Tires. Tires, tires, tired of tires...
In the morning, the back tire was flat, so, thinking it was just a slooow leak (as it had been prior), I pumped it up and chucked it in the car and headed for work. Parked, rode to C4 to get some beans and on the way there it slowly deflated, becoming too low to ride just as I arrived. Borrowed a pump from one of the guys there, but that didn't work, so I walked myself and the bike to work. End of the day, the pump in the bikeshed at work didn't work, so, walked to car. Drove to Sumnervale.
Nelson arrived just after me and his front tire was flat too. His was a valve-core issue which he couldn't fix so he left again. I replaced my tube, and patched the one I took out - 15 or so minutes. I started riding, and my tire got flatter and flatter... I stopped up on the grass just off the cul-de-sac (before the stile) and patched this tube. Another 15 minutes or so. Then, as I removed the pump the whole fucking valve-core came out. WHUUSH, I struggled and got more air back in, got riding even tho the tire was a bit too low, at least it wasn't getting any lower. Got up round all the switchbacks and sat down on the seat to pump it more, and the valve-core came out again, so I spent another 15 minutes or so messing with it, also discovering a loose spoke, which I tightened by hand. Found that part of my chain-breaker managed to fit the valve-core, so got it good and tight, re-pumped and finally got riding. It was getting close to 7 o'clock by this stage!
Good climb, finally, up Captain Thomas. Cleaned everything I usually clean, and walked all the usual bits. Rested at the annoying gate, letting a couple of girls ride down through. Headed up the Summit Rd, as far as the Richmond Pines. Over the stile and up the 4wd farm-track to Greenwood. Hung a right on this and stopped again, flipped bike, and got the spoke-tool out and tightened up several spokes. Got riding again, up, around and hung a tight right on Sheepshit Alley, bombed down this, then around 'the Greenline' climbing back up to the start of Greenwood from the 4wd track.
Into it and bombing. Nice bit of work done on the edges all the way down, a tickle since the Enduro? Smooth popping through the top rocky sections, cruising and bombing in turn. Around, pumping okay towards Gloomy, but getting bailed up on the rocks just after. Then rested the spine before the rocky descent, good flow through this and the airy bits, and off the drop, then slow to start around into Dave's zone, speed ratcheting up as I was bombing and flowing, feeling pretty good. Wind got stronger as I headed into Evans Pass, gale across the saddle.
Across the road and back up into the Captain, and bombing into the flow again. Rocked all the goodness on this, having an excellent run, except the usual climby bit just after the last of the rock drops. Flow and ping the rest of the way down and back to the car... After a bad start, a good finish, solid solo, 15 and 3/4 kms with 12m shy of 600 altitudes climbed.
In the morning, the back tire was flat, so, thinking it was just a slooow leak (as it had been prior), I pumped it up and chucked it in the car and headed for work. Parked, rode to C4 to get some beans and on the way there it slowly deflated, becoming too low to ride just as I arrived. Borrowed a pump from one of the guys there, but that didn't work, so I walked myself and the bike to work. End of the day, the pump in the bikeshed at work didn't work, so, walked to car. Drove to Sumnervale.
Nelson arrived just after me and his front tire was flat too. His was a valve-core issue which he couldn't fix so he left again. I replaced my tube, and patched the one I took out - 15 or so minutes. I started riding, and my tire got flatter and flatter... I stopped up on the grass just off the cul-de-sac (before the stile) and patched this tube. Another 15 minutes or so. Then, as I removed the pump the whole fucking valve-core came out. WHUUSH, I struggled and got more air back in, got riding even tho the tire was a bit too low, at least it wasn't getting any lower. Got up round all the switchbacks and sat down on the seat to pump it more, and the valve-core came out again, so I spent another 15 minutes or so messing with it, also discovering a loose spoke, which I tightened by hand. Found that part of my chain-breaker managed to fit the valve-core, so got it good and tight, re-pumped and finally got riding. It was getting close to 7 o'clock by this stage!
Good climb, finally, up Captain Thomas. Cleaned everything I usually clean, and walked all the usual bits. Rested at the annoying gate, letting a couple of girls ride down through. Headed up the Summit Rd, as far as the Richmond Pines. Over the stile and up the 4wd farm-track to Greenwood. Hung a right on this and stopped again, flipped bike, and got the spoke-tool out and tightened up several spokes. Got riding again, up, around and hung a tight right on Sheepshit Alley, bombed down this, then around 'the Greenline' climbing back up to the start of Greenwood from the 4wd track.
Into it and bombing. Nice bit of work done on the edges all the way down, a tickle since the Enduro? Smooth popping through the top rocky sections, cruising and bombing in turn. Around, pumping okay towards Gloomy, but getting bailed up on the rocks just after. Then rested the spine before the rocky descent, good flow through this and the airy bits, and off the drop, then slow to start around into Dave's zone, speed ratcheting up as I was bombing and flowing, feeling pretty good. Wind got stronger as I headed into Evans Pass, gale across the saddle.
Across the road and back up into the Captain, and bombing into the flow again. Rocked all the goodness on this, having an excellent run, except the usual climby bit just after the last of the rock drops. Flow and ping the rest of the way down and back to the car... After a bad start, a good finish, solid solo, 15 and 3/4 kms with 12m shy of 600 altitudes climbed.
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