Flat

After a few straight days of being indoors, I was looking forward to a Saturday ride. Knowing that I'm a few pedalstrokes down, and wanting to get a kickstart on my "training season", I planned to head out for about 40 mi.

I didn't want to do the standard Myrtle Edwards-I90 Trail-Mercer Island route for those 40, though, so I took a slightly different route. Headed through the Locks and around the Magnolia Loop to start. Still had to pass through Myrtle Edwards, of course, to find a number of people setting up for "Step Up"-an environmental awareness rally. That meant dodging peds all along the waterfront. Until I had a chunky feeling from my back wheel....

Yep, I had a flat. Trying to reinflate, it refused to hold any air, so I knew it was time for a tube change. As I chcked the tire, I noticed a couple of shallow cuts that might indicate that it's time for a new tire. Sadly, I had finally beaten that bead into submission. I barely needed levers to get the tire back on. Oh well.

As I wasn't about to try to complete another 30-some miles on an underinflated tire (I can only seem to get about 50 lbs from my hand pump), I opted to head home. Thankfully. Because, of course, that's when the skywater began. Out along the waterfront, it's easy to see big nasty black clouds (and sheets of rain) coming. But from my house, it wasn't obvious, so I wasn't at all prepared for rain. There might still be time in the season for a trainer party!