:30:00 GMT

In the spring of last year someone was shooting a movie at the Lake. I spun by the first few times and the last time there was a van parked right in the middle of the path. I drove around but pinch flatted getting back on the path. Naturally, this happened when I was playing with my then new saddle and had neglected to put the seat bag back on, because I kept making little adjustments. So no spare tube or anything. . To further compound my stupidity, I had said to myself "ahh you pumped up the tires just yesterday, they feel fine, you're just spinning around the lake to get the saddle set... why bother?" So naturally... I wound up clumping around the lake in my road shoes back to the car.

Anyway, shifting forward to today, where the weather was lovely even early this morning. I'm riding my now filthy (from the birthday ride) cross bike, except I, ahem, cleaned (and I use the term loosely) the basic drivetrain stuff so that I wouldn't be saddened by the crunching sound of grit in every link of chain. It was wet on the roads this morning, so I wasn't going to dirty a second bike. I had my seatbag, and I pumped up the tires (you didn't think I am *that* stupid, did you?) However the film crew was back, now with giant blocks of ice to help out the already frozen lake... and, of course, blocking the path, so just after I make it past the path block I feel the rear tire getting flat.

I considerd changing it right in their way, in a spiteful fit of annoyance (though in truth it's not at all their fault) but decided that the tire looked marginal at best... so I rode out of the saddle until it was entirely deflated, and then, somewhat deflated myself, decided to walk the darn thing back to the car rather than hastle with changing a rear tire in the cold. At least I had mountain bike shoes on this time.

I'm now the owner of two new tires... figuring the other one wasn't long for the world either, one new tube, and a strong interest in dismounting the next time I see someone shooting a film at the lake.

The only really good thing to come out of all this, was that for the second ride in a row (short though this was) my knee didn't hurt. I'm sure it's not healed yet... but it feels like progress to me. Allez!