Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Birthday Bike Ride

May 29, my favorite day to ride a bike.  Especially this year, from our new cabin outside of Brevard, NC.

Birthday breakfast.  Great presents, including a pink King headset and perforated Rolls.




There is almost nothing I like to do more than tinker on bikes.  Finally, I have a decent space to do it.




And where I discovered that my TA bottom bracket on my 2004 Mariposa is toast.  I mean, kaput.  As in grinds around.




So instead of riding the Mariposa on Grand Bois 30s, I took my blue Della Santa with Grand Bois 26s.



And off I went with Green River Road in mind.  Miles of no cars, miles of forest, and packed gravel roads.




Ten miles to the greavel, then a few miles in, hisssssss.  A flat.  I was prepared, of course.  Instead of using a spare tube, I patched the snake bite carefully with two patches.  I had flatted on this road a few weeks ago.  After years of 1 or 2 flats per year, this is my sixth in 2011.  (Turns out that I have a burr on the inside of a worn-out rim).



Pumped up the rear.  Or tried to.  Bam.  Silca exploded in my hands.  I know all about the horrible reputation of these pumps, but I've used them for 30 years and have never broken one (another rider broke another of mine a few years ago).  Well, this one exploded.



No pump.  No cell phone coverage.  But phone did remind me of my birthday.



Luckily, after a pleasant walk, I ended up a Green River Preserve summer camp where my oldest attended a few years ago.  I found a land line, and waited in this glorious meadow for Miss Caprice and the boys to rescue me.