I left off the last post with a lumpy tube in my tire and a good guess that it would also be flat when I got back out there. I did some thinking in the afternoon and decided I may need to figure out how to get a ride to a shop to buy a tube or find someone at work that also may have biked in. I decide to hit up the Caribou Coffee to grab some coffee and think about my situation. Miss the first part? Here!

As I was walking to the elevators I ran into a guy I know from Minnesota Off-Road Cyclists that also works in the building. I asked him if he had an extra tube and told him my story. He says, "Yeah, I do, let's go grab it." Yes! So we go out, grab a tube from his bike and head back in, I promise to bring him a new tube on Monday and pray to god that he doesn't get a flat on the way home since this was his only tube. He didn't.

End of the day. Walking out to my bike I can see that the tire is flat. Not low but flat. I remember that West has a mobile repair guy that repairs flats on cars and jump starts them. I replace the smaller tube for the larger one I secured earlier in the day. I walk my bike up to the building and head to the guard desk and ask them to have the guy swing up to the front for an air fill.

When he arrived I walked over to him and showed him my flat. He tells me that he has never filled up a bike tire at West. He asks me how many PSI to put into the tire, I tell him 40. He says okay and it is full in about 2 seconds. I thank him and am on my way.

I get to my Super America turn about 4 miles into the ride and notice that the tire is leaking slowly still. I looked over that whole damn tire and couldn't find anything in there. So I pull up to the SA and run inside and ask them to flip on the compressor. I fill the tire back up. On my way again.

I decide to hit up Hiawatha Cyclery to pick up some tubes and sympathy. Got both, 3 tubes and a little bit of sympathy. :) The tire is holding air better since the SA fill up, so I ride it home. It is running at about 10 PSI when I get home and bring it downstairs.

It goes up on the stand, I eat dinner and go to work. Time to put the commuter slicks on the spare wheel set, the winter wheel set. I pull off the studded tires and hang them up. I pull the slicks off the Bianchi and hang that back up. I pull the tires off my MTB and hang the front up. I pull the flat tire off the back and give it a closer inspection. Nothing that I can see on the outside, so I turn it inside out.

I am running my hand over the inside and feel a little something. I look, don't see anything. Run the hand over again. Ahh, What is that? It looks like a needle or something. I grab the needle nose pliers and try to get a hold of it. Nothing. Umm, try the other side and I get it pulled out. It is literately about this big --> | but 1/2 the thickness.. I hang that tire up, I don't even remount it on the rim, too frustrated. I do however mount the slicks and adjust the brakes on the bike...

I guess we will see how she rides Monday...

Labels: bike, commute, flat