Giving Your Blown-Out Tire the Boot

Every rider should have some basic repair skills. The list of necessary skills will vary for each individual rider, but really should include common tire problem reprations. The obvious skills include regularly checking and inflating tires to proper pressure (check your tire side wall if not sure), replacing and repairing flat inner tubes, and placing a boot if necessary.

What is a boot you ask? I define it as a patch for the tire, as opposed to a patch for the tube. Flat tires are caused by punctured tubes, but sometimes they include a large hole in the tire as well as the tube. Patching the tube will not be enough to get you rolling again. The tire must also be patched or the tube will protrude out of the hole and simply puncture again.

Just for curiosity's sake I thought I'd see how common this term is so I looked it up in Wikipedia, and it's there. If you are nerdy like me and want to see click here. If you just want to know more about what to do when this occurs, just keep reading.

This may sound like a hard problem to fix, but it is actually easier than repairing the tube. All that is required is to place something large enough and durable enough (and thin enough) between the tube and the tire to prevent the tube from bulging out of the hole. There are several possibilities that will serve this purpose quite nicely. You can purchase something made specifically for this purpose, or you can use what you have on hand. Park tools makes something for this and they call it a boot. This item has one specific quality that isn't easy to come by, adhesive on one side to keep it in place.

If you haven't gotten around to buying one to put in your bag of tricks (saddle pouch), then you are left with what you have on hand. The next best thing is money, paper money. A dollar bill will do the job very well even though it doesn't have the adhesive. Here is a short video describing this concept.

I have only blown a hole in my tire once, but it was far less of a problem because I knew what to do about it. Now you do too...

Offline

Dear Readers, I will be offline for  the next several days (back on June 26). I hope to use this time to generate new ideas and interesting posts. I'll be on the lookout for new and different bikeyness.

If you have specific topics you would like to discuss or see covered, please comment below.

In the meantime stay safe and enjoy the ride!

Life Happens

Have you ever been caught by surprise at how things on the periphery of your world can influence your life profoundly? I am feeling a little like that right now. People I care about are taking heavy blows and feeling stunned. My work is preparing for a major software implementation and sometimes it feels like using the new program is our "job" when it is in fact only a small part of what we really do.

This week while attempting to learn the new system before I leave for vacation (uber-busy week), some really bad things have happened around me. One coworker is diagnosed with breast cancer, another's son dies suddenly and without explanation, and yet another discovers her husband has an aggressive metastatic cancer and may soon die. This news came in 2 days time. The work place feels dangerous, sad, and out of control.

I keep thinking I will skip out and ride my bike to clear my head, ride out some of the stress and exhaust myself. But the phone rings and another emergency takes precedence. Hearing about, and dealing with another tragedy is distracting, but adds to the emotional baggage of this terrible week. It's hard to sleep, to concentrate, to find words to express feelings of support. It feels like I am adrift in a dangerous sea. I am thirsty, antsy, anxious, and somehow distanced from the danger and friendship around me.

Trip Planning: Maping

Trip planning can be a daunting task. Going somewhere new can be both exciting and anxiety provoking, especially if your means of transportation is a bicycle. Issues such as altitude, road conditions, and availability of provisions are some of the things to consider when creating your plan. Another issue is route finding. Taking a wrong turn and going 10-20 miles out of your may not be too big a deal in a car, but it could have big consequences on a bike. There are many tools available to the bicycle traveller, but some level of planning and familiarizing yourself with the general geography can go a long way to ensuring success at finding your way. Some items I use for planning, ensuring I am on the desired route, and ideas for things/places to see include: guide books, gps device, map (paper and electronic), and recommendations by locals.

It isn't always necessary to plan every detail of your trip. You may want to leave some room for spontaneity and act on a tip from someone you meet on the trip. But knowing what choices you are making and how they relate to your overall plan is helpful.

When I am planning a trip to a general area but don't know all the specifics, I like to lay things out in Google Maps. It is very helpful because you can place waymarks on your route, color code them, make notes and place website links, note contact information,  and place them on the exact location. This provides a visual map of places in relation to each other. It will tell you exactly how far apart things are and provide suggestions for how to get there.

I will be doing my first organized multi-day bike tour with Adventure Cycling Association this summer. This trip is already planned out, but it is in an area that I am unfamiliar with. I have made a sample planning map using the itinerary of this trip. You can see an example of what I described above by looking at my map here.

I use Google Maps quite a bit for directions, planning, discovering, learning, and just plain geeking out. I like that I can save my maps, share them, and refer to them later.

I am curious to know what other tools bicycle travelers use for trip planning and route finding.

Outside the Bike Lane

As a bicycle traveler it is likely that you will be subject to all sorts of different local laws. It is impossible to be aware of all the laws where you travel, but it is important to be knowledgeable on the subject in general. One example is in the town of Black Hawk, Colorado where it is illegal to RIDE A BIKE on the street. Three cyclists riding through the town last year were ticketed. They are in the process of appealing their citations. Read about this situation and the legal process involved here.

Here is a video of a man who was cited in New York City for riding "outside of the bike lane." The video points out that being ticketed for something does not necessarily mean it is illegal...

Pain & Suffering

I've been thinking about why I love to ride so much despite the fact that it is uncomfortable. I had not really thought about the pain of riding very much until I was hit by a car and spent months in pain. For some reason it was during my recovery from those injuries when I became conscious of the fact that riding is inevitably filled with pain and discomfort. At least it is if you put in a lot of miles and log several hours each weak in the saddle. I think it might be a little like childbirth, the pain is not the primary sensation a rider focuses on or remembers. It becomes just part of the thing that brings other more pleasant sensations that take precidence. The pain is a necessary evil that is what it is, and it doesn't matter, it isn't a deterent.

I have been slowly building my stregenth back up to the point where I can ride enough to make me happy. It has taken me 3.5 years of patience and pain and rehab to get to this point. The other day I rode the greatest distance since the accident, 47 total miles in one day (12 in the morning, 35 in the afternoon). The best thing about it was that I was more tired than sore. I believe I can do more. That makes me happier than I can describe.

I don't know how to explain to non-riders why I like to ride so much. There are so many forms of exercise that won't put me back at risk of being hit by another car. I am not a thrill junkie who is excited about riding along big fast cars. It isn't because I like the pain.

I like to ride so much it is slowly becoming a much bigger part of my life than it was before the accident. I search out opportunities to see movies about riding (Ride the Divide - is a good one). I read books about riding. I look for events (that only partly require a bike) involving riding, I'm planning vacations that revolve around the bike. I've started a blog so I can write about riding. But I still can't adaquately explain why I love it so much.

Why do you ride?

Big Day on the Bike

Yesterday I had a rare opportunity for a real life bike commute on a train. I live close to my usual workplace (5mi in the car, 10 on the bike). I do occasionally ride to work, but only when I am not working a 24hr shift (go ahead call me a whimp). But yesterday my department had an off-campus meeting that was 35 mi (on the bike) away. I took the commuter train up there (rode 12 mi) and then rode all the way home. It was a perfect experience for mapping out a route (I did get slightly lost and added about 2 miles), figuring out the train schedule, and actually riding my commute.

This probably sounds minor and unmentionable to those commuters who live like this all the time, but it was a great learning experience for me. These are acquired skills. Learning how to be efficient and proficient at them takes practice, especially with a loaded bike. Now I have more confidence and will be planning an over-night excursion. For me I find taking these baby steps is a good way to learn, practice, ride and not use any vacation time!

Here are some pics from the trip:

Great Day for a Fun Ride

I find that there are several different types of bike rides for me. Sometimes I ride to exercise, to get where I need to go, as a primary activity of a vacation, or even just as a way to relax and enjoy being outside. I approach each type of ride a little differently, and some I do more frequently than others depending on the other things going on in my life at the time.

This past weekend I took a "fun ride." This means I went with a friend and we planned a route that was beautiful (heavy on the water views), easy (allowing for conversation), involved stopping for lunch, and contained a little novelty (included a ferry ride). It was sunny and a bit on the breezy side of perfect. We managed to stay on the route, have a fine lunch, and catch the ferry just in time. It was more of a day having fun with a friend than an exercise outing, or simply a means of transportation. A truely LikeyBikey type of day.

Here is a link to the route we took. And here is a short video of our day:

What are some of the ways you likeybikey?