This turned out to be a bit of an adventure. I had time on my hands so I didnt need to cram the ride into a ridiculous early start, I had the luxury (or so I thought) of being able to enjoy the whole day on two wheels. I left home at 11am. No sooner had I reached the end of my street when the rain came down. The cloud cover didn't look too grey so I carried on thinking it would stop. It didn't. What the heck I thought, that Swaines Lane is for the bagging. The further north I went the heavier the rain became.
By the time I reached Spaniards Way I was soaked to the skin. I went down Highgate Road using the brakes all the way. And then up Swaines Lane I went. I stayed off the granny ring and kept the last sprocket for back up. This was the perfect time to cycle up there, not one car appeared - it was lunchtime on a Bank holiday. Perfect! Just as I was three quarters of the way up there was a simultaneous moment when the back wheel started wobbling and the heavens really opened big time. Bucket loads of water making my mascara run to my chin.
I checked my back wheel. After all the cycling I have done, this was my first solo puncture. It was all down to me. I thought of the speed in which Zimzum and Dellzeqq fixed my very first puncture on my very first Sunday London Ride on a rapto-no-thank-you-bike in 2010. Then there was the one on the Northampton ride fixed - equally speedily - by Topcat1 (I think there have been others too). I realised I wouldn't do it as fast as they did but I would do it.
The rain stopped and Taran tarra, I did it! I even found the hole and the rock (the size of Gibraltar) embedded in my tyre. I replaced the tube and refitted the wheel! I then found myself cleaning the frame with Pampers wetwipes which unless you are ianrauk is possibly beyond the pale! (The bike looks good tho!)
Hmmmph, note to self: cut down on the Pampers and the photo taking and perhaps it won't take so long!
The downside was that as well as being quite cold, I was also unsure about cycling to the end - I wanted to check the bike - that I had put everything together properly - so I pushed it 10 yards towards the top, checked it was all ok then rode to the top. Hoorayy!! At this point the rain came bucketing down again. All I could think about was a hot bath and a hot cup of tea so I made for home.
Needless to say, since my hot bath and cup of tea there has been not one drop of rain.....! Hey Ho - sometimes stuff happens (especially if you don't look at weather forecasts)! Proof I repaired the puncture!
https://picasaweb.google.com/108733...authkey=Gv1sRgCLnMr-TmuNS2ogE&feat=directlink
Not exactly a long ride, but eventful and fun all the same. Hopefully next time there will be less fettling and more pedalling! And quite a lot less rain.
Mice
) for the mega early starts!
