Little Imposition

Yesterday I rode to the nearby little market to pick up some much needed supplies (root beer and my favorite hot sauce) and received a free flat tire.

This happens much more frequently on bicycles than it does on cars, and I'm not sure if that's because we're forced to ride in crappy, litter-filled parts of the street or if it's because the components of a bicycle tire are cheap. I've had my share of auto flats, too, and they're no fun, but bicycle flats are easier to fix.

So, this morning I fixed my flat and here it is, two hours later, and the tire's still holding air, the way it's supposed to. I have to admit I'm still unexpectedly thrilled when the results of my labors work out as intended, though I shouldn't be. I've probably repaired twenty or thirty bike flats in my life.

Car flats? Only one. What I most often do is pull off the flat (loosening the lug nuts *before* jacking the car up) and replace it with the spare, then buy a new tire. One way to make sure I can do that is to rotate the tires myself. Those car places seem to take some perverse joy in over-tightening the wheels, far beyond the specifications, with the result that the wrench you find in your trunk is useless.

(By the way, when I had my accident a few years ago, the wheel stayed attached. Everything up to the axle came off.)

Bikes, however, are easier to work on, and not just because you can do it indoors. This latest flat was the first for the rear tire, which is trickier because of the chain, but I was able to patch it. This means my spare inner tube is still in its original box, factory fresh, and waiting for a more serious puncture.