Anyway, the day after I bought a black saddle, I went online and discovered that you now can get white Conti tires. Yay! Now I just need a set of white padded shorts -- you can visualize on your own time.
Put two of the three new tires on yesterday, as part of an overall bike wash. Very slick look. Here's how white tires look after they get their first 40 miles:
Anyhow, today Steve and I went round the West Alpine loop. 28 minutes up OLH, which is a minute better than last time. The new tires rock. Current theory? Heat reflecting from the tires provides extra lift off the pavement. Hard to justify this theory, due to the cold day, but perhaps the effect will be more noticable when it gets hotter. Strangely, going downhill, they are a little slower. Coming down 84 where I can get up to 40, I only hit 35.
Another discovery is that Hammer Gel Tropical Flavor with 25mg Caffiene is pretty damn good, and it'll get you up Alpine road like you have rockets strapped to your saddle. Highly recommended (relished?) by this pickle. Plus, its almost like being in Hawaii.
Coming down Page Mill, on Kirkman Hill, I had a surpise when the air explosively left my front tire, and I was smacked against the asphalt at 25 miles per hour. The penalty seems to be one scuffed front tire, one scuffed bike, and a achey cyclist sitting at home with an iced ass and shoulder. If the shoulder is still very sore tomorrow, then it's off for X-Rays. Zap!
Oh, and a smashed helmet. I guess if there's something that you can be glad to see smashed, its a helmet. The darned thing absorbed a lot of energy, and I can still count and recognize food. Pass me another hat -- I'm still hungry.
Here's hoping that the damage is superficial. TUC is in two weekends and I'm hoping this is not my year of great excuses for missing long rides.
Thanks to Steve for circling back to check my vital signs, and to Julia for picking me up and all that ice, too.
Dr. Pickle
ps. The Death Ride water bottle on Kirkman Hill is mine, if you see it.
UPDATE: A broken clavicle (something hard in the shoulder area) will keep me off my arm for about 4 weeks. Spinning class here I come!
5 comments:
Glad you are not dead! Perhaps those pimp-quality white walls inspire attacks?
We have been plagued by flats for the last month, every one different: puncture, stem failures, etc. Bad tire karma sucks, just as the season's getting rolling.
PS: Those tires won't be white anymore after TUC.
Unfortunately, I won't be riding for a while. Anyone want a TUC pass plus five raffle tickets? :-)
Glad you are (mostly) OK. That is a pretty bad place to take a tumble. Did the new tire tear or was it an inner tube problem?
The failure was something that's happened to me before: Put new tires on, damage the tube during assembly, which is easy to do. Slow air leak from tube into tire, which build up pressure, then blows the tire off the rim. I have not checked to make sure there was no puncture yet, but this is my assumption.
Did the tumble damage your porno actor good looks? I guess I too will cancel my trip to the TUC...it just won't be the same without you! Oh wait a minute, I back out every year...guess I won't have to let you down again. Get well soon...and glad to see the baby blue helmet go!
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